2014 Rhys Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (2/3/2018)
Without actually planning it, I have been consuming a 375 ml of this wine every six months since it was released. The first two, opened 12 and 6 months ago respectively, did not show all that much. This bottle started to deliver a much more open and interesting expression of Pinot Noir. Red fruit, touches of baking spice, and a little bit of fresh herb gave way to finely structured, but notable tannins. Neither of my prior bottles really showed the tannic backbone of the wine, probably meaning there was just so much new fruit that it could not come through. This was a welcome change, since I have always been searching for some tannin to offset the copious fruit in California Pinot Noir. The fruit/tannin balance seems to be correct. My remaining 375ml bottles may be opened at the same pace, but I have some confidence in letting the two 750ml bottles settle down for a nap, and hopefully develop some additional complexity.