2002
was a fantastic year. It was the first vintage of Marcus Goodfellow’s Matello Wines.
Matello means little fool in Italian, and some of Marcus’ friends thought
starting a winery pegged him as such. He’s always had an “affinity for jesters”,
so it seemed fitting to incorporate that in the winery’s name and logo. After
becoming familiar with these wines, one might think Genius is a more applicable
nickname for Marcus and his wines. The most wine savvy restaurants in Portland
are well aware of Matello; the list of where to find his wines reads like a Who’s Who in the
Portland food scene.
The
wines have unique names; these names say something about the man himself and
those with whom he closely works. Marcus often pays tribute to those with whom
he has worked alongside, those who have taught him something during his
winemaking journey. His Hommage Pinot
Noir is named as a “Thank You” to his Oregon winemaking community. Marcus believes
the stellar wines many young Oregon winemakers produce would not be possible
without the volume of experience and cultural information shared within the Oregon
wine family. Major Enology programs like UC Davis cannot always provide
detailed, Oregon site specific knowledge. His appreciation for his fellow
winemakers is remarkably evident.
Richard’s Cuvee Chardonnay pays homage to 85 year
old Richard Alvord, the admired man behind the Whistling Ridge Vineyard in the
Ribbon Ridge AVA. Richard, dealing with the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, had
until recently cared meticulously for these vines. The man and the vines inspired a haiku, found
on the back label of this 2010 Chardonnay: Old weathered hands, Hardened and twisted as the vines they tend.
Marcus’
Fools Journey Syrah is sourced from Yamhill-Carlton’s Deux Vert Vineyard, which
has a following all its own. Mike and Patty Green farm this LIVE certified
vineyard biodynamically. This Rhone emulating Syrah often sells out in the
blink of an eye. The current 2009 release is sold out at the winery, but may be
found around the Willamette Valley in some local wine shops. The 2009 was co-fermented with Viognier. The
Deux Vert Syrah plantings are also among, if not the oldest in Oregon. The
Syrah sees the most barrel age of all Matello wines, 2 years of neutral oak. Deux
Vert’s latitude
is the same as France’s Rhone region, which speaks to the potential for
growing the same grapes, making similarly styled wines. He also makes a truly
exceptional Deux Vert Viognier bottling from Oregon’s original Viognier
plantings.
“Great
Pinot Noir is never made by playing it safe. It comes from meticulous farming,
working hard at a craft, and conscientious work in the cellar”, Marcus
believes. Meticulous farming is seen in
the vineyards, Bishop Creek, Whistling Ridge and Winter’s Hill among them.
Matello is a member of the Deep Roots Coalition, a group of wineries and
vineyards subscribing to the biodynamic practices and non-irrigated vines, forcing
the vines to go deep through layers of rock to find water. Grapes grown in this
way develop from the natural, deep water sources below, expressing the flavors
of the earth, truly an expression of terroir.
With
his 2010 vintage, Marcus embarked on an uncommon endeavor, making a White Pinot
Noir. This tiny 25 case production was made at the request of the renowned Herbfarm restaurant to pair specifically
with selected menu items; there were 9 cases left for a fortunate few. The
fruit comes from Stony Mountain Vineyard in the eastern foothills of the
coastal range, just outside McMinnville. Making this uniquely challenging, unfined
and unfiltered wine proved beautifully successful, exceeding Marcus’
expectations. By subscribing to traditional methods and little winemaker
intervention, he allows the sense of place to speak through the grapes. He
refers to this as a “quiet wine”, and sees it becoming remarkably special as it
ages in bottle.
The
2011 Rosé of Pinot Noir grapes were also grown at Stony
Mountain. 2011 was a challenging year, as this cool site was very late to
ripen. It did ripen at the 11th hour, and the fruit was brought in
and pressed. These Pinot grapes are grown specifically for this rosé.
The beautiful color and label announce the arrival of warm, rose-sipping
weather. This crisp, dry beauty is the type sought out within the sea of spring
rosé releases. Save yourself the
trouble of swimming through entire sea; head straight to this one.
Other
new releases include great white wines for summer. The 2010 Whistling Ridge Blanc is a blend of
Ribbon Ridge fruit, varying year to year. This may be the best vintage yet. The
2010 Clover is 100% Bishop Creek Pinot Gris. Another of Marcus’ favorites, this
wine spent 15 months in neutral oak and should be enjoyed on an unhurried
afternoon with some Northwest sun. The excellent Bishop Creek Vineyard is
managed by Jeremy Saville, like minded with Marcus in vineyard practices of
non-irrigated vines with lower yields. The smallest details matter here, even
uniquely managing the canopy in order to produce the best fruit.
Seek
out these wines, or better yet, join the Wine Club to ensure you won’t be
left merely to read about the greatness you could have known firsthand. The brand
new tasting room opened Memorial Day weekend. The winery is located here, near the McMinnville Saturday
Market. Beginning in June, regular tasting room hours are 10:30-3:30, Friday through Sunday until Labor Day. Contact Matello
for more details, or check out their Facebook page.
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