In This Newsletter:Arriving Soon: The wines of Vincent Paris and Coquina-also-Your Guide to Goodfellow Family Cellars
Closeout Roses from Commanderie de Peyrassol  Arriving Friday Vincent Paris. 
The wines of Vincent Paris are often described as bold, but what does it mean to be bold? For the soft-spoken Vincent, one of the Rhône’s fastest rising stars, he would prefer to let his stunningly focused and evocative wines do the talking. And they are wines that beg to be noticed.
Vincent prunes his branches to just 4 bunches of grapes per vine (versus a typical five to seven bunches) which encourages a dense and powerful concentration in the fruit, but these are not heavy-handed. Quite the opposite, these are wines with a lift and freshness that complements the bolder aspects of the wine’s expression without tamping down its largesse. We really don’t know how he does it, how his wines walk the tightrope the way they do… maybe it’s the slow and low cold fermentations he utilizes? He maintains a forested wilderness outside of the arable zones of his properties to ensure balance in the ecosystem… is this grounds his wines and keeps them from the edge?
Today we are proud to welcome three of his most accomplished wines to our shelves. First up are his Granit 30 bottling, a bright and approachable Syrah that wouldn’t be out of place in a new world line-up and Granit 60, a rich Rhone wine with massive minerality. Finally, “La Geynale” is a truly special piece of Cornas history… made up of 80% (and by old we mean olde, these vines were planted in 1910) old vine Genale Vineyard fruit from the Cornas Amphitheater.
These wines are making a lot of noise… don’t miss out!
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 24 bottles availableJames Suckling 96 Points “So expressive and so precise, this is a great modern Cornas. Haunting nose of black forest berries with notes of dry forest floor and wild herbs. Then comes the wonderful combination of restrained richness and youthful freshness on the vertical, medium-bodied palate. And just as the coolness of evening follows the heat of the day, the mineral vibrancy of the finish follows the succulence of the mid-palate. Drink or hold.” Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $64.50 special, 12 bottles availableJames Suckling 97 Points “A well-composed, velvety and vivid Cornas with brightness and purity. Aromas of dark cherries, currants, wild herbs, graphite and black pepper. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Good concentration with precise fruit and a constant mineral edge. The peppercorn and stone character brings freshness and verve to the energetic mid-palate. It’s vibrant and vertical with a lot of tension in the long, textured and spicy finish. Try after 2027.” Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $89 special, 6 bottles availableJames Suckling 98 Points “Very complex nose of smoke and forest berry fruit with a touch of grilled meat. Extremely dense with enormous fine tannins, but still so bright and energetic. Major concentration at the extremely long, velvety finish, where you feel the wildness that’s the signature of this appellation. From a single parcel of 50-year-old vines. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.”
These are the lowest listed prices on the West Coast for these wines!
Coquina Wines.
Formerly making wine for buzzy estates like Kosta Browne and Realm Cellars, winemakers Dana Benn and Nicole Staples came to the Willamette Valley to make something of their own. Their wines have a fine, nervy quality to them, and a style that is far more restrained and Old World than their California winemaking roots might suggest. Coquina is exactly the kind of unique, forward thinking project we like to see from young winemakers and at these. Coquina Wines Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $18 special, 24 bottles availableWinery Note “A Lucious white wine with notes of vibrant stone fruits and citrus blossoms. The body is layered and the finish is clean. It is enjoyable on its own or paired with aged cheeses, salty snacks, or bright seafood dishes.” Coquina Wines Trousseau Eola-Amity Hills 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 24 bottles availableWinery Note “Welcome our first red wine! Drinks light and fruity, with playful texture and a dry finish. We suggest chilling it for a nice refreshing quality. Cheers!”
“Goodfellow,” Great wines: Goodfellow Family Cellars.
“Marcus Goodfellow makes some of the most elegant and precise New World Pinot Noirs that I know of… An Oregon native, Goodfellow cut his winemaking teeth with Russ Raney at Evesham Wood in the early 2000s, and also counts Cristom’s Steve Doerner as an early inspiration… The Pinots (and Chardonnays) are distinctly taut and precise, and they rarely hit above 13.5% alcohol. I cannot recommend them highly enough to readers who prize this style.” -Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
Marcus Goodfellow is one of the most talented winemakers in Oregon, joined by the equally talented and knowledgeable Megan Joy. The wines reflect the minds of this incredible pair, showing microscopic understanding of the potential in the terroirs of the Willamette Valley.
These are profound wines, both white and red, that are made in a style that’s distinctly savory—no fruit bombs here. Together, Marcus and Megan craft wines that continually improve—both in the cellar and vintage to vintage. We love the wines for their coiled power and Burgundian structure, and we stack them enthusiastically & abundantly in our own personal cellars to adore for decades to come.
These are the only listings for these wines in the USA today:
STAFF PICK Goodfellow Family Cellars “Vin Soif” Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2023 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “Yellow apple, pear, lime flower and peel, almonds, hints of tarragon and pastry dough. In the mouth, it’s more yellow apples and pear, underripe nectarine, lime peel, and a distinct stoniness. Bottled a year early from our normal Chardonnay program, the impetus for this wine was to push for a pretty, nervy, and slightly less lees inflected wine for everyday enjoyment.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton 2021 750ml $28 special, 12 bottles available
Winery note “The 2021 Yamhill-Carlton Chardonnay is a puncheon from the Tsai Vineyard. The vines were planted in 2001, and the vineyard is on Jory soils, unusual in the Y-C AVA, and faces due south. The deeper soils match well with no till farming, and keeps the fruit balanced between ripening flavors without quick sugar accumulation leading to a very classic style of Chardonnay.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Fir Crest Vineyard Block Eleven Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 7 bottles availableWinery Notes “My first thought was black strawberry, but those don’t exist. Think of black cherry or black raspberry and then apply the idea to strawberries and it will give you an idea of the Block Eleven. Layer on spiced plums, dark forest berries, and kitchen spices. The palate is dark and structured. Pretty red and black fruit, slightly velvety turning to structural tannins and a bright, long finish.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Heritage No. 17, Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $69 special, 13 bottles available
Winery note “Deeper red hues and spice on the nose, black cherry, boysenberry, violets, cardamom, balsam, enveloping and textural with juicy, lovely acidity, firm tannins on opening that integrate over several days as the weight and texture of the wine fills in. Aromatically, the high point seems to really arrive after being open for about 48 hours, and the seamless interplay between fruit, baking spice, loamy earth, and hints of kitchen herbs is dramatic and superlative. In the zone the nose here is absolutely intoxicating.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Heritage No. 19, Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $66.50 special, 5 bottles available
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Coming from the Whistling Ridge and pouring a deeper ruby hue, the 2021 Pinot Noir Heritage No. 19 is floral, ripe, and spicy with aromas of grenadine, violets, licorice candy, and sage. Medium-bodied and spicy, with stemmy forest herbs, dried orange peel, and smoky earth, it has gripping structure and a savory finish.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $24 special, 26 bottles available
Winery note “The 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir shows aromatics of sweet dark strawberry, boysenberry and black cherry fruits. On the palate more dark black and red fruits, coffee, floral, and amaro notes, and an overlying savory, dark and wild spice and kitchen herb. Tannins are fine, but firm on the finish, and the palate is juicy and medium-light bodied. As with all of our Pinot Noirs, fermentations are 100% whole cluster, and relatively cool and slow…” Goodfellow Family Cellars Pumphouse Block Temperance Hill Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 10 bottles available
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 92 points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Pumphouse Block is sourced from the Temperance Hill Vineyard and pours a touch deeper ruby hue, with aromas of grenadine, violets, cinnamon, and forest herbs. Structured and medium-bodied, it has a gripping youthful texture, with loads of spice filling the palate and a bit of stemmy astringency throughout that will need time to potentially harmonize. It’s going to need time to see where this goes, but it has potential for sure.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2023 750ml $18 special, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “Peach blossoms, wild strawberries, star fruit, green melon, light florals. This is very pretty in the nose, light bodied with plenty of flavor, and brightly refreshing to drink. The bottle disappears quickly. Perfect for sunny days watching the hummingbirds, grilling chicken, and sushi. 82% direct press from the blanc de noir program and 18% saignee from 100% whole cluster ferments of Whistling Ridge and Durant.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Temperance Hill Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills 2021 750ml $59 special, 7 bottles available
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2021 Chardonnay Temperance Hill is incredible in its aromatics for lovers of well-managed reduction. Bright golden-yellow, it’s flush with flint wet stones, vibrant citrus and golden pineapple. Full-bodied, with a core of driving citrus and energetic acidity, it has a long and saline finish, with a weightless feel and elegant balance. It has a lovely, rounded edge to its acidity and does not come across as harsh.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Temperance Hill Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2021 750ml $49 special, 28 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 93+ points “The remarkably pretty 2021 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill slowly evolves in the glass, wafting up with a bouquet of dried strawberries, cedar, crushed stone, and dusty rose. This is silky smooth with medium-bodied weight and crisp red fruits cascading across a core of brisk acidity. Tactile mineral tones mingle with a gentle layer of fine tannins as the 2021 finishes a spicy citrus twang, long and staining yet still remarkably fresh. 100% whole cluster.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Tsai Vineyard Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton 2021 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “The medium golden 2021 Chardonnay Tsai Vineyard is ripe with forward aromatics of preserved Meyer lemon, toasted spice, pineapple rind, and gunflint. Medium-bodied and silky on the palate, it has great balanced energy as well as a long, clean finish, with notes of lemon custard on the back palate.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Tsai Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Yamhill-Carlton 2023 750ml $24 special 26 bottles availableWinery note “I love this wine…it’s my perfect combination of weightless, supple, and zingy. So refreshing … if Pinot Blanc were grown in Chablis this is what it would taste like. Perfect with simply prepared shellfish: oysters on the halfshell, scallops, crab, even lobster.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $49 special, 35 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge is spicy and savory in the glass, leading with a rich blend of steeped plums, cola and rose petals giving way to hints of clove. This is lifted and finessed with pretty red berries and suggestions of cocoa and inner florals, all guided by fresh acidity. The 2021 tapers off with medium length and a crunchy sensation, leaving just a tinge of fine tannin framing the experience beautifully. Of note, the Whistling Ridge took three hours to blossom, and it was worth the wait.” Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Riesling, Ribbon Ridge 2023 750ml $28 special, 30 bottles availableWinery note “Lime peel, stone fruit, tangerine, rainier cherry, and river stones. Raised in an old 820L Acacia puncheon, this is textural and tranquil in the attack, then unfolds like a flower blossom in the palate with soft fruit and florals which give way to juicy, lingering acidity … This is one of my favorite versions of this wine.”
Can you even call it summer before the Peyrassol Roses have arrived? We would argue no. Year in, year out, these are our most popular rose wines and it’s easy to see why: they are well-priced, historic, and always delicious.
From the foothills of the massif des Maures along the Mediterranean coast, La Commanderie de Peyrassol has consistently produced wine since 1256 when it was operated by the Knights Templar during the Crusades. It has changed hands, sometimes violently, many times over many centuries, before finally becoming the benchmark for Provencal Wines under control of the Austruy family. The wines are produced organically with naturally limited yields due to the severe climate, low-vigor soils, and age of the vines.
There are two tiers of wine and five different vintages here to be explored and while, yes, the wines do vary in polish and elegance, there is not a bad choice to be made among these bottles. Layered with herbs, stone fruit, and salinity, drinking a glass of Peyrassol will transport you to the banks of the Mediterranean.
CHÂTEAU PEYRASSOL: WAS $159Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2017 3L $135 special, 3 bottles availableImporter Note “Made entirely from estate fruit in 2017, “Chateau” is primarily Cinsault, with increasingly smaller amounts of Grenache, Mourvedre, Tibouren, and Syrah. This is a higher-toned, more floral, more filigree wine than its brother above, with subtle herbal notes framing clean, lifted fruit on the nose. “ WAS $69Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2018 1.5L $49 special, 2 bottles availableWAS $319Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2018 6L $269 special, 2 bottles available*****IN-STORE PICK UP ONLY. SHIPPING NOT AVAILABLE*****Importer Note “This is the elite cuvée of the estate relying as it does on grapes harvested from the oldest vines of the domaine (35 years and older). Principally composed of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, the “Chateau” bottling also sees the addition, from time-to-time of Tibouren, the ancient and regal Provencale grape.” WAS $79Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2019 1.5L $59 special, 2 bottles availableWine Advocate “It hints at passion fruit at first, then broadens out to include notes of pink grapefruit, red currant and even a touch of peach, but it always retains a sinewy structure and bright acidity. It’s medium-bodied, with a silky texture in the mouth and a long, mouthwatering finish. WAS $99Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2022 1.5L $89 special, 5 bottles availableImporter’s Note “Very pale, lychee pink in color. The nose is fine and elegant. Complex, releasing white fleshed fruit and citrus fruits aromas, along with white floral notes. The palate is straightforward and clean. Fine and silky, it is soft, delicate and lively. The freshness of the finish is balanced with a subtle hint of saltiness.” LE CLOS: WAS $129Peyrassol Cotes de Provence ‘Le Clos Peyrassol’ Rose, France 2019 1.5L $99 special, 7 bottles availableWine Advocate 93 Points “Predominantly Tibouren, with the balance of the blend being Grenache and Rolle, Peyrassol’s super pale 2019 Cotes de Provence Rose Le Clos Peyrassol offers up scents of crushed stone, garrigue, white peach and lime, all tinged with tart red berries. It’s medium-bodied on the palate, with a silky-wet stone feel and a lingering finish… “ WAS $119Peyrassol Cotes de Provence ‘Le Clos Peyrassol’ Rose, France 2021 1.5L $99 special, 14 bottles availableJosh Raynolds-Vinous 94 Points “A highly perfumed and complex bouquet evokes fresh citrus and pit fruits, strawberry and pungent flowers, along with building mineral and succulent herb elements … Shows excellent clarity and depth to its juicy red fruit, nectarine and mango flavors, which are sweetened by a background of vanilla note.”
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