Rhys, Pinot Noir Family Farm, Santa Cruz Mountains

Rhys continues to have big cork issues with their wines. This one was soaked through. Monochromatic and not great.

2014 vintage

500mL bottle purchased from the winery in Dec '24. Poured into two large Zalto Burgundy glass and enjoyed over about 7 hours. Initially a great nose but a bit tart/lean in the mouth. After about 2-3 hours had a good balance of all the classic Rhys elements. By hour 7, the nose had pretty much quit but the palate was totally smooth and supple. No tartness left nor much in the way of fruit. Nice mouth coating experience with medium/long …

2014 vintage

Amazing from half bottle. Reticent at first, then opened with savory Santa Cruz Mountains PN with the Rhys balanced touch. Medium plus finish and lovely.

2014 vintage

From 500 mL Silky smooth and balanced. Maybe 30 minutes of air to dial it in.

2014 vintage

Little bit of chewy cola gives way to strawberries and boysenberries. Finishes with hint of tobacco. Nice wine.

2014 vintage

PnP. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, vanilla, herbs, stems, and earth. On the palate, cherry, strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, spice, herbs and stems. Good balance to a medium finish. Soft tannins in the finish. Finally hitting it's stride. Last bottle and the best of the 3.

2014 vintage

big wine not yet at peak, no browning, bought from winery and stored at 55 since release.

2014 vintage

Enjoyable wine. Served with fresh coho salmon seasoned with lemon-pepper Nose was aromatic on the pop and pour. Seemed very open. Very nice. Palate was fresh, complex, some secondary spice notes that added to the complexity. Long finish that brought me back for another sip. Would buy again.

2014 vintage

Very good. Light color is deceiving. Excellent balance.

2014 vintage

-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. -- -- from 375mL -- NOSE: ripe red fruits, but not-at-all suggestive of a wine that's overdone/too ripe; strawberry Twizzlers; just barely starting to smell obviously aged; expressive. BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; {forgot to note weight} TASTE: red-fruited, with a touch of cola; medium-light oak; medium to medium+ acidity. Drink Now and over the near term from 375mL.

2014 vintage

Showing some browning on the edges, but otherwise looking light garnet and translucent. Very nice notes of dark cherry, violets, cedar, and a deep forest floor. Almost had a bdx element to it. Medium acidity, tannins present but just Barely there. In a great spot a pop n pour, but 90 minutes in the bottle left this feeling disjointed. Time to drink up.

2014 vintage

Nice dark cherry with earth and spices

2014 vintage

One of my least favorite Rhys wines I had so far. Not bad, but it taste like a nondescript good quality CA Pinot. Nothing stands out, good or bad.

2014 vintage

Popped and poured. Strawberry, herbs, a little spice. Quite restrained, whole cluster, medium bodied. Quite pleasant, attractive but lacks the depth and persistence to age further.

2014 vintage

Tried this wine at a restaurant and really like the subtle tannins, structure and berry fruit. Purchased this at an auction site and it had the same underlying bones yet a hint of must on it. Making me wonder about the storage, or if it’s reached it’s peak I have one more to evaluate.

2014 vintage

Family Farm has never been one of my favorites, but his wine could change that. Time has been good to this. PnP, needed a little time to coax the best of it. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, vanilla, herbs, stems, and earth. On the palate, cherry, strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, spice, herbs and stems. Good balance to a medium finish. Soft tannins in the finish.

2014 vintage

PNP. Needed 30 min to open up. Strawberry, cranberry. Ripe and juicy but not over the top. Subtle earthy elements, some rhubarb. Nice balance.

2014 vintage

Pop and pour yesterday. Notes similar to last time, without the woody bitterness on the finish. In short excellent. On the counter unrefrigerated overnight. Today, this shows a little thin and wispy. and not that exciting. Why do these Rhys wines always seem to burn bright and then fade so fast?

2014 vintage

Pop and pour from a 375ml bottle. Enjoyed on its own and then with food (linguini alla Amitriciana and fried haddock, in case you were wondering.) Garnet ruby color. Slight cloudy. Nose offers wet earth, black raspberries and blackberries alo g with a touch of brown spices (cinnamon bark). Earthy berries on the intro. Suffi ient acidity. Good but not quite inviting. 13.5%abv.

2014 vintage

Corked, sadly. Drank alongside three other 2014s (Alpine, Bearwallow, and Home, which were all very nice).

2014 vintage

Pretty fruit, savory, nice structure and balance. Ready to drink. Very good and doing well in this 375 ml format.

2014 vintage

-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over 1.5 hrs. -- -- from 375mL -- Aromas of warm, ripe red fruits dominate the fairly open/expressive Nose. On the palate, this wine seems to be well-relaxed, and likely in its prime window, featuring baked red fruits and a hint of funk, with medium to medium+ acidity and completely resolved tannins. Drink Now and over the near term.

2014 vintage

Similar tasting notes to previous bottle.

2014 vintage

Much more open compared with the bottle from 2 months ago. Lovely raspberry, earth and spice notes on the nose and lively palate with delicious acidity on the moderate long finish.

2014 vintage

Drinking rather young! Tasty strawberry, earth and spice notes on the nose and palate with lively acidity on the moderate finish.

2014 vintage

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Rhys, Pinot Noir Family Farm, Santa Cruz Mountains

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