I was doing some musing last night while enjoying another bottle of the WV #1 bubbles. While I am not a Champagne goblin like a number of Berserkers, I have drank my fair share and spent a painful amount of money on it. I’ve put in the time to learn about producers, villages and vineyards, vintages and grape blends. The pain has been all the greater in how inconsistent the quality is and how many disappointing bottles I’ve had (certainly from the QPR standpoint). With those thoughts in mind, I have personally opened at least a dozen Goodfellow sparklers from all the offerings to date not counting what I have tasted at several winery visits. The GF have consistently been excellent. Balanced, complex, intriguing, unique, and expertly produced. They are also ridiculously good QPR, often being as good as Champagne twice the price. And unlike pricey Champagne, I’ve never had to pour one down the drain due to flaws. Long live Goodfellow!
Of the 2023 Pinot Noirs, the Beloved Acre and Raven Block bottlings have been the most accessible. The Beloved Acre has an aromatic aspect to it that is pretty compelling, it’s been a favorite in appointments. The Raven just jumps out of the glass as well.
Both Temperance bottlings, West Field and Pumphouse, are still fairly tightly wound, IMO.
Definitely a good choice of the 2023s to open now. The Durant vineyard wines always have a little bit more generous nature when they’re young, so both the Raven and the single vineyard are aromatically beautiful right now and have a lovely balance of fruit vis a vis the more ethereal nature of the 2023 vintage.
Thanks Justin!
I think as we see a bit more reserve wines in the NV boends and the vintage bottlings get a bit more years in bottle before disgorging, there will be a bit more weight on the Blanc de Noirs. But the Tsai was just refreshing and delicious at this stage that it was a perfect first release for our BdNs.
I suspect we’ll probably always be a little leaner than many of the French offerings as the dosage is lower, and between 1-6 g/l the most noticeable difference (to me) is usually weight (roundness and texture) along with a bit of moderation of perceived acidity. We’ve got a couple of wines coming that will probably have a bit higher dose (than 1g/l), and it will be interesting to see how it integrates.
I really love the 2023 Chardonnays. As @Rodrigo_B mentioned, the THV bottlings is in a nice early spot. It and the Richard’s have an almost perfect level of reduction for me and I’m really excited to see these mature over the next decade. It’s also really fun to pour the three wines in a row, with the lighter bodied nature of 2023, the differences in terroir really seem to stand out.
Good to know! Was considering cracking a bottle of the 23 Pumphouse soon to try. Will wait
As always Chris, thank you for your championing our wines. It means a lot, and I definitely appreciate your happiness with our consistency. Especially given how young the sparkling program is.
It’s a real bummer to pour wine down the drain, and especially if it’s a favorite producer. One of my early favorite grower producers has been so inconsistent with flawed wines the past 4-5 years (mostly VA issues) that it just breaks my heart. I used to buy a lot of their wines and now, it’s just really hard to get excited about them anymore.
We’re disgorging 4, possibly 5, wines this coming June for the holiday season, and I think it is definitely the next step forward for us in the program.
One last post in honor of @Scott_Tallman, the OP for this thread.
We found a box of mixed white wines on one of the library pallets and 3 of the bottles were 2011 Matello Caprice. The Caprice was a roughly 80%/20% blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris from a single planting at Fir Crest vineyard. The block was planted in 1995 and always had wonderful intensity to the fruit but with great acidity (similarly to the Pinot Noir from Fir Crest as well). Aged for 16 months in small breathable tanks and a little bit of neutral oak barrel, the goal was an Alsatien style wine that had the richness, nuance, and texture of over vintaging.
We pulled the cork on one of the bottles and on p-n-p it was nicely lively and refreshing. Green mango, citrus blossoms, with a nice savory edge in the aromatics. The palate was energetic, edges were nicely rounded off, and it was a very enjoyable wine. Over the next day or two it really gained weight and gravitas moving more and more into the nicely oily textures and dense yellow fruits typical of older Pinot Blanc. Showed really, really well for a 14, going on 15, year old bottle of $20 wine.
Is this the block Walter Scott is taking now? Tasted their 24 recently and it was pd good.
That sounds fantastic! Loved that wine. Save one for me please - would love to try it when we’re down in May.
It is the same block, the vines turned 31 last harvest and it makes some really lovely PB!
Absolutely! I’ll save the other two bottles as they are natural cork.
Our second Oregon wine of the evening, and boy has it been a treat with both. Savory, meaty, black pepper, tobacco leaf.
Opened a 2016 Whistling Ridge Blanc tonight as an aperitif while I was cooking. Still fresh and bright, but has that honeyed fruit character and weight you get in aged wines. In younger bottles you can generally pick out the different varieties in this, but this was really cohesive and singing with a single voice. I have one bottle left, and will likely hold for a couple more years since this isn’t showing any sign of fading.
2022 Goodfellow Family Cellars Durant Pinot Noir. One of the best Pinots I’ve had in a long time. The catch: it was best on night 3. Night 1 it was bright and high-toned, with sharp acidity and crunchy cranberry-like red fruit that cried out for food. Night 2 it tasted of strawberry/raspberry compote and the whole wine became more seamless, smooth, and velvety, while retaining enough acidity to stay fresh and food-friendly. By night 3, the wine had reached its deepest register: darker red fruit, more forest floor, and a sense of weightless power. A thoughtful, layered Pinot that rewards patience.
Jeff, how was it kept over each evening? Just re-corked and put back in the cellar? Or into the fridge? Thanks!! 
Corked and to the kitchen frig instead of the cellar.
I should have added that on night one i poured the Durant into the decanter for about an hour before pouring into my glass.
