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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mckillop on 4/13/2024 & rated 93 points: Wonderfully fresh. Best Rhys I’ve had. (146 views) | | | Tasted by jjct on 1/16/2022: Beautiful intense fresh youthful nose. Palate is supple with pronounced tannins. Short finish, not very complex. (801 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 11/30/2019 & rated 95 points: After sitting downstairs for 10 years, this bottle is quite resolved and quite excellent. A bit reticent on the nose but the length is good, the mouth is airy and very very good and the overall feeling is one of silky elegance.
This is the best Pinot we’ve had this year. (1088 views) | | | Tasted by MikeATL on 3/19/2019 & rated 91 points: Atlanta Does Rhys Yet Again (Atlas Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Lean dark cherry with a bit of stems, pretty harmonious. (1548 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 1/6/2018 & rated 92 points: Opens tart but settles down after an hour. Nice, good fruit, good structure. Reticent nose good length. Not a spectacular bottle even after all these years but a good one.
Seems ready to drink. (1442 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 9/14/2017: 13.3% alcohol. Dark black cherry color. The nose took a bit of time to unwind, but it's a delicious, darker array of Pinot fruit -- black cherries and blackberry -- with a lot of spice to it. The structure is still robust, with good acidity and tannin. The texture is superb, silky and just coming into its peak window. Probably needs another 3-5 years, to be honest. Lovely. A-/A (1612 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 7/4/2016 & rated 93 points: About five years since I last had this and back then it was as closed down a wine as I've ever had from Rhys, or from the entire United States of America for that matter. It's very interesting what's happened, as it's now come out of its closed state but not by getting more advanced. Instead it's moved in the opposite direction and gushes with fresh primary fruit in the manner of a Rhys pinot fresh off the UPS truck. It has an inky gloss with dark wild berry and plum flavors but it takes a couple hours in the decanter for it to really show off its distinction. That's when the quality of the tannins starts to show and it becomes notable more than anything for its silky refinement. (6040 views) | | | Tasted by Louvin on 10/18/2015 & rated 93 points: Open a couple hours, decanted for another, this was darker in profile than most Rhys wines yet the balance was impeccable, tannins perfectly resolved and very good depth of fruit. One of the best Rhys wines I've tried even though I prefer a slightly redder fruit profile. Probably in the midst of its drinking window. (1368 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 10/11/2014: Rhys Tasting With The Gang (My House): Tasted alongside the 2007 Family Farm. The Home is more burly in tone than the FF, and to me the Home shows better depth. My notes say "darker' and I believe that was reference to the fruit profile, as the fruit here was more roasted cherry and a hard candy note. (2927 views) | | | Tasted by steffenpelz on 4/8/2012: Very good. I brought this to an Easter Sunday lunch because I thought it would go well with the food. As always, this Rhys seemed atypical of what I have come to associate with California Pinot over the last few years. Very deep red and almost purple in color, this wine is nevertheless lithe and laced with minerality, yet it is also ripe and full of cherry fruit and underbrush. It had nice complexity and stayed interesting for the several hours we consumed it over. Most gratifyingly, the hosts of the lunch who are dear friends of ours, LOVED this Rhys and the other Rhys wines I have shared with them over the last few years. A winner of a wine for sure. (2243 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 11/28/2011: I know the official recommendation was to leave this vintage alone for awhile, but I've actually never had a closed-up Rhys - just some that were too young and fruity - so curiousity got the better of me. I'll admit it was probably a mistake. This isn't closed-up in the fashion of a Burgundy that's all structure no fruit, but it is fairly mute aromatically and fairly shy on the palate too. In fact it's probably the most mild and light-bodied wine I've ever had from Rhys but I don't know whether that reflects the wine itself or simply the intermediate place it's in. In the meantime you can enjoy it as something pleasantly mellow/slender/feminine/etc., but this vineyard can offer a hell of a lot of character when it's in a good place and none of that is here at the moment. (3582 views) | | | Tasted by steffenpelz on 11/25/2011: Had this on Thanksgiving Day alongside the St. Innocent Shea, and this simply eviscerated the Shea...wiped the floor with it. Although this also shows very dark fruit, there is more focus, cut, sappiness, and plain goodness than in the Shea. It's a big Pinot, but it has character. Dark cherry and blackberry fruit, earth, pine resin and a touch of spice. Great texture and finish. I have recently seen folks compare Rhys to DRC and other standard bearers of Burgundy, but I personally think that's a bit of a reach. The wine is fantastic California Pinot though, and the best California has to offer these days in my opinion. (2002 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 11/12/2011 & rated 90 points: Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Started with lots of red fruit but not much else. So while clearly American Pinot, it didn't show much charm beside the good fruit. Surprisingly thin for a Rhys Pinot, I'd give this plenty of time in cellar and hope it picks up weight. (2419 views) | | | Tasted by alanr on 5/24/2010 & rated 89 points: Pushes all the right buttons, the body and weight are just right, medium dark flavors are there with some spice and earthy/woodsy character, but the whole cluster notes are just too much, both on the nose and palate. Not so much a green-ness, as a medicinal woody quality. A few years may do wonders for this, right now judgement reserved. One vote urging the crew at Rhys to back off on the whole cluster percentage. (2134 views) | | | Tasted by yhn on 6/27/2009 & rated 96 points: Nose - Very shy, black cherry, light oak, hint of blackberry.
Zesty, smoky, raosted plum, tarragon, intense black cherry, some char, white flowers, very firm, smooth/dusty tannin. Nothing like the neighboring Family Farm. Drink '17-'32. (2448 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 3/20/2009: The nose on this makes me want to scratch my head. It is, perhaps, the most singular Pinot from the U.S. I've ever smelled or tasted. That is meant in the very best way possible. Spice, earth, black cherry, flowers, minerals all jump out of the glass, even at this early stage. In the mouth, gorgeous texture, copious amounts of fruit, and structure that is perfectly integrated. Tremendously long finish. This is only going to get better. A potentially legendary wine. A (2136 views) |
| Rhys Producer websitePinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson |
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