Bassus Pinot Noir 2021

Bassus is pure Mediterranean elegance, delighting the drinker with pomegranate, redcurrants and wild strawberries over a creamy background. Its red colour, somewhere between cherry and ruby-coloured, gives a clue to its unctuous and velvety feel on the palate. A taste of pepper and cloves reminds us of its time ageing in wood and add complexity to the mouth, while its precise acidity gives an unusual degree of verticality to the natural volume shared by Mediterranean wines. New aromas appear as each moment goes by. A suggestive creamy note reminds us of white school erasers whereas warmer spices such as cinnamon and vanilla add to its identity. Its majestic character is not founded on its time in wood, but on fresh, complex, and even balsamic, fruit. Flavoursome on the cheeks, it seems to hide its fine tannicity among reminiscences of ripe red fruit and liquorice. As it stands in the glass, aromas of flowers and scrubland appear, bringing to mind the elegance of chalky soils and strong continental climate changes found in inland Mediterranean regions. Produced from the only Pinot Noir vineyard in Utiel-Requena, the wonderful Bassus wine is proof that its three winemakers were right. Their daring decision to plant this evasive French variety here was more than bravery, it was also a reflection on their extensive knowledge of vines and winemaking. Techniques commonly used in the Côte d'Or such as cold pre-maceration and punching down in open barrels extract colour, aroma, and fine tannins from the Pinot Noir's fine skins, making Bassus the most Burgundy-like of all the Utiel-Requena wines.