2011 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter Bass Vineyard
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Tasting notes
A totally gorgeous wine, the 2011 Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard has developed beautifully since I tasted it last year. Today, it is the wine's broad shoulders and sense of structure that stand out most. The 2011 boasts fabulous energy, vibrant minerality and terrific overall balance. The intensely saline finish leaves a lasting impression.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Another fabulous, expressive wine, the 2011 Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard impresses for its depth and richness, all within the focused style that is the Ceritas signature. Softer and more generous than the Heinz, the Porter-Bass Chardonnay fleshes out beautifully in the glass. Lemon oil, white flowers, pears and crushed rocks are all woven together beautifully. This is another striking wine with great potential.
Light, bright gold. Vibrant, floral-accented citrus and pit fruits on the nose, along with a hint of iodine. Very fresh, energetic pit fruit and mineral flavors are complicated by hints of white pepper and buttered toast. Finishes with excellent clarity and lift, leaving behind vibrant mineral and spice notes. Packs a serious punch but comes off elegant and poised.
Another fabulous, expressive wine, the 2011 Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard impresses for its depth and richness, all within the focused style that is the Ceritas signature. Softer and more generous than the Heinz, the Porter-Bass Chardonnay fleshes out beautifully in the glass. Lemon oil, white flowers, pears and crushed rocks are all woven together beautifully. This is another striking wine with great potential. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. Proprietor John Raytek is one of this country’s most promising young winemakers. His professional resume includes a stint as sommelier at the Little Nell in Aspen. Later he was assistant winemaker at Copain and also spent time at Rhys. Raytek is married to Phoebe Bass, whose family owns the Porter-Bass Vineyard, but adds he gets no preferential treatment when it comes to buying fruit! The 2011 Chardonnays and Pinots are both dazzling. I tasted the 2011 Chardonnays from tank just prior to bottling. Raytek ages his Chardonnays for 12 months in oak (with no lees stirring) followed by 5-8 months in oak, a style of elevage preferred by a number of top estates in California and Burgundy. The Pinots are all made with some amount of whole clusters, usually around 40-45%, but they are totally integrated and virtually impossible to detect in the wines. I also had a chance to re-taste the 2010s from bottle. Those wines were just as fabulous as they were from barrel, if not a little better. Simply put, I can’t recommend these wines highly enough. Tel. (707) 473-9482
About the producer
Created in 2005 by John Raytek, Ceritas is one of California’s most exciting producers. The project is focused on making single-site wines from Northern California’s coastal regions, largely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.