Matello Whistling Ridge Pinot noir 09

Review:

The nose is driven by pure cherry fruit, floral tones, hints of savory herb, red earth and wild botanical notes. The palate is firm underneath plush cherry fruit, with strong, linear notes of red fruits. - the winemaker

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

2008 Wine Advocate - 90 points - The 2008 Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge Vineyard is medium ruby red with an alluring perfume of spicy red fruits, earth notes, and floral aromas. Dense and sweetly-fruited, this concentrated, well-balanced effort will continue to blossom for another 2-3 years and will also provide pleasurable drinking from 2012 to 2020. - Jay Miller

Indie”Producer with Hands-off Approach to Pinot

Matello is produced by one of the smallest wineries in Oregon, the Mad Wines Company, but still makes 4 Pinot Noir bottlings with a total production of around 500 cases. Proprietor and winemaker Marcus Goodfellow who has become a darling of the “indie” wine set in Portland, and is well-known in the food and beverage circles there.

Goodfellow has developed his winemaking skill through working closely with Amy Wesserman and David Autrey of Westery Winery. Matello sources fruit from several locations in the Willamette Valley, but in particular from one vineyard, Whistling Ridge in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, which lies directly above Beaux Freres Vineyards.

Marcus’ philosophy in winemaking is to let it be. That is a goal to allow the natural beauty of the fruit to be center stage and build up a perfectly balanced wine around it without manipulation. As such, Matello does not inoculate their fermentation with yeast, and they use little new oak for aging to add texture, without overwhelming the wines. This all makes for more interesting wines, even if it is a little more risky!