In This Newsletter:

Special Feature
New Releases from Goodfellow Family Cellars

Goodfellow Family Cellars

Oregon: Heart, Soul & Terroir

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 talented 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 abundantly in our personal cellars to adore for decades to come.

We’re thrilled to announce the arrivals of the latest releases from the 2021 vintage, including some of the top wines that benefit most from long rests in your cellar. But no need to just take our word for it…
 
“2021 is that this is a stellar vintage, with the wines displaying an outstanding balance of ripeness, depth, and tension, with the top wines offering broad drinking windows… this is a vintage worthy of your investment of time and money. They offer tremendous value across all categories, frequently at a fraction of the price of wines from California and Burgundy, although they are often equally compelling.” -Audrey Frick, writing for Jeb Dunnuck
 
“Marcus Goodfellow makes some of the most elegant and precise New World Pinot Noirs that I know of. That’s not exactly news to his numerous customers, who have helped to make his extremely well-priced wines so sought-after over the last few years. 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.” -the late Josh Raynolds, writing for Vinous Media
 
“[The 2021] vintage most reminds us of the ’17s that were so savory and structured when we released them, but are showing some tremendous enjoyment now, and promising still more in the coming years… These are wines with complex, expressive aromatics, a dense intensity in the palate while still being quite elegant, with acid and tannins that do integrate, but will keep the wines vibrant for decades. For those with births or weddings to mark, these are unquestionably wines that will easily run 25-30 years.” -Goodfellow Family Cellars
 
We’re proud to be the exclusive retail shop to offer these latest releases, in stock now:
 
Richard’s Cuvee wraps your palate in crushed minerals combining power and intensity with a bright acidity and low alcohol. This is apex Willamette Valley Chardonnay.
Goodfellow Family Cellars Richard’s Cuvee Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $69 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “Sourced from Whistling Ridge, the 2021 Chardonnay Richard’s Cuvee is a rich golden color and offers a luxurious spectrum of aromas, including honeyed citrus, melon rind, baking spices, and ripe golden apple. Full-bodied while retaining a fresh undercurrent of acidity, it’s supple and long on the palate, with great purity and a mouthwatering finish. It is approachable and attractive now and will continue to drink well over the coming 6-8 years. Only 90 cases were produced.”
 
The Heritage Collection
 
“Each of the Heritage Wine is selected from a single terroir and represents the very clearest expression of the vineyard. Paired with traditional winemaking techniques, these are wines that show their quality from the beginning but are unquestionably “vins de garde”- wines of time… These lots represent the fabric of the Heritage wines, and our very best efforts of the vintage.” -Goodfellow Family Cellars
 
“absolutely intoxicating [with a] seamless interplay between fruit, baking spice, loamy earth” -GFC
Goodfellow Family Cellars Heritage No. 17 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $66.50 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Moving to the reds, the 2021 Pinot Noir Heritage No. 17 comes from the east-facing Durant Vineyard in the Dundee Hills AVA and pours a transparent ruby hue. It needs a little time in the glass to blow off its slightly volatile aromas but reveals a spicy profile, with lifted notes of cracked pepper, crushed roses, and wild raspberry. Medium-bodied, it’s spicy with stemmy herbs, fine tannins, and fresh acidity and is toasty with cedar on the finish. It will benefit from another year or so in bottle. Drink 2025-2035. 115 cases were produced.”
 
“Clean pure entry with sweet dark fruit and velvety texture as it opens, and elegant, but with fine, firm tannins to finish” -GFC
Goodfellow Family Cellars Heritage No. 18 Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2021 750ml $66.50 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Audrey Frick-Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “Also coming from the Temperance Hill Vineyard, the 2021 Pinot Noir Heritage No. 18 pours a rich transparent ruby and is expressive in its aromatics of raspberry preserve and anise, as well as loads of spices, cedar, and pressed wildflowers. Medium-bodied, it takes on a more grounded sensibility, with iron-rich earth, ripe tannins, and accents of bergamot and turned earth on the finish. Long on the palate, this is another age-worthy wine that will take time to unwind. Drink 2025-2035.”
 
“the wine is a joy to inhale, and shows the remarkable potential of the 2021 vintage” -GFC
Goodfellow Family Cellars Heritage No. 19 Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $66.50 special, 12 bottles in stock now
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. Drink 2025-2035.”
 
Red & White Single-Vineyard Selections
 
“Whistling Ridge Vineyard is the reason that we make wine.” -GFC
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Gris, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $28 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Fennel seed, orchard fruit, a hint of smoked meat, and green honey, with dried apricot and mandarin in the palate. The texture and nerve is tremendous, and this is one of the most delicious and serious Pinot Gris we have produced. Don’t let crappy Pinot Gris make you think you don’t like the grape…done well, it is refreshing and quenching, with lovely crispness while still having a dynamic, textural presentation. Fermented in neutral Acacia 820L puncheon, this is a delicious and serious aromatic white.”
 
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Whistling Ridge Vineyard is the reason that we make wine. Wild, with sedimentary soils that dry out quickly in the summer months. The vineyard is located right above Beaux Freres Estate, and next to the top of Patricia Greene, in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Exposed on the ridge top, a strong wind blows in from the north and cools the vines every day in the late afternoon. In 2021 the only moisture of the summer pelted down right in the middle of bloom, rinsing off pollen and insuring a small set throughout the vineyard.”
 
Goodfellow Family Cellars Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Durant Vineyard is planted on an eastern facing slope of the southern stretch of the Dundee Hills. It is the most moderate of climates that we work with, seeing the gentle morning sun, very little wind, deeper moisture holding volcanic soils, and almost always produces the most delicate of tannins, except of course for 2021. The intensity of the heat dome ensured that even the vines at Durant responded to the early season intensity with thickened skins and increased phenolics… the velvet glove is still very much wrapped around the iron fist.”
 
Goodfellow Family Cellars Temperance Hill Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Temperance Hill Vineyard is located in the Eola Amity Hills and faces directly into the Van Duzer Corridor, where the break in Oregon’s Coast Range allows the cool winds from the Pacific into the Willamette Valley. Vines grow here in primarily medium depth volcanic soils, and the winds are a constant influence in the West facing blocks (West Field and Chardonnay). Pumphouse faces SE is the highest elevation fruit we work with. First established in the early 80s, it is a classic grand terroir of Oregon.”

Get a jump on your holiday shopping list!

A winning white for your holiday table that’s drinking impeccably well now
Goodfellow Yamhill-Carlton Chardonnay 2021 750ml $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
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. It’s a native ferment, and the wine has an excellent length and weight. There is more minerality in the finish of the Y-C than the vineyard designate, but it is also a bit more rustic. I see this as a great match for white fish, like rockfish or sole, or flavorful chicken dishes.”

All Goodfellow Family Cellars Wines In Stock @ VWS Now

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Don’t miss the latest releases from other favorite Oregon producers, including Cameron Winery, Bergstrom, and Nicolas-Jay!

Special Feature
Wines of Jonathan-Didier Pabiot

Many appellations around the world are well known and beloved for their distinctive styles of Sauvignon Blanc: Sancerre, New Zealand, and the oft-ignored Saint Bris in Burgundy (why, yes, Burgundy has an appellation that includes Savvy-B!).
 
But there is only one region that is whispered of reverently and can only rarely be found on shelves: Pouilly-Fumé. Made cult by Didier Dagueneau’s benchmark Silex bottling, you can be forgiven for expecting most top-rates PFs to set you back somewhere in the three figures a bottle range.
 
Would you even believe me if I said you could find an illustrious producer, one who is of the only 1% of producers in the region to work organically and biodynamically (the first in the region for both), one who wows the reviewers, and, most importantly, one whose top two bottlings have yet to crack a $70 ceiling at our shop? What if I told you that these stunning wines are in stock now, with the new vintages having only just arrived? 

Jonathan-Didier Pabiot is of course the man in question. He is a fifth-generation winemaker in the Pouilly-sur-Loire, which encompasses Pouilly-Fumé. Young, passionate, and exuberant, he crafts an array of bottlings from his family’s small holdings.

Pabiot began his winemaking career under Léon Barral, “perhaps one of the most famous natural wine producers in all of southern France,” per an importer that does not even work with Barral’s wines. Heavily influenced by Barral, Pabiot converted his family’s domain first to organic and then to biodynamic, being the first in the region for each of the certifications.
 
The domain’s twenty hectares of vines include three soil types: Kimmeridgian, Portlandian, and clay-silex on flint. Vines average 30 years old at the estate and easily show how organic and biodynamic viticulture improves the condition of the vines. Unlike his neighbors, Pabiot’s hardy vines are rarely afflicted by disease or mildew. Fermentations are slow and cool, using indigenous yeast and low amounts of SO2, free of enzymes or additives. Ageing takes place in a variety of containers depending upon the bottling, but all include long lees ageing for added richness and complexity.
 
These wines are head-turners, sure to impress newbies and hard-core Sauvignon Blanc fans alike. The Elisa, showcasing the estate’s Kimmeridgian soils, is the entry-level bottling sourced from younger vines across all three soil types. Like its siblings, this bottling is aged on the lees to create a wine that, according to Polaner Selections, is an “early bird bottling [that] punches well above its weight class.” The Léon is the step up, including all three soil types but from more mature vines. This is the estate’s flagship and a true look into the nature of those to come.
 
At the top end are Eurythmie and Utopia. The Eurythmie debuted to comparisons with Didier Dagueneau’s quality push some decades earlier. The Utopia bottling is not to be missed by insiders. As one of the top wines from this estate, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc hails from one of Pabiot’s best parcels in Les Marnes. The vineyard soils are Kimmeridgian (calcareous clay and limestone), imparting a dense minerality to this generous, long-aging white. This wine was aged in large, oak barrels (demi-muids) with no added sulfites, giving a spicy richness and a decedent, if unusual, hint of oxidation.

Newly Arrived from Jonathan-Didier Pabiot:

What isn’t exclusive to our shop is at some of the lowest prices in the country!

Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Elisa 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Importer note “The entry-level Pouilly-Fumé Elisa, previously knowns as Prélude, is made from young vines spanning the family’s three primary soil types: limestone, silica and flint. Thanks to shrewd yields, an uncompromising approach in the vineyard, and lees aging over the winter months, this early bird bottling punches well above its weight class.”
 
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Leon 2021 750ml $33 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Leon 2021 1.5L $69 special, 6 magnums in stock now
“The 2021 Léon accounts for most of the domaine’s production (70%). It has a bright, gooseberry and elderflower-like character. Fermented partially in concrete (40%), stainless steel (40%) and barrel (20%), it has a silky charm while remaining light-bodied. This is a really lively number that has charm and brightness. Very easy to like, made with a delicate hand.” -Rebecca Gibbs MW, Vinous
 
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Aubaine 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Rebecca Gibbs MW-Vinous 90 points “The 2021 Aubaine is aromatic with floral and gooseberry characters. Having spent 18 months in concrete tank on lees and tasted every two weeks to check the condition, it has taken on a richness of texture and breadth that coats the palate. It is suave and ready to enjoy, with a pretty elderflower scent lingering on the medium-length, lightly savory finish.”
 
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Luminance 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Rebecca Gibbs MW-Vinous 93 points “The 2021 Luminance is pure with tangy green gooseberry and elderflower flavors. While light in body, it initially has a silken texture but ties tight on the finish. The naturally low yields create a highly concentrated style with tension and precision. There’s a touch of attractive phenolics on the drawn-out finish.”
 
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Eurythmie 2021 750ml $54.50 special, only 6 bottles remaining & in stock now
VinopolNote: As one of the top wines from this estate, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc hails from one of Pabiot’s best parcels, Les Marnes, a tiny, two-acre plot. The vineyard soils are Kimmeridgian (calcareous clay and limestone), imparting a dense minerality to this generous, long-aging white. This wine was aged in neutral oak barrels before a short stint in stainless steel.
Importer note “The vines are forced to work harder and struggle on this poor soil. This means that this plot requires more attention, but then again, that is the case with most of the best plots for making great wines. The vines face the south and the southwest… We find notes of citrus, chalk, white flowers, flint, and a long and smooth finish. This wine was aged 12 months in neutral oak, followed by 6 months in stainless steel. This could be paired with oysters, scallops, ceviche, lobster, and goat cheeses.”
 
Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Utopia 2021 750ml $66 special, only 12 bottles remaining & in stock now
VinopolNote: As one of the top wines from this estate, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc hails from one of Pabiot’s best parcels in Les Marnes. The vineyard soils are Kimmeridgian (calcareous clay and limestone), imparting a dense minerality to this generous, long-aging white. This wine was aged in large, oak barrels (demi-muids) with no added sulfites.
Importer note “Thanks to this terroir and the talent of Jonathan Pabiot, we find here a wine of exceptional purity. We find a slightly oxidized and spicy nose in this wine, with notes of candied quince and pears. This could be paired with ceviche, lobster, and hard cow cheeses like Comté or Beaufort.”

All Jonathan-Didier Pabiot Wines In Stock @ VWS Now:

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