Last fall Marcus provided the 2019 WR Pinot for my brother in law’s birthday. Fast forward a year and change and we’ve been drinking through the leftovers on a family ski trip this week. It’s really a lovely wine. It’s showing a delightful balance of acidity and red fruit / orange rind in a weightless package.
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Much appreciated! Happy holidays to you, Megan, and the whole family!!
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In the last week:
2010 Hommage (beautiful!)
WR Blanc de Gris
Durant BdB
2024 WR Field Blend
A negligible dent in the inventory.
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Awesome! We’re organizing the winery and have a couple of pallets to sort through. I’ll get together with Megan and we’ll see what we can come up with.
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Just opened my 3rd wine. I loved the Whistling Ridge ‘Field Blend’, was happy but not overwhelmed 2012 Matello ‘Fool’s Journey’.
The 2015 Goodfellow ‘Deux Vert’ Syrah Reserve is on a different level than the ‘Fool’s Journey’.
Here, I knew I was drinking Syrah, with a strong Northern Rhone bent. The purity and linear precision are what I look for in Syrah. There is a big note of black cherry. But there is something else, as if somebody snuck a bit of Bandol into this, and it integrated perfectly. There is earth to go with the minerality, there is something wiry, intricate. Rated 93.5, drink up, I don’t think this can get better.
Until Christmas dinner, I had never tasted any of these wines. What stands out is how distinctive they are. None of the three I have now enjoyed tasted like any other wines I’ve had… and I’ve had a lot!
Thank you Marcus. I’ll be looking on Berserker Day. The Whistling Ridge ‘Field Blend’ is going to be a regular in the rotation this summer.
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Library MC offer for BD?
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Ok, I dipped my Coravin into a 2013 Heritage two days ago and it was sublime. I didn’t open it since it was just me but I can’t wait to do so soon.
Meaning, even though I have leaned much heavier in to Marcus’ chards lately, if there is a PN library release I am in baby!!!
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Nice! Give the No.10 some time to open, it’s super. The No. 12 wants a day or two open but it’s beginning to emerge from the dumb phase.
And we’ll definitely add you to the list!
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Durant BdB kicking off NYE for us here! Much as prior notes, though I think additional bottle time continues to improve the persistence of the mousse, which was the only minor complaint I ever had about the wine. Otherwise this remains head and shoulders my favorite of the GF sparklers and a sparkler that outperforms its price pretty significantly.
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Opened a 2019 Blanc Whistling Ridge Vineyard as an aperitif while cooking. Haven’t tasted it since release. Peach, lime leaf, citrus, floral notes from the gewurtz. Fresh and bright with good acidity, but starting to get more depth and complexity. I tend to drink this cuvee 7-10 years from the vintage and it feels like the 2019 is just getting started. Remarkable value and a wine I try to buy every year.
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Happy New Year everyone!
2025 has been a solid year for us and we owe a tremendous amount to everyone here. I hope the coming year is kind to everyone, and that this community continues to be such a unique and wonderful place.
I also hope that this coming year continues to remind me that wine is such a magical craft. These four New Years Eve notes illustrate this so beautifully. Whatever I have learned, it continues to surprise me and that whatever I know I need to keep trying things. Thanks to Jean-Michel Deiss for paving the road for the Whistling Ridge Blanc, without him one of the most rewarding wines we make would not exist. Thank you to grape growers in Champagne 300 years ago when Fromenteau (Pinot Gris) was the most widely planted grape. It makes a fabulous sparkling wine. Thank you to modern Champagne growers and local friends for making our sparkling project such a joy and success. Thank you growers in Chablis half a century ago that made producing and 11.5% Chardonnay something to believe would work. And to Whistling Ridge, Temperance Hill, Durant, Tsai, and Fir Crest and the people that farm them for such wonderful fruit. Nothing we do would be half what it is today without so many other people.
Thank you all for so much support and Santé! 
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- NV Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Temperance Hill - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (1/2/2026)
Popped the cork on NYE then put a stopper on it for 2 days. Revisiting on day 3.
Generally agree with prior notes. Initially was locked up tight and on day 3 shows mild reduction with fruits in the white/yellow spectrum, bracing acidity with flinty dusty stones. Very long finish.
Lots of clarity on cut on this sparkler, not a bready/yeasty style. The latter is more my preference, but this is very good as well.
Will defer rating as I hardly drink sparkling wine, but there's good material here for development over the next 10+ years.
Posted from CellarTracker
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Glad to hear this was drinking well for you. Last bottle for me was almost 11 months ago and it left me knowing great stuff was in there but not knowing when in would come around. Ill pop one soon
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It took an hour or so to open up but the nose was killer from the onset.
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There have been some good notes on the 2019 Oracle lately, and we opened up a bottle about 2-3 weeks ago. It seemed a bit tighter than I expected and took longer to open up than expected.
We’ve had a few bottles open recently, and even with some age, they benefited from being open multiple days. In addition to the Oracle bottling, the 2016 Heritage No. 8 (best on day 3), 2019 Whistling Ridge (best day 2-3), and 2012 Matello Souris (very nice day 1 but better day 2).
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Great note Rohit, thank you!
We disgorged on of the bins of the Temperance Blanc de Blancs at two years, and are saving the other to disgorge in another 2-3 years looking to gain more of the yeasty presence. I’m hopeful we’ll keep the cut and definition but just add layers.
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