Pronounced nose of dried red cherry, sour red plum, dried rose, asparagus, blood, forest floor, and savory olive notes. Medium+ acidity, medium resolved tannins, and medium, somewhat diluted finish. I see what others may perceive as under-ripe, but I think this was a surprisingly good cool-climate Syrah that is still pleasurable for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a gift from the winemaker. Fairly advanced for a 2012 but very n. Rhone in style with bacon fat and black pepper. Fruit has faded a bit but it’s a charming wine for sure
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Five Syrah, blind (four WA, one OR), plus two Reynvaan non-blind: Tasted blind. This wine was the fifth and final wine tasted. This was a total standout from the other four wines and, after the reveal, that's not surprising as the other four were Washington wines. The nose was shot through with a very interesting herbaceousness under the bright pepper-inflicted red fruit. Much more acidity than the other four wines, which makes me think this is probably the Oregon fruit. Quite Rhone-like, actually, with its briary/peppery character and great acidity. Delicious, and even better with food.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-bodied cooler climate. A bit acidic with a sour punch mid-palate, extended peppery finish. Held up day 2. Not a favorite of my spouse but I am enjoying thoroughly, nice weekday dinner accompaniment. No rush to drink my last one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed the pairing this with homemade kalbi and kimchi. Very pinot-like with cranberry and pomegranate notes predominating on the palate. Day 2 brought a bit more fruit than day 1, so will give it a bit more air next time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On 2nd taste of this, it has really come around. It has entered the stage where it is enjoyable to drink as the acid has receded a bit. I'd still decant it and I think it has a few more years until we find the peak. Overall would recommend at this point - open the next bottle 2021?
Pours a medium pale garnet, nose is a pretty blend of sweet cherry, stems, and pepper. Palate is just a wall of acid, air helped a tad but there's just not much to taste here. I disagree with other's that it's a matter of preference between cold and warm climate Syrah, I love N. Rhone syrah, and this is leaner and more under-ripe than any I've ever had, and in general I prefer leaner wines with moderate alcohol. I enjoy this Winery/Goodfellow, but this is a firm pass based on the two bottles I've tried.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The disparate reviews are really interesting to me. I strongly feel that they really are more about expectations than about quality. As a lighter-bodied Syrah, this is quite delicious.
If you've never loved a 12.8% Syrah, you probably won't love this one. But if you have, you may find this one quite appealing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Complex nose of red and black fruit, spice, bbq, florals and a slightly green scent I associate with whole cluster fermentation (checked — 100% whole cluster).
Quite lithe for a Syrah, almost silky. Cool climate shows in texture and flavors as the palate follows the nose. Old word style with good acids. Crazy drinkable and it gets better with air. I can see this being a polarizing wine; if you’re looking for your Syrah to punch you in the face with flavor, this ain’t for you. But if you can appreciate complexity and finesse on a smaller frame this is drinking wonderfully right now.
Pair with barbecued salmon or roast chicken.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind it could almost pass as Pinot. Light body almost anemic, lots of Luxardo and canned cherry. Not sure Yamhill is ready to support Syrah ripening. Full disclosure Rock District fruit is more my wheelhouse.
Not what I was expecting as you wouldn't guess this was syrah - came across as a gamay or maybe a Loire pinot ... not bad if that is what you are looking for but I was pairing this with a meal where I needed a more traditional full-flavored syrah so this was a disappointment from that perspective.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I agree with previous notes about the aroma and acidity. The nose is very restrained even with air, cool toned notes of camphor and black olive. It is definitely tight and tart though I don't feel much tannin on the palate. I appreciate leaner/savory styles but this is further than I like to go as at the moment it feels unbalanced. I think it might just need a few more years so I'll refrain from scoring.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cote Rotie indeed. Medium color, huckleberry nose, white pepper. Evolves considerably over 2 hours. Taste is lighter, a bit umami, but not much smoke or kerosene. This is light Willamette Syrah, very good friendly. Nice if you like lighter style Syrahs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Inky dark garnet with a savory nose. Dry with some astringent fruit, medium body, restrained savory fruit, chewy cane tannins. Forest notes of balsam, sorrel and olive brine. There is a strong acid component that may not appeal to a traditional Syrah drinker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful on pop and pour. Balanced mouth feel with cool climate blue fruit. Super pleased with my first of these. Agree with those who say drink in the near term.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Berserday Score! Man, this is cool. It is bright and fresh, with cool red fruit, scratchy/crunchy texture. It is very aromatic with smashed dark cherries, dark soil, and a hint of brined olive. I like it!
This wine is really well made and - to my palate - crazy delicious. This is a cool climate Syrah, very unlike the Syrah of Washington and southern Oregon. It's mouth-puckering, with nice low-key fruit. I could drink it all day, but it won't be to everyone's taste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium dark ruby, some light funk on the nose along with some ripe cherries. Dry lightly tart medium fruit and light chewy tannnins in a very good balance with acids exerting some muscle. A great wine with just enough fruit for interest. Medium ruby, nose of red currants and strawberries. Dry, mildly tart red berries, medium body and fruit which is becoming more restrained after a few days open. Nicely balanced with the acid and tannins complementing the fruit. Drinking nicely now with a hint of fresh fruit, some light chalky minerals on the after taste After open a week, it is still going strong.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted a little green on the open - needed at least 1.5 hours in the decanter to integrate. Really pleasant wine after that, definite oak presence, but not overpowering. Will buy again. Drink now-2020
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
C: Dark red with a touch of brown P: Decanted about five hours. Cool climate Syrah. Just a touch thin and acidic at first, but picks up weight and settles in after a bit. This is some fine juice, subtle and interesting, so compelling, great structure! The two of us drank most of a bottle in one go. Home run, Marcus! 4/25/18: PnP this time, which wasn't such a great idea. This wine need lots of air! But once it opened up, consistent with the last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red fruits and flowers on the nose. Flavors of spicy red fruit enveloping a black fruit core with a mineral spine. There's a good dose of acidity that keeps thing feeling fresh. At once concentrated and elegant; delicious now, but built to age. Low alcohol to boot (12.8% abv). Love this.
Like all Matello/Goodfellow wines, extended aeration is recommended.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hoo boy this is a livewire of acidity. My tasting partner didn't care for this because it was so tart, and we both usually love the acidic Italian wines. I think this may need a couple years to calm down, so I would say to give it 2 more years in the bottle before revisiting. 2018-2022 would be my guess at a sweet spot? Right now there is some nice fruit hidden behind that waterfall of acid, but even after 3 hours in the decanter it was still hard to find.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting at Goodfellow (McMinnville, Oregon): Winery tasting. Full nose has black fruit, smoke and meat. Palate is quite structured and closed in today. Needs time. Good potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep purple with violet nose. Dry, clean lightly tart fruit with some stemmy well integrated tannins. Medium restrained fruit, pie cherries and cranberries with a slatey mineral note. Nicely balanced with a light acid focus. Much more preferable for me than the jammy hot climate Syrahs to the East.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium ruby red with dusty berry nose. Dry with ripe red berry, medium fruit and well integrated tannins. Nicely balanced in a restrained style that I find very appealing. Acid focused as befitting a syrah by a pinot producer. Nice tart finnish. Hot climate syrah fanciers will not be too impressed, but those liking the cool climate versions should be pleased.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/28/2024 - ekorn wrote: flawed
Corked, sadly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2023 - billyloveswine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pronounced nose of dried red cherry, sour red plum, dried rose, asparagus, blood, forest floor, and savory olive notes. Medium+ acidity, medium resolved tannins, and medium, somewhat diluted finish. I see what others may perceive as under-ripe, but I think this was a surprisingly good cool-climate Syrah that is still pleasurable for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2022 - jviz wrote: 91 Points
This was a gift from the winemaker. Fairly advanced for a 2012 but very n. Rhone in style with bacon fat and black pepper. Fruit has faded a bit but it’s a charming wine for sure
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2021 - BRR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Five Syrah, blind (four WA, one OR), plus two Reynvaan non-blind: Tasted blind. This wine was the fifth and final wine tasted. This was a total standout from the other four wines and, after the reveal, that's not surprising as the other four were Washington wines. The nose was shot through with a very interesting herbaceousness under the bright pepper-inflicted red fruit. Much more acidity than the other four wines, which makes me think this is probably the Oregon fruit. Quite Rhone-like, actually, with its briary/peppery character and great acidity. Delicious, and even better with food.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2020 - Empirate wrote: 91 Points
Medium-bodied cooler climate. A bit acidic with a sour punch mid-palate, extended peppery finish. Held up day 2. Not a favorite of my spouse but I am enjoying thoroughly, nice weekday dinner accompaniment. No rush to drink my last one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2020 - dpolzien Likes this wine: 89 Points
Enjoyed the pairing this with homemade kalbi and kimchi. Very pinot-like with cranberry and pomegranate notes predominating on the palate. Day 2 brought a bit more fruit than day 1, so will give it a bit more air next time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2019 - Big Texas wrote: 91 Points
On 2nd taste of this, it has really come around. It has entered the stage where it is enjoyable to drink as the acid has receded a bit. I'd still decant it and I think it has a few more years until we find the peak. Overall would recommend at this point - open the next bottle 2021?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/11/2019 - Teamrehfeld wrote:
No rating. Not for me. Very not syrah. Mostly tart cherry. Acquired taste i expect. Give me rocks or give me not.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2019 - ex-sommelier Does not like this wine:
Pours a medium pale garnet, nose is a pretty blend of sweet cherry, stems, and pepper. Palate is just a wall of acid, air helped a tad but there's just not much to taste here. I disagree with other's that it's a matter of preference between cold and warm climate Syrah, I love N. Rhone syrah, and this is leaner and more under-ripe than any I've ever had, and in general I prefer leaner wines with moderate alcohol. I enjoy this Winery/Goodfellow, but this is a firm pass based on the two bottles I've tried.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2018 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 90 Points
The disparate reviews are really interesting to me. I strongly feel that they really are more about expectations than about quality. As a lighter-bodied Syrah, this is quite delicious.
If you've never loved a 12.8% Syrah, you probably won't love this one. But if you have, you may find this one quite appealing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2018 - CMN wrote: 92 Points
Complex nose of red and black fruit, spice, bbq, florals and a slightly green scent I associate with whole cluster fermentation (checked — 100% whole cluster).
Quite lithe for a Syrah, almost silky. Cool climate shows in texture and flavors as the palate follows the nose. Old word style with good acids. Crazy drinkable and it gets better with air. I can see this being a polarizing wine; if you’re looking for your Syrah to punch you in the face with flavor, this ain’t for you. But if you can appreciate complexity and finesse on a smaller frame this is drinking wonderfully right now.
Pair with barbecued salmon or roast chicken.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2018 - Corkspy Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Blind it could almost pass as Pinot. Light body almost anemic, lots of Luxardo and canned cherry. Not sure Yamhill is ready to support Syrah ripening. Full disclosure Rock District fruit is more my wheelhouse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/12/2018 - pgb67 wrote: 88 Points
Not what I was expecting as you wouldn't guess this was syrah - came across as a gamay or maybe a Loire pinot ... not bad if that is what you are looking for but I was pairing this with a meal where I needed a more traditional full-flavored syrah so this was a disappointment from that perspective.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2017 - ex-sommelier wrote:
I agree with previous notes about the aroma and acidity. The nose is very restrained even with air, cool toned notes of camphor and black olive. It is definitely tight and tart though I don't feel much tannin on the palate. I appreciate leaner/savory styles but this is further than I like to go as at the moment it feels unbalanced. I think it might just need a few more years so I'll refrain from scoring.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2017 - JasonG Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cote Rotie indeed. Medium color, huckleberry nose, white pepper. Evolves considerably over 2 hours. Taste is lighter, a bit umami, but not much smoke or kerosene. This is light Willamette Syrah, very good friendly. Nice if you like lighter style Syrahs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2017 - dsgris Likes this wine: 90 Points
Inky dark garnet with a savory nose. Dry with some astringent fruit, medium body, restrained savory fruit, chewy cane tannins. Forest notes of balsam, sorrel and olive brine. There is a strong acid component that may not appeal to a traditional Syrah drinker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2017 - Empirate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful on pop and pour. Balanced mouth feel with cool climate blue fruit. Super pleased with my first of these. Agree with those who say drink in the near term.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2017 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine:
Berserday Score! Man, this is cool. It is bright and fresh, with cool red fruit, scratchy/crunchy texture. It is very aromatic with smashed dark cherries, dark soil, and a hint of brined olive. I like it!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/18/2017 - Mary Crawford Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is really well made and - to my palate - crazy delicious. This is a cool climate Syrah, very unlike the Syrah of Washington and southern Oregon. It's mouth-puckering, with nice low-key fruit. I could drink it all day, but it won't be to everyone's taste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2017 - dsgris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium dark ruby, some light funk on the nose along with some ripe cherries. Dry lightly tart medium fruit and light chewy tannnins in a very good balance with acids exerting some muscle. A great wine with just enough fruit for interest. Medium ruby, nose of red currants and strawberries. Dry, mildly tart red berries, medium body and fruit which is becoming more restrained after a few days open. Nicely balanced with the acid and tannins complementing the fruit. Drinking nicely now with a hint of fresh fruit, some light chalky minerals on the after taste After open a week, it is still going strong.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2017 - rama Does not like this wine:
Shrill with no stuffing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2017 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted a little green on the open - needed at least 1.5 hours in the decanter to integrate. Really pleasant wine after that, definite oak presence, but not overpowering. Will buy again. Drink now-2020
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2017 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
**
C: Dark red with a touch of brown
P: Decanted about five hours. Cool climate Syrah. Just a touch thin and acidic at first, but picks up weight and settles in after a bit. This is some fine juice, subtle and interesting, so compelling, great structure! The two of us drank most of a bottle in one go. Home run, Marcus!
4/25/18:
PnP this time, which wasn't such a great idea. This wine need lots of air! But once it opened up, consistent with the last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2017 - avarsamis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely cooler weather Syrah-Viognier blend. Light but well structured, with fresh fruit, spice notes, and a hint of licorice in the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2016 - CMN wrote: 91 Points
Red fruits and flowers on the nose. Flavors of spicy red fruit enveloping a black fruit core with a mineral spine. There's a good dose of acidity that keeps thing feeling fresh. At once concentrated and elegant; delicious now, but built to age. Low alcohol to boot (12.8% abv). Love this.
Like all Matello/Goodfellow wines, extended aeration is recommended.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2016 - Big Texas wrote: 89 Points
Hoo boy this is a livewire of acidity. My tasting partner didn't care for this because it was so tart, and we both usually love the acidic Italian wines. I think this may need a couple years to calm down, so I would say to give it 2 more years in the bottle before revisiting. 2018-2022 would be my guess at a sweet spot? Right now there is some nice fruit hidden behind that waterfall of acid, but even after 3 hours in the decanter it was still hard to find.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2016 - Nanda wrote:
Tasting at Goodfellow (McMinnville, Oregon): Winery tasting. Full nose has black fruit, smoke and meat. Palate is quite structured and closed in today. Needs time. Good potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2016 - dsgris Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple with violet nose. Dry, clean lightly tart fruit with some stemmy well integrated tannins. Medium restrained fruit, pie cherries and cranberries with a slatey mineral note. Nicely balanced with a light acid focus. Much more preferable for me than the jammy hot climate Syrahs to the East.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2016 - dsgris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby red with dusty berry nose. Dry with ripe red berry, medium fruit and well integrated tannins. Nicely balanced in a restrained style that I find very appealing. Acid focused as befitting a syrah by a pinot producer. Nice tart finnish. Hot climate syrah fanciers will not be too impressed, but those liking the cool climate versions should be pleased.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment