2015 Rhys Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (10/16/2019)
I am not generally a fan of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The regular Rhys Bearwallow wines do not impress me. Same for other producers.
This wine pushed some different buttons. I understand that it’s essentially a specific parcel of Bearwallow, but it presents as a completely different wine. It’s darker in fruit tone. It has more tannic structure. It’s less cola influenced, and has a more complete mouthfeel. The depth of flavor and structure puts it up close with Horseshoe (my favorite of the Santa Cruz area Rhys Pinots), and keeps pulling me back for more. It needs to age, as the fruit and tannin are both young and substantial. It’s a wine with a long road ahead.