Ceritas 2012 Porter Bass Chardonnay

The youthful exuberance seems to be fading, our bottle last evening took an hour or more to open up and gain citrus fruits. I love the phases this wine evolves thru, and look forward to what is left of my case - hopefully down the road a piece! Man we blew threw some of these bottles with abandon; maybe our favorite 2012 domestic Chardonnay.
image.jpg

Thanks for the notes! I have a few myself and am enjoying the evolution as well. Cheers!

After tasting MANY sonoma coast chardonnays this year at WOW in chicago, I would have to agree that the certias porter-bass chardonnay is about the best domestic chardonnay i tried. such amazing minerality. special stuff.

Thanks Glenn, I have 2 left. Might try one soon

Haven’t tried one since the pickup, maybe I’ll crack one soon. Thanks!

A beautiful wine and still in the making.

When I asked Phoebe about this wine upon release last year, she said to give it at least two years. And then, IIRC, drink it over the next 5-6 years.

Wine was insanely hedonistic out of the shipping cardboard.

Glenn, I’m looking forward to trying one at some point. I did open a 2013 Peter Martin Ray Chardonnay this Spring just to try, and I’m hoping my remaining bottles of that wine put on a little more weight with time. Definitely a lighter styled Santa Cruz expression than Mount Eden or Rhys Horseshoe. Maybe it was a bit closer to a Rhys Alpine 2012 I tried, which had a lighter mid palate but better integrated acidity than the 2012 Horseshoe last year.

Ceritas PMR maybe be my favorite of their wines: razor-sharp acidity, laser-focused attack. I much prefer the style to any Mt Eden or Rhys Chardonnay wines we have had to date.

Can any of the big Ceritas fans provide a very general contrast of the different chardonnay bottlings? I have several of each vineyard from multiple vintages in the cellar but haven’t opened enough of them to learn the differences yet.

PMR has been my favorite Ceritas Chardonnay, with the 2011 way way out front. But I have to say that I do not agree with Doc Levine regarding the acidity, at least not on the 2011s. I find the acid somewhat restrained, and also have a memory of a rounder, fuller wine than anything I would describe as “laser-focused” up front. But Doc and I agree that we both like this wine. [cheers.gif]

For me, the '10 PB Chardonnay was an epiphany wine, opening my eyes to many other excellent California Chards I’d been avoiding. I also loved the 2011 PMR.

I’m halfway between Merrill and Glenn in my analysis of the '11 PMR; my TN reads “…very dense, citrus with enough cut…”

Ceritas’ summer release is August 13. 2013 Porter Bass Chardonnay, 2013 Marena Chardonnay, and 2013 Hellenthal Old Shop Block Vineyard Pinot Noir.

I think we can all agree the most acidic Ceritas Chard is the Heintz.

I have no Heintz in my cellar, and not sure if I have had it. If they poured it at the open house in January, then I have had it. I bought 6 of the 2013 PMR after the open house. My guess is because TO ME, it did not feel as acidic as the others. And I loved the 2011.

And we all know I need a babysitter when it comes to the tracking of wines tasted or in cellar.

I’ve been contemplating a career change.

Plenty of work here. Handyman, painting, vineyard work, inventory. Pay is awful. Views are great. Owner totally untamed.

Since most of the white wine I drink is Riesling with this profile, perhaps I’m looking for a slightly fuller style with chardonnay. I do agree that it is well made.

Y’all really need to decant these 2012s and 2013s if you want them to show.

Not so fast there big fella. Granted based on limited sampling, but I might be inclined to put Pinnacle at the peak of the Ceritas acid range, with Heintz 2nd.