2/3/2024 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Bought as futures. Stored at 55F. Brought to dinner at NY steak restaurant. Waiter nearly lost the cork but managed to screen out wet bits away from the decanter. Moderate sediment at bottom of bottle. Amazing this one still has minimal bricking. Aromatic with muted tobacco notes. Minimal yet sufficient tannins balanced nicely with darkish fruit notes and held up well with fatty steak. This one is still in the perfect drinking zone which, honestly, you could probably still say so in 10 years. BTW, the case cost me $350 back in 1984!

2/10/2024 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Aromatic, spicy, almost intoxicating nose. Light to medium body. Everything: acidity, fruit, tannin perfectly balanced. Just lovely. Glad I waited.

1/22/2024 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Unless you don’t care about aromatics, drink this close to room temperature. Take away the chill and enjoy the aromas and flavors. Good acidity of course.

12/19/2023 - ruffsurf wrote:

87 because the first 2-3 days this one was almost totally closed, just like the other 2 bottles I've opened. This time as a lark I left enough (1/3 full) so that on the 4th day it...totally opened up! Lovely fragrant matchbook and vanilla notes. Balanced on the palate. Up it to a 92. Don’t know if/when this will ever be pop and pour. Have 4 bottles remaining -- will wait 2 more years.

11/7/2023 - ruffsurf Does not like this wine:

Disjointed. Lacking fruit. Varietal nose. Used in cooking beef stew.

7/17/2023 - ruffsurf wrote:

Muted nose and palate. Short finish. Balanced.

1/9/2023 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

3rd bottle. Consistent notes. Dark color and fruit. Thrilling nose. Long finish. Home run.

9/30/2022 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Bought in 1992. Cellared at home at 55 until last night. Upright for 3 hours. Minimal sediment. Cork good shape. 15-minutes air in decanter. So...never doubt the staying power of Chave. Stunned to see just minimal color fade. Elegant perfume. Light body yet expansive and long finish. If blind would have sworn this was a 10 year old wine. Paired with short ribs at Contento in NYC. 2 bottles left in my cellar. No need to rush or wait if cellared properly.

8/26/2022 - ruffsurf wrote:

none (duplicate entry)

8/26/2022 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Better Day 2. Better 65 degrees not 56 degrees. Muted nose. Balanced. Light body. Hint vanilla and white pepper.

5/15/2022 - ruffsurf wrote:

6 purchased in 2014. All cellared at 58. This 5th of 6 again disappointing. Limited nose, lean. Nearly fruitless. Consistent notes.

2/12/2022 - ruffsurf wrote:

Wait. Wait Wait. Too faint bouquet after 2-hour decant. Not much on the palate. Next day 1-hour decant with emerging vanilla, honeysuckle notes. Acid/fruit in harmony, though this one leans toward brightness like most OR chardonnays. Very sensitive to temperature. Consume at 63-65. No cooler or flavor disappear more than comparable chardonnays.

1/20/2022 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

My cabernet experience with de Negoce was not a good one, so I had zero expectations with "A" -- the first of these Chehalem blends. My expectations were exceeded. The is the anti-California pinot: very light body, well balanced and with a pretty but restrained nose. Faint hints of baking spices. A steal at $12. Would be overpriced at $20 plus.

11/26/2021 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Purchased at winery and then held at 58 degrees. Fragment nose. Light on its feet but packed with red fruit infused with baking spices. Balanced. Silky mouth feel. Caresses rather than scream. Loved it.

9/10/2021 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Tasted from the bottle in 2016 at Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux in NYC. Blew me away. Ordered a futures case at $20 bottle. First 3 bottles dumb phase. Next 2 opening nicely. Now in 2021: Wow! Dark, intense nose, medium body, damp earth, tobacco. Refined tannins. Impeccable balance. Longish finish. Lovely on its own or with red meat. A great year for Fronsac in 2015.

8/9/2021 - ruffsurf Does not like this wine:

A bit disappointing. I'm not a fan of oaky, fruit driven CA chardonnays, but all wine is about balance -- and not running to the opposite extreme. The fruit and nose in this Goodfellow were excessively muted even after 3-hour decant. Nothing technically wrong here--proper acidity--just falls on the boring side. Despite the brightness, the wine even got lost paired with broiled swordfish in a light lemon/butter sauce.

6/5/2021 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Very different wine than the one I tasted 5 years ago. I hesitate to write this, but both the bouquet and initial entry actually resembled a Bordeaux. Not in a bad way, but way weird for a pinot. Balanced, earthy, enough fruit to enjoy thoroughly. Hint of brett disappeared on day 2. Bought from winery on release and stored at 56 degrees entire time.

5/24/2021 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

2-hour decant: shy nose. Even next day. Pale yellow. Well integrated acidity but could use bit more fruit. Hint lemon, vanilla, struck match. Surprised it struggled to match sea bass in herbed butter sauce. Never would mistake it for a CA chardonnay...so that's a plus. Have 2 more and will wait.

12/31/2020 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Winner. I never give scores this high. Tasted at winery in 2016, bought a bottle with no idea it would blossom into a sublime pinot. Stored at 55 since purchase. Decanted 30 minutes. Paired w/ thyme roasted chicken. How do I say this? It's not a screamer. Nothing shouts out. It is balanced to perfection. Harmonious fruit, acidity, tannin, mouth feel. If there's one unique point: a dark silkiness coats and thrills the palate. Of course I just had the 1 bottle. Isn't that always the case? Too bad Patty couldn't taste this at its peak.

11/10/2020 - ruffsurf wrote:

Muted nose. Light color. Light Body. Shy fruit surrenders to borderline astringency. Decent finish.

11/5/2020 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Did not decant (minor sediment clung to bottle side down.) Classic tobacco nose. Much less bricking than expected. (Bought as futures and stored 56 for 35 years) Impeccable balance. Light body. Good not great concentration. Plus finish. 1 bottle left & feel safe to drink in 5+ years to note changes.

10/4/2020 - ruffsurf wrote:

Shy nose. Decant, 30 minutes air, drink just under room temp. Otherwise consistent notes with others.

8/23/2020 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

30-minute air. Plus aromatics. Classic baking spice. More red than black cherry. Light-medium body. Plus acidity. In perfect drinking zone. Long finish. Lost a bit second night.

7/19/2020 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Dark red. Earthy nose. 1-hour decant. Lovely balance fruit & acidity. Light body for a Gevrey I think. Nice finish. Paired well with Porterhouse steak. Terrific village level Burgundy. And a real lesson in the virtues of proper storage. Bought it in '07and stored at 55 degrees ever since. Now it's drinking in the sweet zone. Guessing years ahead of it still. Minimal sediment.

11/30/2019 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Light as a feather. Packed with red cherry fruit, baking spices. Silky, Nice finish. Classic Willamette.

1/30/2019 - ruffsurf wrote:

How does Tunnell get such perfect balance of concentration, fruit, body, and acidity? So much emerges from such a pale, lightly colored wine. Loved it. And '10 not the known as the greatest of Willamette vintages.

12/23/2018 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

The anti-CA pinot! Light, subtle, lovely. Red berry and muted baking spices on the palate. Glad I waited...and that I have more!

9/16/2018 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Lovely bouquet. Light on the palate yet well integrated with wood, vanilla, and nutty notes. Impeccably balanced. Just enough bright acidity to work well with food. Sort of see this as California light, and that's a good thing!

5/9/2018 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Wow. Lovely red berry and spicy nose followed by an almost feathery light balance of acidity and more pure, red fruit -- and then all of followed by a deliciously long finish. Why can't other California winemakers figure out how to make delightful, food friendly, and light-on-its-feet pinot rather than heavy, ponderous wines with bodies closer to syrah or amarone?

4/16/2018 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Last tasted 4 years ago. Today a similar high score but everything in the bottle understandably has toned down. This is a very light wine...and that's good! Harmonious red fruit, touch of muted tang and a bit of baking spices. Lovely. Paired with grilled and then roasted marinated duck breast.

4/11/2018 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Pure vanilla bean and a measured amount of fruit that is seamlessly integrated with just the right amount of lemony brightness --all it resulting in a refreshing and lightly structured body. Nice to see a winemaker produce a chardonnay that tastes like one without piling on the wood and sappy fruit.

4/22/2017 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Worth the wait. Lovely cherry bouquet with some baking spices. Well integrated fruit, earth, acidity -- just a lovely, balanced wine. Mid-weight. Paired well with grilled salmon. No need to wait to open this one but guessing it will develop nicely over time.

4/22/2017 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

No brown. Nicely aged since purchase in 1985. Has more years in front of it, but will not improve. Somewhat muted and therefore disappointing aromatics. Some cigar box. Balanced on palate with more earth than fruit. Average finish. Enjoyable wine, but had higher hopes after cellaring all these years.

11/25/2016 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Plus aromatics. Light on its feet yet packed with intense and balanced sweet and sour red cherry and backing spices. Wonderful! And now in the perfect drinking zone.

8/15/2016 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Though stored at 55 degrees was surprised this one tastes like a 10-year-old wine. Tropical, intoxicating bouquet. Rich, complex on the palate and very long finish. Not a shy wine.

7/30/2016 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Ready. Low and rather deep nose. On the palate: balanced with definite nod to earth & minerality. Drink up. (Actually paired well with grilled tuna.)

2/21/2016 - ruffsurf Does not like this wine:

Tastes as though Melville with the '13 was going for the anti-over oaked, anti-mf crowd (and that includes me). Too much tropical may work for wine competitions but not dinner. Nose was pleasant enough, but on the palate I found this one out of balance. Fruit and acidity just didn't come together. Rather than elegant, this one tasted muted. Maybe I just got an odd bottle...

2/17/2016 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Minutes in the glass saw this one change personality in a very good way. And things kept getting better after that--even on night 2. Everything works here: nose, palette, finish...a beautiful food wine that never screams at you. Just a a seductive whisper from a pinot ever so light on its feet--and that surprised me given the reputation of the '08's. Tunnel's most Burgundian effort yet?

1/4/2016 - ruffsurf wrote:

Medium red brick with red fruit and distinctive baking spices on the nose. Both sweet and sour cherries (more of the former) on the palate--and all it beautifully balanced. Fruit intensity leaves impression of medium body, though in reality leans a bit lighter. In perfect drinking zone. Lovely finish. 2nd night just as good. Paired with roast chicken/provencal herbs. Guess 2008 really was as fine as advertised, though over the years I'm now finding less and less differences between vintages as these Willamette guys truly hone their skills...

8/31/2015 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Cellar aged since purchase in 1988. Did not decant. First whiff feared it might be corked, but it was just a quickly disappearing scent from the removed cork--then it quickly gave way to a classic Bordeaux nose. Color suggests normal not excessive signs of aging. Light body (but not thin) led to an impeccably balanced wine that paired seamlessly with a grilled shell steak. Plus finish. This bottle is in the perfect drinking window. Guessing it has 10 more years at least, though it's not going to be any better than it is today.

5/14/2015 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Restrained buy lovely nose. Restraint too on the palate balanced by tropical notes and lemony crispness.

4/3/2015 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

This note is for 3 tastings of 2 bottles--all different nights. 92 rating for the first bottle consumed with beef at a restaurant in Winter Park, FL. The waiter brought it out at room temperature (twice!) but with sufficient urging they finally got it down to about 60 degrees. Worth every drop in degree and drop. Red fruit with baking spices perfectly balanced with fine tannins and acidity. Pure and light on its feet. My guest is not a wine drinking and yet he wound up hogging the wine. So I bought a case back in NYC. First bottle from the case was barely recognizable. Everything was out of sync. 85 points. Left half of it in the bottle overnight (no cork). Next day into the fridge for 25 minutes and it came back to life. 90 points. Guessing bottle shock the first night. Don't be shy about airing it out first. Overall I give this a 90. BTW, if you like jammy, heavy bodied California pinots, stay away from this one. And if Lemelson Thea, an entry level, is representative of the Willamette pinots, then 2012 is indeed a wonderful year there.

3/19/2015 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

This gives hope to those of us not blessed to be among g those in the top 1%. You know, those of us who cannot afford to gobble up grand and premiere crus burgundies. Lovely berry bouquet followed by carefully balanced medium dark red fruit. Bit of pepper on the fairly long finish. Loved it. Hope this isn't just a product of 2005 vintage...

2/15/2015 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

A beautifully balanced and graceful wine. Just the right touch of acidity blends seamlessly with the toned down tropical fruits, butterscotch, and vanilla. So, yes, it won't wow anyone looking for a full throttle, in-your-face California chardonnay.

1/7/2015 - ruffsurf wrote:

Light-medium cherry color. Very light on palate with somewhat muted cherry and baking spices. Significant improvement with air (about 30 minutes) on both counts. Nice but not plus finish. Elegant and right with foods that won't over power

9/7/2014 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Lovely light golden color. Citrus notes, nice acidity. A lovely and well balanced wine, though it drops off a bit in the finish.

8/31/2014 - ruffsurf wrote:

Pale lemon color. Border rich tropical fruit merge on palate with lovely mineral notes and nice acids too. Long finish. Wonderful...

8/25/2014 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Pale red color leads to an intoxicating spicy and heady nose. Concentrated and complex palate of baking spices and, like most Brick House wines, sweet & sour cherry notes. Everything in balance. Improves with air. Lots of life left in this one.

8/10/2014 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Shy but lovely berry bouquet followed by a balanced palate of baking spices and red fruit. No fruit bomb here.

6/17/2014 - ruffsurf Likes this wine:

Dark purple followed by a lovely bouquet followed by rich, full-bodied, dark fruit and a 20-25 second finish. Years still ahead for this one.