4/21/2024 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Cellartracker tells me this is my last bottle. What a shame. I enjoyed this most on day 3 (none remained beyond that).

I haven’t been drinking a ton of wine in the last year or so, and not a lot has moved me during that time. But once again it’s a Goodfellow bottle that smacks me in the face and reminds me why I have a somewhat silly number of bottles from Oregon in my cellar/closet, and why this label makes up a disproportionate amount of it.

11/12/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Drank this a week ago, so no real notes. But this was Stupendous and generous from the first moment, and just as good and more fleshed out on day two.

Frankly this was in better shape than the couple other bottles I’ve had over the past year. And this was purchased recently from the winery. I guess storage conditions matter…. Or bottle variation is a thing.

Either way, wonderful and vibrant wine.

11/5/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Very impressed with this offering, particularly at the $28 price. At a listed 13.0% ABV, this is light on its feet and, showing the vintage, nonetheless shows a surprisingly high intensity of flavor. Herbal, loamy red fruit is backed by a slightly drying acid and maybe some tannins. I’d guess there’s some stems in this.

This is apparently almost entirely Eola-Amity Hills fruit, and it has some of the characteristics of other producers in the area that I like, such as Evesham Wood and Walter Scott. It also reminds me of Goodfellow in its structure and light touch. Really enjoyed it.

9/29/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Absolutely banging and open for business as a pop and pour. Sometimes I’m discouraged by the interplay between a wine’s structure, bottle age, and air, and I’ve had Goodfellow Pinots really tighten up with a decant or, alternatively, open up generously with several hours of air.

But in this case I say drink right away, and there’s no need to wait to open this.

Structured but generous on the palate, with a brambly character undergirding spicy blue fruit, this wine is snappy and refreshing, with medium body and is completely knit together.

An absolute pleasure to drink and a reminder that this producer makes fantastic, killer-value pinot noir in addition to the whites that I drink more of.

9/14/2023 - OregonLoafer Does not like this wine:

A friend brought a bottle of this over. I had a small glass before switching back to Goodfellow chardonnay.

I’m not familiar with this wine, but Gripnsip called it back in 2009. This was utterly flat and lifeless. Smelled nice but also generic. Past its prime for sure.

9/1/2023 - OregonLoafer wrote:

Consumed after several hours of air.

These 2014s across the board just need more time, and this is no exception. I have had a few 2014 Pinots from Eyrie, Goodfellow, and a handful of others over the past couple years, and they have been dense, blocky, and not very expressive.

This bottle had hints of coming into early maturity, mostly on the nose. The aromatics are pretty intense and dark-fruited with a dusty loamy character. Really beautiful to just smell for a while.

On the palate, things are pretty muted. There’s a lot packed in here, and it’s less blocky (for lack of a better term) than the last bottle I had a couple years ago. But although there’s a good density of flavor here, it just feels closed somehow. And the alcohol is surprisingly hot, despite not being that high. That’s a feature I’ve found on other 2014s over the years.

All in all this is my least favorite vintage of the past decade+, but I am starting to think these will be good with time. There’s good structure here and tons of fruit with a satisfying concentrarion, backed up by good acididy.

For now, hold for a few more years IMO. I’ll update if things change on day 2.

8/19/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Fantastic wine. Agree with others’ notes. But this really came alive on day 2. Drink now.

I miss the days when these were $40.

8/10/2023 - OregonLoafer wrote:

Two bottles of this in a row have been very bretty. I don’t see any other notes mentioning this, so I hope my third and final bottle is solid. The risks you take on WineBid…

7/19/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

In a good place. This was more drinkable on day 1 than it was a couple years ago. It’s not “great,” but it’s darn good and pretty interesting. I’ll be in no rush to finish my remaining bottles.

7/12/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Trying to drink my last couple bottles of this. A terrible burden, I know.

This bottle is confirming my "drink now" appraisal. Excellent right out of the bottle. This does a good job of straddling the line between something rich, full and stinky on the one hand, and something that tastes like a chalky refreshing mountain stream on the other hand.

I have one bottle left and will be drinking it soon to ensure I catch it while it's this vibrant. At least in my storage conditions, I don't see upside and it's delicious now.

6/8/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Holy cow this is good stuff. First bottle seemed a bit more aggressive with the acid but mellowed on day two. Second bottle opened up and softened nicely after just 10 minutes in the glass. Unctuous texture but bone dry. Searing but absolutely well integrated acid to provide tons of lift. Persistent finish. Truly good wine. Well done. So glad I have a case of this

2/4/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Drinking very well. No reduction on opening, and, unusually for a Goodfellow chardonnay (or most of the Chardonnay I drink), this was great as a PnP, and I enjoyed it more on day 1 than on day 2.

It’s richer than I recall past bottles being, with a beeswaxy thing going on alongside a wonderful wet-rock character. It put on a bit more weight on day 2 and IMO lacked the cut to balance it out quite as much as I wanted, but it was still delicious. Earlier in the week I had drunk some Paetra WV Riesling, though, so maybe my bar for acidic cut in a wine had been set a little high 😂

tl;dr: A solid wine at its peak. Drink now.

2/2/2023 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Great stuff. I’ve had a number of these from a couple vintages, and it’s a favorite. Aggressively dry, with raging acidity, but there’s a good body and texture to help balance it. That said, this is more inviting on day two, when it fleshes out and some more savory characteristics emerge. Perfect for hanging with non-wine people - it’s quaffable but also complex

1/31/2023 - OregonLoafer wrote:

On day 1 this was slightly flat, but gained vibrancy on day 2. Still could use some more acidity for my tastes to balance the rich texture. It’s not a bad wine, and I love Eyrie’s reds, but WV Chardonnay is such a competive and exciting landscape right now that I no longer buy much of this.

12/31/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Wow. I drank two glasses of this over an hour or two while cooking NYE dinner, and it blew me away. Legitimate contender for wine of the year for me. I’ve always been a fan of the Mellen Meyer WV brut, and was impressed by their Johan bottling, but this grabbed my attention in a bigger way.

Most of the time when I drink sparkling, I enjoy it but am focused on how much better of a wine I could be drinking for the money. Grower champagne? For the cost, give me some white burgundy, Oregon chardonnay, or Grosses Gewächs Riesling.

But this was a stunning wine that at $55 holds its own against many of my other favorites for the price. I have no helpful notes other than to say that if you like Oregon whites, especially the Goodfellow chardonnays from this site, you should check this out.

Pour this at fridge temp and let it sit for a bit befor drinking. Don’t refrigerate the bottle after popping. It keeps tasting better and better as it opens up and warms up.

12/26/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

A bit closed on day 1, but open and beautiful on day 2. Other notes capture it well.

This is too good now to hold. I’m sure this would be great with 10 years of age, but it’s absolutely stellar now. Nothing is lacking: it’s an absolutely complete and great wine. Drink now without worry while waiting for the SVDs to age.

12/24/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Wine of the night. This bottle was stellar. Everything you want in an aged pinot: Heady aromatics, truffles, earth, leather, iron, and still-vibrant fruit. Excellent acid to provide lift and make it a deft partner at the table with prime rib.

This wine showed no sign of tiredness and is at a wonderful peak (though I haven’t had it earlier in its life - maybe it was somehow better earlier, but I doubt it). Drink now.

12/23/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Really coming along nicely. This has gained a slight honeyed character and a deeper yellow color. It’s also put on some weight, yet is still very fresh and has ragingly bright acidity. Honestly the acid could still use some time to integrate more fully, as this was better and more streamlined on day two.

It’s not a great wine, but it is a good wine, and also very unique and memorable with age on it.

Glad I have one more bottle. I’ll hold for at least another couple years, or maybe 10 more if I have the discipline.

12/23/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Holy smokes, this is fantastic. On day 1 it was tired and almost oxidized, so I drank a few sips and left it open until the next day.

On day 2 it was absolutely sprightly. Long finish, great texture, sparkling acididy. Wonderful stuff. For my taste, drink now, but this definitely has the potential to evolve further if older whites are your thing.

12/22/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Yikes, that’s good. Seamless and round on day two, with any reductive notes having dissipated, but still had good cut. Stupid good value.

12/7/2022 - OregonLoafer wrote:

Lots of Brett in this bottle. It did not blow off on day 2. Damn. I loved the 2017 and 2018 vintages and fell out of the wine game for a bit when 2019 was around, so I was really looking forward to this. Hopefully my other bottle is in better shape.

At this price, I want clean wine.

11/17/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Eyrie's Rose of Pinot Noir was perhaps my favorite in the Willamette Valley, so I am still extremely disappointed that they discontinued it. And when I first had this wine, I didn't love it.

That said, either the newer version is better or I just had it too cold. I will still admit that straight out of the fridge, this is slightly harsh and doesn't have a ton of personality.

But as it warms up substantially in the glass, it gets much more expressive, much softer, and more distinctive. I'd recommend pouring this a good 15 minutes before serving, if not more, and it's quite enjoyable.

And for $22, it's actually a great deal.

11/15/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Like most Jura Trousseau I’ve encountered, this was tart bordering on sour right out of the bottle. Funky tart fruit and earth on the nose. It gradually opened up and relaxed over the course of a few hours and was quite enjoyable.

I found this to drink best decently chilled - a bit cooler than cellar temp, the kind of temp I like my whites at. At only 11.5 percent ABV, it’s light but the cooler temperature enhanced the texture.

Glad I picked up a few bottles of this. I’m curious to see how it ages, though there’s apparently not much sulphur in it.

11/10/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Drank as PnP. Bright red fruits, Dr. Pepper, and cherry Coke served on the rocks in a garden where you’re tilling soil and planting some herbs. High toned and energetic, vivacious acidity, maybe a touch of fine tannins. This kicks ass. Stupidly good value.

11/9/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Hey, this is tasty. I hardly drink any Merlot/Cab type blends, but this hit the spot and reminded me of why I used to drink Bordeaux as a younger budding wine drinker.

Very fresh right out of the bottle without being some AFWE overreaction to overripe, over-oaked “red blends.” Extremely lively with just-ripe-enough dark fruit and a dash of dusty tannin.

On day 2, the nose is more expressive and provides that satisfyingly musty Merlot aroma. And it’s broader and deeper on the palate. A very different wine than day 1, and it has not faded, but to be honest I preferred the more vivacious, spunky character it had as a pop-and-pour.

This would be a crowd pleaser and would make a great house red for any number of bistros, even if I’m more of a Pinot Noir guy myself. Well done. Drink now.

11/7/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Bright red slightly tart fruits and herbs with a hint of savory earthiness. True to Eyrie form, there is a true intensity of flavor and fruit here without being at all over-ripe. Good exctraction and texture without seeming “highly extracted,” with excellent well integrated but persistent acidity. Everything tastes surprisingly integrated right off the bat.

I drank this over two days, and it probably tasted best right out of the bottle, which I have experienced with younger Eyrie Pinots before.

I really enjoy this way more than the 2018 - which did flirt with overly ripe fruit for my tastes - and intend to load up. I’ll also mostly keep my hands off, as I see this aging very well for many years.

11/5/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

I finished this earlier tonight and don’t have detailed notes, but this is drinking phenomenally, and was perhaps at is peak on day 3. I don’t love the Eyrie whites upon release, but damn, a few years in bottle do wonders. Everything is perfectly integrated with great texture and mouthfeel and persistent acidity.

Drink or hold. I have one more bottle and will give it a few more years. Eyrie whites can go the distance, though, so I have no doubt this will improve for years and hold for years more after that.

11/4/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Very well put together. Oak comes out on day 2 to an extent that I dislike, but there’s a steely and clean character to the wine as well. Giving entry-level WV eines a few years in bottle can work out pretty well. That said, I don’t see this improving. Drink now.

10/27/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Much less funky than my last bottle, even as a pop and pour. But still gives you that great tar and leather Cameron dirt along with unctuous fruit and good acid. Plush mouthfeel without being at all sweet or overly ripe. I'd be curious to taste this on day 2, but overall this was very enjoyable.

Still, there's good stuffing here and I'm sure it will continue to evolve well. Old Cameron is something special. I have five bottles left and am in no hurry to drink them.

10/22/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

A fun little wine that has developed a bit in the years since I last drank it. Very peppery at first, it integrates nicely after an hour in the glass. This is light and savory, all about spice and brine. This was enjoyable to sip on its own on day 1 and was a lovely companion to a dinner with friends over an Italian smorgesbørd on day 2.

The Syrah under the Goodfellow label seems more “refined” (to my liking), but these old Matello Syrahs are really enjoyable and have their own distinct personality. I wonder how much the winemaking changed as opposed to simply the vintage character - I’ve only had the 2013 and 2011 Matello Fool’s Journey, and only the 2014 and 2015 Goodfellow Deux Vert.

10/20/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

This is really starting to show well. I find this wine just OK and actually quite awkward upon release. But man, Eyrie stuff really comes alive with age. All edges have been smoothed out, and a denser texture is emerging. But there is still so much liveliness here that I’ll consume my remaining 5 bottles over the next ten years or more.

A 25-year-old Eyrie Pinot Gris still ranks among one of my top wines ever, so I know these can go the distance.

10/20/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Found one of these in my closet. This is drinking quite well and was a pleasant surprise. Some oxidative or malolactic richness, good acid, everything well integrated. Drink now.

This is the second entry-level Oregon white with a few extra years of bottle age that I’ve had recently, and it’s a nice reminder that even the less expensive stuff from some producers rewards some cellar time.

4/12/2022 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Very satisfying for the money. Snappy little wine. Super drinkable and somewhat juicy, but with a bit of a crunchy structure. From the website, current vintages (or rather NV version) is about 75% pinot, 20% Syrah, 5% Gamay.

Will buy again. I’ve been really impressed with the three wines I’ve had from Twill - and they’ve all been under $30.

11/24/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

No notes but this was fantastic right out of the bottle. No decant needed.

10/30/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

This was in fantastic shape. Much more vibrant than expected. Seamlessly integrated, with plenty of fruit, good acidify, and lovely ages aromatics. Good stuff, and if you have some in your cellar you shouldn’t feel like it’s a race against time to drink your bottles.

10/11/2021 - OregonLoafer wrote:

Weirdly sour and reductive. Not the typical cameron funk. Stayed tart on day two. Better with food. Will hold my second bottle for quite a while, but there’s so much bottle variability with Cameron that who knows.

9/12/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

This wine is just in a great spot. Finishing it on day two, it’s a nice mix steely and beeswaxy. It’s floral, it’s got some lemony white stone fruit going on, it’s got good acid. Touch up in intensity from the WV offering.


I’m sure this will hold, but for my money drink now while the 2017s and single vineyards come around some more (and let’s be real you’ve already drunk your Richards cuvees).

7/20/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

No notes, but I was impressed. Like an off-dry (just barely) Mosel Riesling. Will buy again and drink in a more focused setting.

7/13/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Wow. I need to drink more Chenin blanc. This has an absolutely unctuous texture to the point that it almost seems sweet - but it’s not, and some intense but completely integrated acid gives it such great lift that it’s in perfect balance.

Great intensity and persistence on the palate. Amazing with a raw corn salad with walnuts and pecorino.

6/12/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Upon opening this was surprisingly fruity and juicy. Left the majority of the bottle for day 2, when it was much more savory with a pleasant bitterness that lends excitement. Low ABV but good structure. Will buy more.

5/20/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Drinking so very well right now. Everything is super integrated. A couple hours of air improved it further, but the bottle didn’t last that long. I have four more and will definitely sit on at least one of these for several more years.

5/4/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Per the winery, this is a barrel selection sourced entirely from the original vines. I believe it was made during a few years when there was no South Block bottling (David Lett’s last South Block was 2007 iirc, and Jason reintroduced it in 2014). So I like to think of this as a mini-South Block.

Opened this fairly impulsively because YOLO. Right out of the bottle this was absolutely spellbinding. I love the 2011 Eyrie pinot base bottling, and this was very similar but...just more. Way more. That’s not to say denser or more extracted, just more intense, with a more wild side and also with more mouthfeel. Just wow.

Unfortunately I opened this in the afternoon figuring air would do it well, but honestly it was best for those first few sips I had after opening. Still incredible and built to last. Great acid. Eyeroll-inducing aromatics that you want to smell all night. Everything seamlessly integrated. Cherries and dirt and mushrooms. 10/10.

4/21/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

I drank this last week. As others have experienced, the acid was just too up front on days 1 and 2. And I like acid. But on day 3 this was very different - balanced, savory, with great texture. Just a very well made bottle of bone-dry Riesling.

It surprised me because, while I often enjoy wines on day 2, they tend to fade after that. Not so here - if you drink now, decant aggressively for at least 12 hours, or pour a small glass and then put the bottle in the fridge for a couple days.

Will sit on my other bottles for a while.

3/23/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

This has either evolved a touch since August, or this bottle simply drank slightly differently. Once again, it was just plain delicious and generous immediately upon opening.

Unlike the last time, however, with several hours of air this became more giving, rather than less. As noted, a previous bottle - and a number of other WV 2016 PNs I've drunk over the past year or two - have coiled back onto themselves with lots of air, becoming tighter and harder. Not so with this bottle. I thoroughly enjoyed it over about 5 hours.

As with previous bottles, this was even broader but softer on day 2. Not tired, and perfectly lovely - indeed, perhaps more conventionally "pretty" than at any time on day 1. But it lacked some of the verve and almost Dolcetto-like bitterness that I love about Goodfellow's pinot noirs. (Speaking of which, wow, would I love to see a Dolcetto from Marcus).

Anyway, killer wine, great value, will buy every year.

3/19/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Oops, I drank my two bottles of this wine. Might try to pick up another, because I would love to drink this in a decade or two.

Similar to my last note, except this time the wine opened up with several hours of air and became more expressive, rather than tighter. Cameron funk, dark berries, iron, tobacco, earth.

For me, this has all the best qualities of a "big" wine in terms of density and plush mouthfeel, without any of the failings of being too ripe - i.e. there's nothing jammy or heavy about it. It's like a maglev train: Obviously powerful and big but gliding effortlessly along as if by magic.

Really good stuff and a big step up from the Dundee Hills (though also a big step up in price). Makes me realize that, for all the Cameron I drink, I've never splurged on the SVDs. That may have to change.

3/15/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

I thought I opened the Ribbon Ridge, but was really impressed with this - I had drunk one or two of these last year and had forgotten how good this is.

Slightly reductive notes blew off after about 20 minutes, and from there on out this was just a clean and pure example of WV Chardonnay.

On day two, this was not suffering but also didn't open up any more. If anything, it was slightly broader but at the expense of some cut. I enjoyed it best on day one starting basically right out of the bottle.

3/4/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Really impressive stuff! I drank this over two nights this week.

Very "Riesling" and very Willamette Valley. This has some serious weight, and yet it's so beautifully clean and bright. I was immediately punched by the intensity of it on the palate - it seems so dense in a good way, and yet it's only 12.5% ABV if I recall correctly. But the unctuousness is immediately balanced by a bright, cleansing acidity that is nonetheless wonderfully balanced and never sharp.

I could definitely see this becoming even more harmonious with time, and indeed the label predicts it will reward long cellaring. Interesting choice to have it under screwcap - I'd love to see how these age. But it's very good now, and competitive in quality with German Rieslings at the price point ($30 here in Oregon).

Well done.

3/1/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

I drank this a few nights ago. Did not take notes, but this was just fantastic. Very young and energetic - clean and clear and bright - but with a touch of added weight and savoriness from age. Didn't change much on night two.

2/16/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Muted on day one, even after several hours of air, this opened up on day two a lot.

2/1/2021 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

Really excellent, but this took a while to open. It had a slightly musty smell upon opening that made me wonder if my wine glasses had been sitting in the cabinet too long (they hadn't). This blew off only to reveal what seemed to me like some brett running through an otherwise compelling, but still fairly tight, wine. I put most of it back in the bottle to wait another day.

On day 2 it was a bit more open. Sarah liked it a lot, but I wasn't really connecting with it.

On night 3, there was one glass left and it was absolutely singing. For my tastes, wines often start to fade by the third day, but this was more full of life than ever, and strangely that bretty smell/taste had pretty much disappeared. Loved it. Slight spicebox character from whole cluster, presumably. Red fruits. Great structure and focus, but supremely drinkable.

Every bottle of Franny Beck I've had has been quite good for a fair price.