2017 Rhys "Porcupine Hill Vineyard" Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

“The 2017 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill, from the Anderson Valley, is up with the top releases here. Deep ruby/purple-hued with notes of black cherries, blackberries, sous bois, spice, and earth, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the minerality or structure of the Santa Cruz Mountain releases, but it has a terrific sense of elegance and purity.” (10/2019)

“The 2017 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill is built on a core of fruit from an east-facing hill that was replanted with tightly spaced rows in 2012. A wine of breadth and power, the Porcupine Hill has quite a bit of intensity to match its dark flavor profile. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, earthiness and menthol add character. Today, the two Bearwallow Pinots are somewhat close in feel, but I imagine in time they will take more divergent paths. (AG)” (10/2019)

“The 2017 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill comes from a high-density block in the Bearwallow vineyard. Pale to medium ruby, it opens with notes of crushed blueberries, woodsmoke and violets with notes of chocolate, warm dark cherries, spiced cranberry sauce and red cherry preserves. The palate is light to medium-bodied and silky with great layering of ripe fruits and spices, a frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and very spicy. (EB)” (02/2020)

“The wine is very enticing on the nose, with just a touch of the exotic in its bouquet of black raspberries, black plums, chicory, lovely minerality, gamebird, woodsmoke, a hint of lead pencil and a deft base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely sappy at the core, with fine mineral drive, ripe, buried tannins, excellent focus and grip and a long, complex and very classy finish. Though this is exactly the same octane as the Bearwallow this year, it seems to me a touch more precise and pure on the backend. Fine juice that is approachable, but could do with at least a couple of years in the cellar to let the tannins fall away just a bit more. Fine juice. 93+” (07/2019)

“Attractively layered aromas of black cherry, red raspberry, anise and spiced tea lead to nicely rich, voluminous and round medium-bodied flavors that possess fine intensity while exhibiting solid length on the dusty and mildly warm finish. This is a very generously proportioned effort that needs to develop better depth though I do like the persistence.” (01/2020)