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.
