Vintages

A guide to cellaring and drinking your Goodfellow and Matello wines.

Our Vintages

Traditionally Pinot noir has an early window of drinkability and then shuts down for several years, only to re-emerge in a more wondrous form, as if from a cocoon. Our wines have a track record of following this cycle, and the capricious temperament of Mother Nature in the Willamette Valley means that choosing the right time to open a Goodfellow wine can require considerable practice. For a short guide on the wines in your Goodfellow/Matello cellar, or at least our insight into the bottles you are holding on to, please select the year in question (or just scroll down).

Originally these posts were meant to be advice only on cellaring, for someone holding on to bottles or cases in order to enjoy older wines, and wondering when to pull the trigger. For more recent vintages though there are two questions: how will the wine age, but too, what is it like now? One of the most mysterious and magical things about wine is tasting it as it evolves and changes through it's lifespan. There is beauty in youthful exuberance, and there is beauty in the wisdom of age. Witnessing the transformation from one to the other is something that, for us, never gets old.

With that in mind, most of these notes pertain to wines that are being held and cellared past the point of general consumer availability. For wines currently in release we suggest opening them and enjoying the over the course of an evening, or even better, two or three evenings.

NV/MV Sparkling Cuvees

The first disgorgement of our sparkling wines was in early April of 2024. At four months in, all three cuvees (NV Willamette Valley Extra Brut, Whistling Ridge Vineyard Blanc de Blancs, and Durant Vineyard Blanc de Blancs) are still quite young, and show best (under Champagne stopper) day 2 after being opened.

2023

While most wines are still in barrel, the 2023 vintage shows tremendous promise, and the early release wines are thus far proving out the quality of the year and the vineyards we source from. After three short vintages we finally had a good fruit set in 2023. Flowering was a bit later than average, but after that the vineyards double-timed it right through to harvest about 2 weeks ahead of expected pick dates. Acid maturity was fantastic with lower malics in almost all the fruit, sugars stayed remarkably modest, skin tannins were very good, stems lignified quickly, and flavors developed quickly. We picked with a pace and have been happy with everything so far. Pinot Noirs will lean old-world and the whites are nervy and delicious. Somewhat reminiscent of 2019.

Aromatic whites released so far include theTsai vineyard Pinot Blanc, bright, refreshing, and juicy at 11.1% alcohol. Pinot Blanc naturally has a lovely textural element and this allows us to have such a low abv but the body to be enjoyable. Very refreshing now. The 2023 Whistling Ridge Riesling is very close ot a Trocken style, 2.8 g/l residual sugar and a pH of 2.97, the nose is full of quicksilver and woodland herbs. Hints of tangerine and Meyer lemon give the wine a very long finish. This is early in development and should be held for a few years.

2022

We are releasing the 2022 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (both bottled in March of 2024) and the vintage is a delight. Of recent vintages it seems most like a hybrid between the silky tannins, youthful enjoyment and floral nature of 2016, with a bit more of the grace of 2019. The only downside to this vintage was the early spring freeze, which came just after bud-break in much of the northern Willamette Valley, and for us decimating yields at Whistling Ridge Vineyard and in the Durant Chardonnay. Thankfully Temperance Hill had not budded out yet, and Tsai Vineyard and the Durant Pinot Noirs recovered a bit, but the joy in the excellent quality of the vintage is tempered a bit by our regret at how little we have. That being said, all three single vineyard Pinot Noirs are an excellent look at terroir with juicy acids and firm but fine tannins, folding in with expressive floral and fruit profiles. These are in a youthful window, available for the time being but likely to shut down at some point in a year or two. The block bottlings are more structured but also more expressive aromatically and with more vibrancy of fruit in the wines. The Heritage wines, Heritage No. 20 Temperance Hill and Heritage No. 21 Whistling Ridge are absolutely wonderful representations of Willamette valley wine in the style of old school Burgundy. The Long Acre bottling from Whistling Ridge shows more density and a distinctly darker profile and I would hold this for a minimum of 6-8 years to give it time to close and re-open. Pumphouse Block from Temperance Hill is a tremendous expression of the old vines in that block, but 7-10 years would be optimal.

We only have two Chardonnays in 2022, the Tsai and the Temperance Hill. Both are excellent and extremely representative of their source. The 2022 Tsai vineyard is seamless, expressive, very pretty, lighter bodied at 12.5%. It has the tranquility I associate with the deeper volcanic soils of the vineyard, and is in a lovely early window. I feel that there is little penalty in opening this wine now, but the best days are well ahead though, and that 2028-2035 will be worth the wait. The 2022 Temperance Hill shows the naturally reductive nature of the vineyard and while I feel this wine has much appeal for those who enjoy some elements of reduction in their Chardonnay, to me it definitely gives a more complex nature and the flinty savory notes I love in reductive Chardonnay. There’s little doubt that this wine will evolve and improve for a long time, and 2029-2037 will be a wonderful time for drinking this wine.

2021

The 2021 Vintage is unique. In mid-June, just after fruit-set in the Willamette Valley, the entire Pacific Northwest experienced a heat dome that rocked temperatures into the hundred and teens for three days in a row. Unheard of for our area, to say the least. It had rained just before, and so the vines at our vineyards all came through undamaged, and thankfully the fruit had no sunburn. This was because the heat spike came at one of two points in fruit development when the vine responds to cues from the environment by thickening the skins of the grape, and June weather in the hundred-teens points to the need for very thick skins. The ensuing weeks were warm to hot, but not extreme in any way, and then into the start of August the weather shifted and we had a very pleasant and cool end to the summer, preserving acidity and juiciness, and keeping alcohols low. The result is a vintage with extremely expressive aromatics, intense tannic structure, great acidity and dense flavors.

The tannic profile for the reds says that this is a vintage to cellar for its best enjoyment. Savory and intense, the wines are starting to open up and (with food and air) show some “early” intrigue, but this is August of 2024, and we would absolutely suggest holding. Of recent vintages these wines remind us most of 2017, which is an excellent reminder that some things are absolutely worth the wait.

Of the Pinot Noirs, the best options for an early look at the vintage is probably either the Durant or the Heritage No. 17 Durant. Both will want the whole day open, so I recommend opening early in the morning and getting a bit of air into the wine. I would still recommend giving the wine plenty of time to open up whenever you begin enjoying it. I would not recommend decanting at this time. I also feel that the Block 11 Fir Crest offers an enjoyable(must like tannins) look at the vintage as well as the Heritage No. 19 Whistling Ridge. I would really suggest cellaring time of reasonable significance for the Long Acre bottling and Pumphouse Block bottling. The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir offers a more available look at the vintage in quality but is, in my opinion, in need of 2-3 more years of cellaring time at this point (8/2024).

For the whites, the added phenolic presence means texturally profound and serious wines, a fantastic vintage for white wines. From the Chardonnays to Pinot Gris and the Whistling Ridge Field Blend the 2021 whites show a terrific density and weight. The Chardonnays can be delicious at this time, but I really recommend holding them for a few years at least. And 2028-2040 would be my target. The “Psycho Killer” bottling from a single 820L foudre of Temperance Hill, and the Richard’s Cuvee Whistling Ridge in particular will be absolutely fantastic wines in 7-10 years (posted 8/24). The Whistling Ridge Pinot Gris is a wonderful version of this grape, raised in a single Acacia foudre, and should be aged for 8-10 years. While the years in between may not be a bad time to open this Pinot Gris, I feel that waiting for 2031 will be definitively rewarded.

The Whistling Ridge Field Blend is a denser than normal bottling, and while it’s a “serious” wine, I feel like it’s in need of time at this point rather than it’s usual joyful self. Hold please.

2019

A cool vintage overall, with a later, cooler spring leading to a summer with modest heat. As the fruit closed in on maturity a series of rainstorms came through slowing sugar accumulation, refreshing vines, and creating a cooler finish to the growing season. Wines are very pretty, and quite transparent in nature. While I envision them adding a bit of weight, I feel the 2019 vintage is perfect for those who love ethereal wines. Low alcohol and of modest extract, I see them as excellent 5-12 year old bottles, with a few exceptions that seem destined for being at their best as 10-20 year old wines.

The Pinot Noirs are in an early phase and I recommend holding all but the Willamette Valley. While some of the wines are still exceptional, all have significant upside with waiting to drink them. Highlights, if you have to open a bottle, include the Heritage No. 16 Lewman vineyard, the Block 8 Fir Crest, and the Whistling Ridge. Wines that should see significant upside in a shorter period would be the Durant and Fir Crest bottlings. Longer time for the Heritage wines, Pumphouse Block, and Long Acre bottlings.

2019 was a monster year for Chardonnay and all of the 2019s are drinking really well but nowhere near going past prime. The Durant is strong out of the gate while the Temperance Hill and Whistling Ridge bottlings open up with time. The Richard’s Cuvee is the one wine I would say has enough upside to pass on opening a bottle in the near term. Other bottlings like the 2019 Dundee Hills and Willamette Valley are in perfect spots for opening now.

The Whistling Ridge Pinot Gris is also a fantastic bottle, as is the Riesling from the same vineyard. Both are going strong but have no fear of opening either.

2018

The 2018 vintage is the third in a trio of great Willamette Valley vintages. The wines are defined by a layered, complex nature, with ripe fruit flavors, great acidity, modest alcohols, fine tannins, and a precise expression of terroir. When they were young we were consistently struck by the clear delineations between the vineyards, the old-world elegance and light-footed nature of the wines. Currently(Aug 2024) they seem to mostly have shifted into a closed down phase, but this is a vintage with magnificent cellaring potential, and we are looking forward to checking in on them again around 2027-2030, with continued aging potential well after.

For Chardonnays, the 2018 Durant is in a wonderful place right now, but should drink well for the rest of the decade. The Whistling Ridge and Richard’s are just a bit quieter right now(as one would expect), but drink very well with time open. However, I feel like they will continue to improve for at least 5-10 years. Both AVA bottlings are drinking very well, but seem to me that they will improve over the next few years as well.

The Whistling Ridge Blanc should drink very well from now until at least 2028.

2017

2017 was a remarkable growing season, with excellent weather through the bulk of the year. Over the past several years we've been increasingly focused on canopy management, using no till farming to increase competition for nitrogen in the early growing season, and seeking more sunlight directly on the fruit and stems during the ripening period. The resulting wines have shown increased flavor development and acid maturity at lower Brix. With excellent weather, we harvested the second half of September and into early October, picking with modest sugars, excellent depth and nuance in flavor.

These wines still highlight the savory nature of the vintage, but the weight of the wine has started to fill in around the tannins and structure, and they are on a whole in a beautiful place for youthful enjoyment, showing powerful aromatics and mid-palate density, again, benefiting from a bit of air.

For whites, the Whistling Ridge Blanc is evolving well. If you have been able to hold a bit of this, it’s continuing to be delicious but in a bit of an adolescence. Drink now to 2027.

The Chardonnays are in a bit of a still place, and I would hold. They are chiseled, but the match stick jumps a bit more than is typical, and the body is fairly linear for now. Look to these in 2023-2027.

The 2017 Pinot Noirs, while savory still have also filled in a bit of texture and are in a lovely early window. The Willamette Valley is lighter bodied and so easy to drink. Light bodied, if you need weight, then hold another year or two. Also, day 2 is richer than day 1. The Ribbon Ridge is still in evolution, but boy what a great de-classified bottle of WR. This is delicious now, especially if you like a little structure. The vineyard designates from Whistling Ridge, Durant, and Temperance Hill are all just dynamite for crunchy youthful Pinot Noirs. Many years to go, but all in a good spot for the moment. I thought they would be asleep by now, but not quite yet.

For the Micro-Lots, the Last Acre at Whistling Ridge is in a lovely spot, almost Chorey-Les-Beaune like. Block 11 from Fir Crest continues to drink well and demonstrate what depth and complex wines can be produced from Yamhill-Carlton. The Heritage No. 9 Durant is sleeping soundly and definitely requests not to be woken up. The House is quieting down but the splendor of that bottling is still quite obvious. Tremendous length and intensity, but hold until 2027. The 2017 Long Acre is delicious, if restrained and it and the Pumphouse from Temperance Hill both seem like they will be long agers, hitting peak in 2027-2037. The Heritage No. 10 Whistling Ridge is my wine of the vintage, and is one of my favorite wines of my career(a bigger statement than it used to be now that there are 19 vintages to choose from.) We kept quite a bit of this, and in my opinion it will be one of my benchmark wines over the next 20 years.

2016

2016 as a vintage, is extraordinarily pretty, balanced, and delicious. These wines had tremendous early appeal, and that charm continues to make pulling the cork on a 2016 an easy thing to do. But…I actually feel these wines are going through a little bit of a dumb phase. They want a little more air, show a bit more restriction on the succulence of the fruit, and just seem ever so slightly cranky. They’re showing a little bit of the flatness that comes as fruit subsides while tannins are working through their phases still.

The Heritage wines: #7 from Whistling Ridge is reminiscent at times of Piemontese wines. Layered dusty red fruits, fresh kitchen herbs, tea notes. If you have to open this, it needs a day or two to open. I would hold off for now, but The #8 from Durant vineyard has rounded out into a superb Dundee Hills wine, it is in just a hint of a quiet mood. I would recommend holding these for now. The vineyard designates are also all still showing their quality but without showing off, and I would recommend holding them for now.

In the opposite direction, I really recommend drinking the Willamette Valley and Ribbon Ridge bottlings if you have more than one. These will continue to age, but boy are they in a great spot now.

The 2016 Chardonnays are clean, complex, elegant, and world class. The Durant is a tranquil bath of yellow gold fruits, leaning into subtle touches of subois, and clean, creamy acidity. The Richard’s blossomed into a lovely wine with bright ripe fruit, yet superb balance, I seem to keep finishing bottles off…. Look to 2022-2030 for this wine. But to be fair, it’s in a delicious spot now, if you don’t want to wait, then go for it.

2016 Whistling Ridge Blanc is drinking very well. Vibrant complex, hitting all of the marks for a wine of this nature, complex aromatically, with lychee, mixed fruits, citrus peel, and flowers, perhaps a touch of smoke. The palate is textural but energetic and it drinks vibrantly but in a refined way.

2015

At the point of release 2015 ranked as the Willamette Valley's warmest viticultural vintage on record. The wines are appropriately robust, but have a liveliness and purity to them that belies the heat. Now, (8/ 2024) these wines are starting to come out of their “dumb phase”, and while still in early maturity, a decant or some time being open can offer tremendous current enjoyment with the promise of plenty of upside in the decade ahead.

The Whistling Ridge, is layered and just a great bottle of wine. Decanting or patience after opening is recommended and the wine will certainly continue to improve with cellaring time, however, if you are looking for a great early look at this vintage as it is aging, or just want a fantastic bottle of wine that has put on density of age, filled in around some of the tannins, and yet still holds a youthful liveliness to the fruit, this one is an excellent choice. Drink 2024-2035. (Tasted 8/2024)

The Durant vineyard has opened up and is showing the richness, weight, and spice of a ripe vintage Dundee Hills pinot Noir. The old vines(43 years old) give it a subtlety and balance lacking in many ripe character wines, but it has considerable robustness.

Fir Crest, opened several hours ahead of time is really beginning to show the class of the site. There was great layering in the blue and black fruits with a beautiful violet expression layered in. Acids were integrated and tannins gave a savory structure but were a lovely counterpoint to the natural power of the wine.

The Heritage Wines are still a bit closed right now, the high levels of whole cluster tying up the fruit and giving them another year or two to a more open phase. If you have any of the single vineyards we would suggest continuing to hold the Heritage Bottlings at least a few years longer. There is certainly enjoyment to be had (especially with the Heritage No.5 (Durant) and, after a decant and some hours open, the Heritage No.4 (Whistling Ridge) and Heritage No.6 (Fir Crest) but they will continue to improve and evolve with cellaring time.

The Deux Vert Syrah is in a great spot for opening. Delicious, elegant, with thyme and purple fruits on the nose. I like this now, it’s very fine, shows layers of flavor. Very much in an open phase, this wine is firing on all cylinders and there is no penalty for opening the wine but continued time in the cellar will likely not come at a cost. It’s in the plateau and probably a long time to any drop off.

The 2015 Chardonnays are in the zone and this is a good time to consume them. The Durant is richer with dense aromatics of the sea, yellow orchard fruits, and wheat/grain fields. The Richard's has a smokey nose, notes of black tea, beautiful fruit and saline notes dominate, and it’s both tranquil and slightly sumptuous. Drink now to 2028.

The Whistling Ridge Blanc will hold on a while, but it’s in a beautiful place.

2014

2014 was seen at the time as a very hot vintage, but carrying a large crop that helped mitigate the warmth a bit. It was a juicy and fruit forward vintage in its youth, the wines being much more light on their feet than the more structured 2015s. The vintage as a whole seems to be exiting a shut-down phase. The wines are still quite young, and show plenty of fruit. They can be a bit tight and lean on opening but open up after several hours to a full day of air, exhibiting tremendous potential for the coming few years as they unfold. The Bishop Creek bottling is best decanted for 20-40 minutes but tannins are resolved and the wine is expressive and beautiful. The Durant bottling is gaining weight and filling in, recommended service is opening in the morning and tasting for drinking at dinner. The Whistling Ridge bottling still wants time open, and I recommend opening the wine in the morning, but with time open it shows excellent depth, lots of layered nuance, and a nice savory balance to the fruit. (updated 8/2024)

Whites are tremendous, with the Chardonnays leading the way. The Richard's Cuvee is best open for 5-6 hours, and the Durant is in the early stages of a heightened plateau. These are world class wines, and have really grown into that and have been holding that status for several years now. The Willamette Valley Chardonnay is drinking well and compares favorably with white Burgundy several times it’s price. This wine continues to be a tremendous value and has lots of life left in it.

The 2014 Whistling Ridge Blanc is evolving texturally, showing exquisite fruit expression and should last a bit longer. That said, now is a great window for enjoying the wine.

updated 8/14/24

2013

Updated 8/23: A warm growing season got turned on it's head when a tropical storm far away in the Pacific dumped 6-7 inches of rain on the Valley just as fruit was getting ripe. After an intense 3 days of rain, the weather was clear and cold. Most fruit had 8-17 days to dry out before being picked, and while the wines show the impact of the rain, they are beautiful and among my favorites to drink (not unlike 2007).

Note: these wines should to be stood upright for a few days prior to pulling the cork in order to allow fine sediment to settle out.

The Whistling Ridge is red earth and cinnamon over pomegranates, ripe cherries, strawberry fruit leather and dry spices. Elegant, fruity, yet light bodied in a dry and savory way with excellent weight and purity in the red fruits, fine developed tannins, this has the feel of a mature wine just entering the plateau of an open drinking window. No signs of diminishing quality at all, drink now-2027. This wine continues to gain weight and fills in beautifully with a decanter or a few hours open.

The Bishop Creek aromatics have opened up, coniferous forest notes layer over black fruits, stem subois has softened into a dark forest floor tone, with hints of sweet spice balancing the savory. There is a watery timeless nature to these wines, not dilute in any way, but devoid of either youthful or aged tones and lacking the plush extraction so common in many current new world wines. If you like Piemontese wines, this is a wine you should sample. While still retaining amaro notes and fine astringent tannins, there is no denying the compelling aromatics, and the layering coming on in the palate. Drink or Hold.

The Durant Pinot Noir is in a perfectly lovely window right now. Delicately expressive, like finding lace from a bygone generation. In todays world of ripe, textural fruit, this is a quiet conversation about what we have to learn from what came before. Age is beauty.

The Fool's Journey Syrah/Viognier (still bottled under the Matello label) is a completely unique wine and quite compelling. This wine is drinking beautifully now. It opens with plenty of classic black pepper and floral tones over beautiful red/blue fruits. It fills in gaining texture, but remaining light bodied and refreshing. Acids are perfectly balanced. With time the red fruit deepens and a parade of spice notes, herbs, and soil/subois tones accompanies it. Just a dynamite experience.

Whites are stony and mineral in nature, but I recommend drinking them over the next 3-5 years. The Richard’s Cuvee has knit itself into something quite spectacular. Struck match, very stony and old world. The Durant is similar but not as intense. The Whistling Ridge Blanc is delicious and into a lovely plateau, drink one the next 5-6 years.

*Under natural cork there is always a distinct amount of bottle variation. As the wines age, this variation becomes more distinct. Regarding the notes here, all wines have been tasted recently, but for all bottles YMMV. However, you will find Diam cork as our closure of choice beginning with the 2013 vintage red wines. Guaranteed TCA free and with a more consistent density, Diam is a huge improvement over traditional cork and I am really happy to be using it now.*

2012

A remarkable vintage: a late cold and wet spring led to a small crop and some furrowed brows regarding whether we had the necessary days to ripen fruit (although recent experiences with 2010 and 2011 said that good and great wines were still a possibility.) Then a perfect ripening season provided the vines all the energy they needed, and winemakers the hang time they desired. As a vintage, the wines are dense, still holding on to a youthful tension but with added weight and mystery. The 2012 Pinot Noirs are coming into the window. The Whistling Ridge, Souris, Durant, and Bishop Creek are both in the plateau, and drink very well with long lives ahead but easy availability now. The 2012 Heritage No. 1 is just peeking out from behind the veil. They are superlative wines, and need air but boy are they great once they open up. The 2012 Souris will drink from now until 2030. A bottle of 2012 Whistling Ridge, drank in October of 20 needed a day to open but boy when it did…a study in red fruit, one of my favorite wines of the year. The first Heritage wine, should be a hold for now. A recent bottle showed early availability, but nothing close to peak.

2012 Chardonnays are a richer style from our norm, and at peak. Drink now.

Hold the Whistling Ridge Blanc for another 2-10 years before digging into it. This is arguably the greatest vintage, behind perhaps only 2006 for that wine. It still needs plenty of time to open, but is absolutely remarkable.

**This post covers both Goodfellow and Matello wines.

2011

The coldest vintage in Willamette Valley history. The wines from this vintage are some of the most unique in my career. The Pinot Noirs are in perhaps the best overall window of their existence.

2011 Souris opens a little tight but is a beautiful wine. Very much in the Burgundian style, with lovely dark red fruits, woodsy notes, and dry red earth. While this is a pretty, and elegant, red fruited wine when opened but as the bottle is consumed it usually becomes more black fruited and loaded with autumnal notes. It adds weight and aromatics evolving into a gorgeous bottle of wine. I would drink these sooner rather than later.

2011 Whistling Ridge and Durant continue to be wines with lovely aromatics and have found the body to balance the acidity. They are still savory and lighter bodied wines, but such fun expressions of Pinot Noir. I would drink or hold and feel that they are, finally, in a really enjoyable spot.

Whites are linear and interesting, but definitely should be drunk up in the near term.

**This post covers Matello wines**

updated 8/14/2024

2010

One of Oregon's coolest vintages, 2010 is my favorite. Small, but if you are lucky enough to have 2010 Willamette Valley wines in your cellar, you have some good days coming, and soon.

Durant Pinot noir is perfectly lovely now, although it will age for many more years. This remains probably my favorite bottling from the vineyard, up until the 2016. 2010 Whistling Ridge is moving into and beautiful open phase but give it time in the glass to open, and no rush on opening bottles it will drink well for at least another 5-7 years. The 2010 Souris, arguably one of the greatest wines we have ever produced, is in a lovely window. Open as you feel like it, no rush as it has many more years of life but I would have no issue with drinking it today. 2010 Lazarus and Hommage are drinking wel and offer excellent insight into the vintage. Cooler in nature, they are more ethereal and best enjoyed from good glassware over an entire evening.

2010 Whistling Ridge Blanc and 2010 Riesling have really entered the window and show all of the attributes of beautifully aged Alsatian wines.

The 2010 Richard's Cuvée Chardonnay, is ready to drink, but opens up over a couple of hours so please don’t rush the tasting experience. 2010 is the inaugural vintage of the Clover Pinot Gris bottling and it has finally reached it’s apex. What a phenomenal expression of Pinot gris! Unfortunately, bottled under cork and therefore subject to vagaries and variabilities that cause no end of frustration.

**This post covers Matello wines**

2009

The third hot vintage of my career, and the previous practice shows itself well.

Some wines have re-entered a closed phase, specifically the Lazarus cuvee.

The Souris needs an hour or three to breath but is definitely in a lovely window at that point. Along those lines, the Hommage may be my favorite iteration of that cuvée.

Winter's Hill is in the drink now category, and unfortunately showing the heat of the vintage.

2009 Whistling Ridge is the star of the vintage at this time. Smokey in a perfectly Burgundian way, the wine is moving from primarily fruit dominant to being controlled by secondary aspects that add layers to the fruit, and the vineyard is guarded enough in nature to avoid the sins of hot vintages. Drink now(with a decant)-2030.

2009 whites over achieved. The 2009 Pinot Gris and Caprice both are in a good drinking window. The 2009 Whistling Ridge Blanc is delicious right now and I recommend opening it.

This post covers Matello wines.**

2008

Another of Oregon's great vintages, and finally the 2008 wines are really beginning to show what the hype was about. The 2008 Hommage is a wonderful expression of purple flowers, purple fruits, subtle earth tones, and lots of stem spice. The 2008 Whistling Ridge is stunningly Burgundian. The Souris bottling is dense yet weightless and in a lovely window of maturity without age. All are beautiful and will live for at least another 5-10 years, but they are perfectly in balance now.

The 2008 Carey Creek Riesling is also really lovely, and just getting going. Drink now, or hold for up to another 10 years.

I am completely fascinated by the 2008 Fool's Journey Syrah, after 15 years it is still in the window. Youthful, complex, it opens with tar, underbrush, and black flavors, then slowly becomes more elegant ranging through an outstanding array of flavors floral, fruit, and herbaceous in nature. Its weighty and chewy in the mouth but not in a "new world" way. Most of all, at 15 years old, it is still growing and evolving.

**This post covers Matello wines**

2007

The first "off" vintage of my career. These wines were thin and wan in the early years but have really filled in and evolved. All of the bottlings are vibrant and in a great place for consumption, although I would definitely decant the 2007 Whistling Ridge Pinot noir, and a recent bottle of Souris was better after sitting overnight than it was upon opening. These Pinot noirs from 2007 are definitely moving into complex elements of forest floor, subois, dried flowers and baking spice. There is still a good amount of life in the 2007s, and these should last another 5-6 years. Drink now or enjoy their continued evolution.

Whites all had some degree of botrytis and while most are fading, the 2007 Whistling Ridge Blanc show the honey and oxidative nose, but is still beautiful I recommend drinking these in the next 3 years.

*Under cork, wines over 10 years of age develop considerable bottle variation. Our thoughts on these wines are based upon recent samples, but each bottle is unique.*

**This post covers Matello wines**

2006

The second of Oregon's hottest vintages that fell under my body of work. Not only a warm vintage, but one marked by extraordinary increases in Brix at harvest. Picking Pinot Noir from a vineyard on three consecutive days saw 23.5 Brix on Day 1, 25.5 on Day 2, and 27.0 Brix on Day 3. Compounding matters in a compressed vintage, fruit often arrived at the winery at temps above 80F. Most of these wines are either ready to drink now, and beautiful in a fruit forward way, or showing distinct signs of oxidation. A bit of a crapshoot, but I am happy to replace any off bottles with a current vintage wine. My current joke is that the 2006 Hommage is a fantastic old bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape…but the other wines appear to be in a bottle by bottle stage. So enjoy the better bottles, and we’ll replace the others with a different wine.

2006 Whistling Ridge Blanc is absolutely gorgeous. The 2006 Riesling is also in a lovely window. Drink both over the next 3-4 years.

*Under cork, wines over 10 years of age develop considerable bottle variation. Our thoughts on these wines are based upon recent samples, but each bottle is unique.*

**This post covers Matello wines**

2005

Arguably one of the greatest vintages ever in the Willamette Valley, these wines are extremely long lived and have taken considerable time to get to the window of maturity. However, they are finally entering that window and recent bottles have been exceptional. The Willamette Valley is deeply hued, dense, and powerful. The Hommage is a study in dark fruit, surrounded by spice and florals, balanced by bright acidity and distinct structure. It takes an hour to open up. 2005 also saw my first single vineyard wine, 50 cases of Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir. The 2005 Whistling Ridge is in a stage where I recommend either drink or hold. 2005 Souris, when last tasted summer of 2024, was beautiful and available after a brief period open. The wine was durable after opening and drank well many hours after opening. I had this wine twice in 2024, and really enjoyed each bottle.

*Under cork, wines over 10 years of age develop considerable bottle variation. Our thoughts on these wines are based upon recent samples, but each bottle is unique. *

**This post covers Matello wines**