2023 Rhys Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard Porcupine Hill
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The 2023 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill is a selection of grapes from high-density rows on the producer's Bearwallow Estate, a tremendously impressive fine-tuning of the otherwise fantastic Bearwallow Vineyard Pinot. Medium-bodied, it offers richness within a context of fantastic acidity and intensity, the tannins silky smooth with a touch of grip and plenty of texture. Savory forest, tea, and cardamom spice accent the wild strawberry and pennyroyal dancing around the structured edges, with room to age a solid 10-12 years. Drink now through 2035.
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Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com
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The 2023 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill is a wine of raw power and brooding intensity. Sourced from the westernmost section of the Bearwallow estate vineyard in the Anderson Valley, the Porcupine Hill comes from a parcel planted at an incredible density of 17,000 vines per hectare, which absolutely translates into the wine’s packed build. The 2023 offers a seriously compelling juxtaposition of density and finesse. Deep opaque ruby in color, the Porcupine Hill opens with cocoa, menthol, lavender and herbaceous overtones propelled by serious mineral drive. It’s a little inward today, with nervy, tightly wound tannins but remarkable palate presence. Patience is essential, but there’s no question this will be worth the wait.
A powerhouse in slow motion, the 2023 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill opens with its characteristic dense, cake-like black and blue fruited bouquet, accented with intense but measured pipe tobacco, black tea and charcoal aromas. The palate delivers the immense concentration and density that defines the site, albeit with a touch more grace and buoyancy than in previous iterations, a clear hallmark of the vintage. Similarly, the finish holds no shortage of refined tannin intensity and relentless yet dexterous focus, although here it is rendered with relative understatement and nuance to the more powerful 2021 and 2022 harvests.