Winery Reflections’ Nathan and Courtney Marton (who visited us last year), have posted a review of the 2019 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc, sourced from Plum Hill Vineyards in Gaston. The husband-and-wife team, a pair of prolific wine writers and oeno-academics based in Southern California, had some nice things to say about this bottling (with Courtney noting “I was a huge fan of this one.”).
Here’s their review:
Courtney and Nathan Marton of Winery Reflections in the Bells Up estate vineyard.
Shaved lime peel, raw almond, green apple flesh. Grapefruit pith, crushed rocks, zingy citrus zest. A hyper-crisp and complex burst of squeezed lemon, underripe honeydew, and peach pit explodes with piercing yet delicious tartness energetically aided in intensity by flint, greek yogurt, and margarita salt. Notes of broken sea shells, matchstick, and stony minerality vividly emerge imparting a mildly reductive and saline bite subtly offset by baby’s-breath and delicate white flowers.
Understated phenolic and leesy notes make their presence felt as hints of walnut and shallots round out the edgy yet thoroughly mouth-filling display. Incredibly focused, precise, and serious on the palate while remaining layered and multidimensional; exhibiting outstanding depth and complexity considering its unabashedly pronounced zip and zing.
Medium bodied and nearly bone dry with powerful acidity that carries an impressively long finish. This 2019 “Rhapsody” Plum Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc by Bells Up Winery is a bright, racy, and refreshing white from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Although Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris have long sat atop the list of Oregon’s most popular wine grapes, Pinot Blanc is another member of the family that has incredible yet largely unrealized potential in the region. This bottling, crafted by Bells Up Winery using Pinot Blanc sourced from the Plum Hill Vineyard in the Willamette Valley’s northwestern corner, showcases just how interesting and exciting this underappreciated grape can be.
In the glass this wine booms with high intensity notes of salted citrus and stony minerals while presenting them with surprising seriousness and complexity. Its tartness and acidity are majorly notable and will allow it to pair spectacularly with an eclectic range of food. This is undoubtedly one of the most compelling varietal expressions of Pinot Blanc in the USA.
