2017 Elk Cove Vineyards Goodrich Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton 750 ml

We’ve learned over the years that a somm’s hesitation can equal good news—it often means they’ve got something just as good or better than what we ordered—for the same price, or even less. 

It happened at Canard in Portland, where we were slurping Kusshi oysters and sipping the last of our Champagne. That’s when we spotted one of the Willamette Valley’s most coveted single-vineyard Pinot Noirs on the list, a hard-to-find superstar that goes for nearly $100 retail. We told the somm we’d take it—but then she balked just a bit.

So we added: “Unless you’ve got something else in mind.”

The somm smiled. “I do,” she said, as she plucked the list out of our hands. A few minutes later she reappeared with the 2017 Elk Cove Goodrich Pinot Noir—and after one taste, we knew we’d put our faith in the right pro. Boasting gorgeous spice-kissed red fruit and the kind of density, complexity, and finesse that we expect from marquee names like Beaux Frères, Evening Land, and Archery Summit, the Goodrich is the kind of bottle for which Pinotphiles are happy to pay $75+. 

That experience sent us straight to Elk Cove, where we scored one of the top Willamette Valley Pinot deals this year: Worth every bit of its $60 SRP, we’ve got this overachieving, under-the-radar Pinot at just $35 per bottle. 

For us, it was a glorious re-introduction to Elk Cove, which we’ve known for a decade plus, but is normally snapped up by Oregon’s savvy sommeliers and Pinot fans. Located just under an hour west of Portland in the Coast Range, the winery was founded in 1974 by Joe and Pat Campbell, who named the property for the herd of 40 Roosevelt elk that bedded down near their trailer home during their first winter there. The Campbells started off by planting five acres of Pinot at the Winery Estate Vineyard, which has since grown to 50 acres. And when they had the chance to add the stellar Goodrich Vineyard to their portfolio in 2014, they didn’t hesitate. 

Located just outside the town of Yamhill, Goodrich has 17 acres of Pinot Noir digging into the famed Willakenzie soil (marine sediment) that marks some of the Valley’s top sites. After the purchase, winemaker Adam Campbell was so impressed by the fruit that he followed the lead of Raptor Ridge and Soter by making a vineyard-designate Pinot Noir from Goodrich— in the very first year.

The 2017 Goodrich Pinot, hailing from a year of classic Oregon conditions, shows gorgeous ripe and aromatic fruit, and a kiss of spice from ten months in French oak. Smooth, steeped in earthy character, and bolstered by broad tannins and balanced acidity, this is a first-class Willamette Valley Pinot at an everyday price. Here’s to the somm that steered us back to Elk Cove, and here’s to you enjoying every drop!