Moving through another glorious Oregon Wine Month, we bring you another great producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Initially founded in 2002 as Matello Winery, Goodfellow sources from some great vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The winemaker, Marcus Goodfellow, grew up on a Douglas Fir tree farm in Oregon. Inspired by learning about wine through his work in fine dining, Marcus worked his first harvest in 2002 at Evesham Wood and made his first wines that same year. Marcus learned under eminent Cristom winemaker, Steve Doerner, who taught him finer details about fermentation.
Marcus’s wines are outstanding across the board. I scored al of his wines above 90 points. There is a remarkable consistency with the winemaking, none more so than his entry level Pinot Noir bottling, the 2015 Goodfellow ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 90) which has a lovely texture and shows its feminine side. This wine is a serious value at only $23.00 and is truly one to buy by the case. The 2015 Goodfellow ‘Heritage No. 6’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) showed wonderful range and a good combination of fruit and terroir. Learn more about these great wines at https://goodfellowfamilycellars.com Here are the outstanding new wines by Goodfellow.
2015 Goodfellow ‘Richard’s Chardonnay- The nose shows light cream and pear aromatics. There is some really good intensity to this wine, showing off bright lemon zest and vanilla cream flavors that sit alongside some serious tension. This is really impressive by Goodfellow. Drink 2018-2028- 91
2015 Goodfellow ‘Durant Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Creamy and light citrus notes line the nose. There is a good combination of weight and balance on the mid-palate, displaying butterscotch and lemon zest flavors. Drink 2018-2026- 90
2015 Goodfellow ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- This translucent colored wine starts off with sage and forest floor with dark cherry on the nose. The palate is feminine with light red fruits and a silky texture. Citrus rind flavors combine beautifully as this shows nice weight toward sthe back end. Drink 2018-2024- 90
2015 Goodfellow ‘Durant Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Set in the Dundee Hills, this starts with cran-cherry and forest floor on the nose. The palate is both rich and lithe, showing off red cherry candy and lavender with forest floor flavors. This is another outstanding bottling by Goodfellow. Drink 2018-2028- 91
2015 Goodfellow ‘Fir Crest Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This limited production wine is sourced from a small vineyard set in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA which was first planted in 1985. Earthy aromatics with sage and peat moss fill the glass. The palate is lithe and shows wonderful tension and earthy tones. Forest floor, blackberry jam and lighter citrus tones finish off this outstanding wine. Drink 2018-2025- 91
2015 Goodfellow ‘Whistling Ridge Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Whistling Ridge Vineyard is located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak prior to bottlibng. Citrus and red fruits line then evocative nose. The texture here is lovely as there is a beautiful astringency to the wine. Red cherry, red currant, and orange zest flavors impress. Drink 2018-2038- 92
2015 Goodfellow ‘Heritage No. 4’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Whitstling Ridge Vineyard, this starts off with orange rind, red cherry and black truffle aromas. The texture here is lovely, as is the juicy acidity. Black tea, wild blackberry, black cherry and forest floor flavors beautifully combine here. Drink 2018-2026- 92
2015 Goodfellow ‘Heritage No.5’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Durant Vineyard, this wine begins with bright aromas of white truffle, blackberry and black tea. This has nice length with black tea, teaberry and red cherry preserve flavors with a touch of forest floor. Drink 2018-2025- 91
2015 Goodfellow ‘Heritage No. 6’ Pinot Noir- The wine is sourced from the Fir Crest Vineyard. Red cherry and cranberry aromas fill the glass. The soft texture is lovely. Black truffle, black tea, orange zest and red cherry flavors wonderfully combine. Drink 2018-2026- 92