2018 Goodrich
Dark plum and black currant lead into aromas of cardamom, pencil shavings and cocoa. On the palate, a deep core of black cherry, tea and cola is buttressed by grainy tannins.
Dark plum and black currant lead into aromas of cardamom, pencil shavings and cocoa. On the palate, a deep core of black cherry, tea and cola is buttressed by grainy tannins.
“Planted in 2007, this vineyard delivers exuberant fruit with depth and complexity. A proportion of whole clusters are used, and the wine is aged for 10 months in French casks, 20% new. The result delivers ripe mulberry and fig fruit with notes of smoke and well-integrated oak spice. The density is balanced by a crisp, refreshing acidity that leads to a persistent finish.”
– Decanter Magazine (January 26, 2021)
“The 2018 Goodrich Pinot Noir has a medium ruby-purple color and bold scents of aniseed, earth, blackberries and blueberries with touches of bergamot. The medium-bodied palate is firm and juicy with pleasantly earthy fruits and a spicy finish.”
– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (April 23, 2020))
“Powerful fruit preserve and cherry aromas display excellent clarity and complementary suggestions of cola, candied flowers and musky earth. Juicy, well-concentrated black raspberry and cherry pie flavors show sharp definition and energetic lift. Closes on a smoky mineral note, delivering strong persistence and building tannins that fold steadily into the wine’s clinging fruit.”
– Vinous (August, 2020)
VINTAGE 2018’s growing season started hot and dry through spring and summer, but relief was just around the corner. A hearty rain weeks before harvest and cool temperatures in September and October slowed ripening and gave the fruit additional hang-time. Harvest came late with small, intensely flavored berries with a high skin-to-juice ratio. After a slow start, the second half of harvest saw the simultaneous ripening of multiple blocks and a veritable “crush” in the fermentation hall. Once again, we were thankful for the added capacity of our 2013 cellar expansion and a crew of seasoned pros in the vineyard and the cellar.
These are wines of ample flavors and high maturity levels. The Pinot Noirs are bold and fruit-forward with higher than average tannins. In the white wines, expect more tropical fruit aromas in addition to the classic stone-fruit aromas. This is a great vintage for those who appreciate boldness in cool-climate varietals. 2018 wines are highly intriguing, their intense richness balanced by lifted tones, coming from a warm growing season that thankfully concluded in a cool autumn.
Elk Cove Vineyards purchased Goodrich Vineyard in 2014. A 69 acre property planted with 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Goodrich Road sits just outside the town of Yamhill, Oregon in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.
Goodrich Vineyard was planted in 2007 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in high-density a format. The property boasts the exact same marine sediment (Willakenzie) soil as our Mount Richmond property and lies just a few miles from our Estate Vineyard in Gaston.
We were so impressed by the quality of the fruit from this young vineyard we decided to make a Single Vineyard Pinot Noir in our very first year of farming the site.
Fruit from Goodrich is fermented in small, temperature-controlled steel tanks with a portion of whole-cluster fruit, hand punched down twice daily, and barreled in French oak barrels. After 10 months of aging, only the barrels that are most representative of the Goodrich profile are carefully blended to create an elegant Oregon Pinot Noir.
This wine when opened, displayed the most appealing scents of black currant, Bing cherry, and spice. In the mouth, the mid-palete fruit is rich, but that lingering velvety finish is just so appealing you not only want, but need another sip. This wine drinks well now (give it 45 mins or so in a decanter), but should continue to drink well fir the next 5+ years.
Review Goodrich.