TN: 2017 Porter Bass Pinot Noir

Lovely stuff. Appears very youthful in the glass. I can smell this wine the second the cork is popped. The nose is so perfumed, aromatic, and delicate. The aromas are mostly of fresh cherry, some raspberries, an interesting cantaloupe type smell lurking underneath. While this clearly smells like a restrained New World Pinot, there is a special way that its scents hits my nose, a delicate perfume-y-ness, that has a quality like that of a young Nebbiolo.

Moderate amount of acidity, gentle tannins, and an elegance in the mouth. Fruit forward initially, like a smorgasbord of fresh red fruits. It’s delicious. Day 2 sees the development of some earthy flavors that are emphasized on the finish. The further development indicates that this has a number of years left in the tank, and it is likely only likely to get better.

What a lovely wine. Porter Bass is fast becoming one of my favorite New World vineyards. They make their own Chardonnay and Zinfandel, as well as this Pinot, and all are excellent. Littorai makes excellent Pinot from this vineyard as well (though they call it “Mays Canyon”). Ceritas does an amazing Porter Bass Chardonnay. I gotta get more of this stuff!

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+1 on Porter Bass. My family visited and did a tasting here in 2019. The Chardonnays are incredible. So old school/old world and biodynamic no less.