Rhys, Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains

If the first duty of a wine is to be tasty, this wine nails it. But what of a wine that's marketed as an ultra-premium, ageable, terroir-driven wine? One that's been stored in pristine temperature controlled storage for 15 years? Is it complex? No. Long and/or deep? No. Interesting? No. Mineral-driven and/or soil-driven? No. Instead, it's a mediocrity. The fruit (mostly dried fruit) is quite tasty, but also quite simple. I don't hate this wine, but I resent it.

2008 vintage

PnP. Approaching peak (last bottle, sigh). Love the spice, fruit, light color and balance. Just right acidity on palate mid and late palate. Tannins blending in. Amazing at this age. Easily could be held for a decade or more (but I noted Alanr saying it faded later after opening, so some caution).

2006 vintage

Had right after the 2008 swan terrace. This was a little riper with more dark and concentrated fruit flavors. A bit spicier as well. This seems to still have a lot of runway left. Great Pinot. I am always impressed with every Rhys bottling I try.

2008 vintage

Definitely showing that Burgundy profile. There's quite a bit of whole cluster showing which may be a turn off for some that. I'm not sure that would ever go away but I appreciate it the complexity it brings.

2006 vintage

quite ripe, red fruit and a bit of spice, ready to go. B/B+

2006 vintage

Still quite firm and structured, dark fruit and menthol, definitely could still use time. B+ and should get better

2008 vintage

Deep ruby with bricking. Aromas of strawberry, plum, rose, and candied cherry. The mouthfeel is light but sappy with harmoniously and well balanced if a bit faded fruit, acidity and tannins and a mellow spicy note. Still, the ripe but not overly sweet fruit is charming and persistent. 92

2008 vintage

Good deep garnet color, barely showing any age, a lightly spiced nose, then medium depth of darker cherry fruit, some nice earthy raspberry tones, plenty of forest floor spices, excellent acidity, moderate, slightly chalky tannins, drinking beautifully though no sign this is even at its peak, let alone past. Lovely wine. Well, after a couple of hours, this isn’t holding up quite as well as I initially thought. Showing a bit of caramel sweetness, leather, still a nice wine, but …

2006 vintage

-- decanted a few minutes before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hrs. -- NSOE: cola, with XMas spice and tangy red-purple berry aromas; leans a little bit earthy; fairly expressive; aromas did become increasingly "dark" with air, picking up a sweet Australian licorice note along the way. BODY: youthful garnet-violet color of medium to medium-deep depth; no bricking; cork in great shape; medium-light to medium bodied. TASTE: wow ... pretty crazy how youthful this still …

2008 vintage

Reading Offline #5 - Thames Lido Dinner - Chardonnay & Pinot Noir (The Thames Lido, Reading) : Magnum. Something lactic like milk chocolate and something rich and bitter like high cocoa solid dark chocolate on the nose with a real depth of cherry and plum fruit. Some hints of vanilla Coke as well. There is some concern from this wine's contributor that it might have suffered from how it's been stored but it doesn't seem to really deteriorate at all …

2008 vintage

As delicious as the last bottle! Delicious black berry, moss, and earthy notes on the nose and smooth palate with refreshing acidity and resolved tannins on the long finish.

2008 vintage

Excellent SCM pinot. Still fresh tasting after many years. Pretty cherry vanilla fruit, a touch of forest floor and ripe, sweet, silky tannins on the long finish. Great balance. Very tasty.

2008 vintage

complex mixed wild berry, gravitas; black tea on the finish day one; lovely

2008 vintage

Still drinking well even though a bit long in the tooth. I'd aim to drink my remaining bottles in the next couple years though.

2006 vintage

Kevin and Vicki's 40th Wedding Anniversary (Medoc Room at Meritage) : Pop and pour from magnum, drank a good-sized glass over an hour. This is drinking well, balanced, integrated, and more in the California pinot style.

2006 vintage

40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration - Round 2 (Meritage, St. Paul) : Medium red color. Small glass from magnum. My note taking was pretty gone at this point. I thought this was really good though. It had the finesse and cool red fruits, earthen and spiced that sits well with my tastes. Thanks Joseph.

2006 vintage

No notes taken and memory getting hazy but the impression was this was quite integrated and pretty...finally. Liked by palates of experience and non.

2008 vintage

Crunchy red fruit, bright acidity, prominent stems. Pretty tasty.

2011 vintage

No fruit in my bottle. I poured most of it out. My last bottle of 2011 Rhys, red and white, probably their weakest vintage. The earlier vintages I’ve tried (2006 and 2008) recently were still drinking well.

2011 vintage

From two excellent looking bottles, this wine had a deep red center with some amber at the rim. The medium++ intensity nose (after 6 hrs of air) blasted cola, black cherries, minerals, plums, and some soy. In the mouth, this had a silky texture upon entry but finished with rounded tannins and firm acidity. The finish was surprisingly long and almost too powerful. This wine was lovely and was clearly a serious effort. It could still improve, however, I don’t …

2008 vintage

Incredible to drink this at 16. It doesn’t get much better than this for aged Rhys. No fruit remaining. Mushroom, damp earth, menthol. Still a touch of wood to resolve. Tannins still resolving. This should continue to improve a bit over the next 5 years.

2008 vintage

Delicious black berry, moss, and earthy notes on the nose and smooth palate with refreshing acidity and resolved tannins on the long finish. Beautifully aged pinot!

2008 vintage

Slightly lighter in color and flavor from the Horseshoe. Really lovely floral notes and ripe cherry candy along with Rhys's signature spiciness. Brighter with a little more acid spine. Amazing shape, really good and still fresh. CA PN EWG at Otono. 92-93 Prefered this slightlly over the Horseshoe.

2008 vintage

Not offering much if any fruit on a pop and pour. Dominated by the stems on the nose and palate. I'm enjoying the nose much more than the palate. The weakest experience i've had with Rhys.

2011 vintage

Popped, let sit a few hours, consumed over two nights. Improved with time/air. Nice nose, better palate. Red berries, spices, earth. Tannin still prevalent. Good finish. Agree with a few other comments that the mid palate was relatively weak. All in all, a very good Rhys outing that was a pleasure to drink. Try again in a few years.

2008 vintage

Beautiful fruit, assertive, somewhat coarse tannins. I did not give this air, but will for my next bottle.

2008 vintage

This is nice, with a beautiful nose and plenty of cherry fruit left but the midpalate is a bit hollow. Strong start, and long, slightly tannic finish, but lacking some weight and depth. Decanted right before service and drank over 2 hours so perhaps it would have benefited from more air and time.

2008 vintage

Opened and decanted 2 hours. Smooth and refined, broad fruit palate. Still great color but a little bricking. Gained weight and complexity on day 5.

2008 vintage

Light and austere; elegant; light blackberry-cherry; lean elegant earthy finish.

2008 vintage

I gave this wine a couple hours of air and it improved the entire time. It had a fabulous nose of raspberry, sandalwood, tan spices, and plum. This was a bit light in the mouth at first but rounded out and became more balanced with time. It had very good length. This needs 4+ hours of air and had moments when it flirted with 95 points but just couldn’t sustain those heights. Will it improve with more time? It seems …

2008 vintage

Wonderful upon opening. 3 hours later fruit had faded Drink up

2011 vintage

Boston Wine & Poker, Lincoln, Mass. : Very dark. A lot of tannin. Serious intensity but no sweetness, with an unexpected edge of grapefruit flavor. This was impressive but not very generous, and I had no idea what it was, even though I would usually expect to be able to identify a Rhys Pinot.

2008 vintage

Dark muddy purple, spicy Rhys nose, some black cherry cough syrup, licorice, dark earthy notes; holding up very well, really nice, balanced if not on the bigger side. Great with some of the BBQ meats at Best in the Park BBQ. EWG

2006 vintage

Darker translucent ruby. Nose of piercing red and black berry, iodine, a bit of orange peel, musky violets, earth. Layers of focused black cherry, raspberry, iron particles, packed earth, and a touch of austere astringency (not a negative) on the intense but lithe palate. Freshening acidity and firm but integrated tannin. Longer finish of bold dark berry, iodine, and iron granules. A beauty of a wine caught in early adolescence.

2008 vintage

I agree with Bravo.Solares, this is drinking very well right now, with fully expressive aromatics and great balance. The fruit is maturing and the acidity is totally integrated and fresh. With air, I found the tannins emerged and made this a touch firm on the back end. I think it's got enough life in it that they'll continue to integrate over the next few years, though they may never completely melt.

2008 vintage

Fully mature, this is a little clunky and rustic. The cola notes and fruit have subsided (in a good way), but it is a little rough around the edges and doesn't have the depth I thought I saw in its youth.

2006 vintage

This was exceptionally good. One of the best aged CA PNs I have ever had. Audozed in bottle for 2.5 hrs, then drank over 2 more hrs. Some lovely tertiaries have now emerged on the nose - even if, visually, it looks quite young, with barely any bricking. Superb nose. Red cherries, mushroom, Asian spices. With more air contact, it becomes less masculine and muscular, and the upper register starts singing. Palate follows the nose, with very good structure - …

2008 vintage

Still young, some tannin, good acidic balance, black cherry and rose petals, brambly, no cherry cola in sight. Could use a bit more time but I enjoy. B+

2008 vintage

Seems mature. A call ok red fruited element to the fruit with some black fruit in the background. Stem addition adds a spicy quality to the palate which is otherwise quite smooth and polished. Finish is a bit simple with the stems adding some bitterness/austerity on the back end. Can’t say I like where this is on day 3 as it’s very green and herbaceous on the nose and palate. Will drop a point to 91

2011 vintage

-- decanted about 45 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hours -- NOSE: high-toned; warm, baked red berries; light oak BODY: light signs of seepage beneath capsule; super soft/squishy cork, but not soaked --- I actually cut the cork in half, half-expecting to find a hollow in there, but none was discovered. Coarse-grained sediment present; burgundy color with light bricking throughout; color is of medium-deep depth; medium-light to medium bodied. TASTE: high acidity; light, embedded, …

2011 vintage

Barn red color. Quite a stemmy nose? a little bit green. Black cherries, bacon fat. Stern and strong on the palate. Tart black cherries with a touch of spice. Some fine tannins. Perhaps the most backwards of these wines, but a little difficult to tell were it goes. 91+

2011 vintage

Tasty black berry, sour cherry, and earthy notes on the nose and smooth palate with refreshing acidity and tannins on the moderate finish.

2011 vintage

Tart cherry with nice balance

2011 vintage

This is a great example of the Alpine Vineyard with high toned cherry, earth, and pepper.

2011 vintage

Delicious black cherry, minerals, and hint of whole cluster spice on the nose and smooth palate with refreshing acidity and fine tannins on the long finish. Drinking beautifully!

2006 vintage

Earthy, muted fruit, straight typical Pinot noir. Medium acidity. 14 abv. Cork in perfect shape, but was a bit of effort to remove. Rx cork.

2006 vintage

2006 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir Last week I opened an ‘07 Horseshoe, tonight the ‘06 Alpine. Same soft cork! Both times it broke using my favorite waiters corkscrew and had to use the Durand. This wine is very different than the Horseshoe - as the Fruit is much less “in your face” and has so much more spice and pine.... long spiced mid palate more cran- tartness and forest floor. It seems to be on a very gentle aging …

2006 vintage

This was my last of four bottles, and it turned out to be "Alpine Hillside"... so I will not rate this nor provide input... rather will write a separate note under the Hillside bottling... not sure if my previous three were Hillside or not?

2006 vintage

Drinking really well now, the herbalists has turned into a subtle minty note. Darker red fruits.

2006 vintage

Drinking well.

2011 vintage

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Rhys, Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains

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