8/14/2019 - wgmccallum Likes this wine:

Dark garnet. Shifting complex aromas of sourdough crust, black raspberries, redcurrants, shy lilacs, with a hint of five spice. Pure fruit twisting and rolling on the palate with limpid mid-palate density, indivisible melding of acid, fruit and tannin, aromatic back notes of earth and sweet spice with a sweet little tannic bite. A lovely journey of darkness and light from the first sniff to the long sliding finish.

4/16/2017 - lolo66 wrote:

Wow. I really loved this. So light on its feet with a persistent flavor of lavender and dusty respeberries. Some gaminess. Lots of earth and minerals, but never rustic. So much to like here for me. High toned and lovely.

6/2/2016 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:

This is just a stellar wine. Gonon is the best St. Joseph I've had. The nose is captivating, high toned red berries, olives, pepper, wet granite, and wild herbs. The palate is elegant, flavorful, and perfectly balanced with well integrated tannins and driving acidity that provides lots of freshness and a sanguine note on the finish. Fantastic.

4/15/2016 - barolo300 Likes this wine:

Beautiful ruby colour, long slow tears and an aroma of sweet red fruit - raspberry, red cherry, red plum and strawberry, although very slightly cooked (cooked in red wine and sugar probably!) - this is stunning. It has a slightly figgy profile, with a healthy dose of leather and earth. But it is still so vibrant with ripe tannins and great acidity. I love it... wish i had more

3/23/2016 - Blair Curtis wrote:

Best showing so far for the 2011. This was tasted in a blind 10-wine St. Joseph dinner/tasting. Several tasters - myself included - called this as Gonon immediately. So vibrant! Floral elements on the nose. Olive tapenade. Not too much on the meat/blood side, but some smoke. This is a boomer of a wine! Long life ahead.

2/18/2016 - Deux Chevaux wrote:

Medium golden. A significant hit of savory oak was a bit disconcerting at first; then we just accepted it. Bright, balanced, with almost bracing acidity. Minerals and earth. This was dramatic from the start, and only gained over four nights. Wow.

2/19/2016 - Floyd77 wrote:

crisp acidity -- citrus, floral, honeysuckle -- tangerine, kiwi, fennel seed. Love this wine ... let it open up for a bit.

2/10/2012 - joannevicious wrote:

Sampled at a wine tasting. Amazing. Good acidity. Earth. A touch of smoke. Red fruits. Minerality. A bit of funk (just the way I like it). Want to make a cassoulet to have with this one :D

1/19/2015 - Bowmanifesto wrote:

The first of these bottles I've opened, since acquiring them in 2008. Decanted into crystal Bordeaux glass for an hour. Dark, full body, with purple rims and medium legs. The first aromas were petrol, barnyard, and saddle leather, in that order. After vigorous swirling for a quarter hour to further "soften" the wine, those initial aromas muted and were replaced by menthol, loamy leaves, damp earth, and pencil shavings. On first sip, tight astringency and tannin grip were my primary experiences. After allowing another half hour sitting in the glass to open up, secondary flavors began to emerge, but they were all terroir, and no fruit. This is one of the most interesting wines I've ever had, because there is no evidence of fruit at all. Therefore, it is challenging, not exactly enjoyable, but cannot be ignored, and is perhaps unforgettable. I fear this would have been better if I'd opened it years ago.

3/29/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Does not like this wine:

So this is a hard note to write. I've been trying to learn from my mistakes and open some red bottles early in dinner so they can breathe, and I tried this here. When first opened, this showed pretty classic - gentle cherry fruit, tar, dried roses and spice. But when I got to an actual glass about an hour later, it was totally different. Now this is showing some varnish/chemical, sweet marzipan, heat, sweet fruit - dark cherry, tar, a bit of violets. New oak on the palate, with more sweet dark cherry, some flowers - this shows a serious amount of heat and marzipan. It's not in balance at all. Finish is sweet fruit, oak and heat. This wine is very hot and not at all my style. Very disappointing. (The original taste would have been in the 15-16/20 range.) Nose - 4-4.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12-12.5/20.

11/26/2015 - Riccardo Malocchio wrote:

My favorite Rhys wine tasted so far, and among the best American whites I've been fortunate to drink. Deep, complex, and utterly delicious; a seamless progression of precise fruit and mineral tones, honeyed pear, preserved lemon, hazelnut oil, carroway, ginger, petrichor. The weight and texture of Grand Cru Burgundy, deftly oaked, a touch lactic, varietally correct and terroir-specific, but most all an exquisite expression of pure pleasure.

11/26/2015 - Monaco wrote:

Drank on Thanksgiving. Decanted a good 5 hours and even that still wasn't enough. Initially too green, tart red fruit. However, after about another two hours, the greeniness gave way to balanced red fruit and menthol. I bet this will be a winner in 2-3 more years. 91 points for now

10/24/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Last bottle was this past May. Tonight's bottle was pulled to share a flight with the 2009 Copain Kiser En Bas, a wine that is grown on the same proximal site as this Rhys. The intent is to create some contrast and discussion with a multi-course pairing dinner, attended by my daughter, son-in-law and their friends--a nice opportunity to get some great wines open with them and have some fun and education. So this Rhys, which has been on my short list for WOTY for 2015. Opened about an hour ago. What's here? First thing that screams out is intensity with balance. There is a minerally, cherry fruit, accented by what to me seems like a shading of whole cluster, although I am unsure how much the 12s saw. Finishes with same intense cherry that carries long into the finish, and a shading of red apple, which is always for me what Copain Kiser often shows. As I often say and prefer in my wines almost universally now, there is no booze nor wood tones showing here--none of it. Thus, the wine gets to show the red fruit and depth that is here. Boy, this is good and will pair a great contrast with the Copain En Bas.

8/2/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote:

A bunch of wines at dinner with Friends (Taste): This is getting there. Best showing yet for this wine but still young and needs time or air. Showed much better after an hour of being opened and poured IMO. Purple in color. The nose has cassis leather and a bit of graphite. Full bodied. On the palate, this has depth. With air, a nice complexity comes out. Nice balance. Still some oak showing, but it seems to be integrating very nicely with the fruit. Another couple of years to full maturity I think. Lovely wine.

8/6/2015 - lolo66 wrote:

opened night before and corked and put in fridge. drank for dinner next night. Lovely wine. Elegant expression of red fruit. pale and dusty raspberries. some strawberry in there as well. elegant. never over powering. more of a finesse wine. had with classic French fare and never over powered the all seafood dishes.

9/26/2015 - gasman wrote:

Two in a row oxidized

9/5/2015 - beezer6 wrote:

Taste at TETE.
Cranberry, creamy savory meat. So complex and layered. Rose petals, figs and luxurious fruit all day long.
Lovely integrated tannins. Clove, brown sugar and molasses city. Absolutely stunning. Fantastic and worth every penny.

9/11/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Vibrant purple color. Juicy blackberries, rasperries, red cherries, gushing yet tart, dashed with clove, violets, sweet eucalyptus and anise cookies. Forward but maintains freshness on the palate, fleshy tannins, tart acid, an easily drinkable 14.1% alcohol. Tart blackberry and cherry fruit, gushing summer plums, tart skins, throw the pits in there too, that’s the flavor profile. Complex notes of mossy soil, wet leaves, coffee grounds, and this sweet spice combo like eucalyptus, black pepper and soy, and I love it. Full and boisterous, yet still elegant, lingering graphite and rock elements. An old vine beauty. Even more expressive and refined on day two. I’d love to revisit this in three years. Carignane, Zinfandel and Mourvedre.

2/11/2015 - lolo66 wrote:

impressive right out of the gate. Quite fruit forward and full. I found the fruit to be a nice combo of blue and red berries. This is primary, but hard to lay off.

6/13/2014 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

Wow. A knockout on the very first sip. One of the most well-composed and accessible young wines from Rhys I've ever had. It didn't even need a decant to get into gear. You feel like you are drinking pinot royalty the instant it hits the palate. The fruit is the purest imaginable. It feels richer than the Skyline did but it doesn't have that gush of primary sauciness these wines often do on release. This is slender and feminine with no hard edges and no coloring outside the lines. Texture on the palate is positively caressing. Structure is basically invisible. Stunning.

6/7/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote:

Somewhat of a disappointment considering the reputation here. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has nice black cherries and some boysenberries. Medium bodied. On the palate, this is much lighter, more acidic and less complex than I thought. It still drinks very young, so perhaps it puts on weight. Maybe just in an awkward stage or not a great bottle. A classic case of high expectations more than a bad showing. The wines is really good, but I hoped for more.

4/20/2015 - Diane (LI) wrote:

Just a perfect little (.375) bottle of Chardonnay. Clean and crisp with no rough edges. On our plates is a salad of arugula with sliced egg, Italian tuna, drizzled with salsa verde and toasted Sullivan St. Bread. A ray of sunshine on this dreary evening.

3/3/2015 - eporres Likes this wine:

Powerful, requires decant. Agree with tasting notes from KENHOEVE below.

3/23/2015 - Keith Levenberg wrote:

Drank together with the 2012 Skyline. A fascinating show of contrasts among two of my favorite Rhys vineyards. This one is brimming with sweet fruit, with heady aromas of summer raspberries as fresh as if the fruit were being foot stomped right in the glass. The fruit flavors are inky and saturating and the texture is open-knit, generous, and velvety.

4/9/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

A private lunch (Restaurant The Village Pub *, Woodside, California, USA): Very individual style, extremely perfumed, flowers, herbs, coriander and ginger even, reminiscent of certain wines from the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, gentle, light and transparent, perfectly judged oak, finely grained tannins.

4/2/2015 - Chris@77 Likes this wine:

I hate it when this happens ... felt compelled to open a 2d bottle after not being as pleased with the 1st as expected. This bottle is much more open ... excellent pinot nose, much less astringent, stems very faint 'evaporating' quickly with only faint aftertaste - but needs time, not fully enjoyable now, score based on potential. Question ... can some batches have green stems and not others. Some burgundy producers vinify with stems - Romanee Conti (that I can't afford, have never drunk) and Sylvie Esmonin (a favorite whose wines I've bought). Bottom line this is a better wine than I wrote about on the 30th - I quite like it, but the 30th review was accurate with that bottle. Choose as you will. I'll probably buy the 2013 although not on futures. 92+ with hope of moving higher.

4/2/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Urban Butcher (Urban Butcher - Silver Spring, Maryland): Full, ripe and juicy aromas, along with cola, smoke, pepper and grilled meat. Strong tannic backbone but still a creamy mouthfeel. The Mourvedre jumps out, so earthy, with lots of mushroom, charcoal, bacon, black and green olives. The fruit is plush and ripe (black cherry and currants), but matched by the non-fruit elements. Complex, pure, savory, this bottle was singing and I think the wine has a long life ahead.

7/9/2013 - kenhoeve wrote:

Nice cool nose. Tobacco leaf with strong ash on the nose, with cranberry and fleeting stem notes suggesting green things. The ash component is strong on the palate too, but it intermingles with the cherry and cranberry and anchors itself into a rather prominent savory tone in just the right way, almost like a spice accent. In fact, I wouldn't call this a fruit driven wine at all, it is savory and stems in the best possible way with a very serious silken texture and outstanding balance. This would be a great food wine right now, and clearly has the pedigree to go the distance where I can't help but think those stemmy notes will add fascinating dimension. 93-95.

Day two- Floral, cranberry, and stems on the nose, not remotely any heat. The ash has receded significantly and the wine is far less sharp, very mellow. The balance is retained even if it has lost a bit of verve (not necessarily a bad thing). Forget silky texture, this has just gone to butter, seriously impressive. It is still a savory driven wine that is practically indescribable, while the red cherry and cranberry that is present is still pure and delicious even though completely secondary. Forget Cali, forget Burgundy, this is Mt. Eden and it is positively gorgeous.

12/22/2014 - kenhoeve wrote:

This bottle started out with a hint of life and a hint of prune. The prune won out and this was over the hill and less than an hour. Ouch.

1/5/2015 - coremill wrote:

Decanted for ~2 hours. Shows extremely stemmy and very Rhys-y, with lots of twiggy floral and spice aromas overlaid on sweet, slightly overripe red berry fruit. The slight overripness is more evident on the palate, where the fruit has that beety/rhubarby edge, like just about every other Rhys wine I've had. While there's good acidity and complexity, and this is light on its feet, it also lacks intensity through the midpalate. However, it's very nice texturally, it's silky and airy and the extract hardly makes an impact.

Coming back a few hours later, the stemminess has faded and the acidity is even more prominent. This now seems rather shut down. Not really sure what to make of this one.

1/5/2015 - brigcampbell wrote:

The warden's favorite chardonnay. Just beautifully balanced with bright, clean fruit and structure provided by the acidity.

12/6/2014 - mattlennert Likes this wine:

Nose has cherry kirsch and dried herbal notes and some vanilla.

Taste: Fairly luscious and juicy black cherry fruit with notes of leather, subtle dried savory herbs (thyme?).

Excellent for the price and drinking very well at the end of 2014. Should go at least two to three more years.

12/13/2012 - kenhoeve wrote:

My previous two notes are tracking some good evolution on this gem. That said, now is not a good time to open this bottle unless you have some serious time on your hands. I tasted this over two days and while it ultimately lined up with previous notes, the tannins have clamped down. What is interesting is that on day one even with the fierce tannins and heat, you can still glimpse all of the components behind the tannins. The fresh berries are there, the black currant, the herbs, some wood, all there. Under cork in the fridge for a day, the wine re-emerges. The overall profile is sweet and savory, a bit thick, but leaning up. Berries, currant, savory herbs, and for now a still tannic finish. I'm encouraged by how the components take hold with time. This will be pretty classic rutherford stuff, it will just take an estimated 2 years to re-emerge. Positive potential. 92+.

10/16/2014 - cab blends Likes this wine:

Rhone Dinner at Capella (Capella Hotel in Georgetown): This was only decanted for a short while (1 hour) - it is a powerhouse and given I have not spent too much time with Rhones this is one that works for me. Great tannins (7.5/10) with lots of backbone yet balanced. If you don't enjoy power, you won't like this. Light nose with dark black fruit.

10/24/2014 - MaximusT Likes this wine:

Fennel. The interesting little seed with so much flavor. Luckily it was in the provincial inspired dinner we had tonight - because this wine wooed it and inspired a true love story. Like Romeo calling up to Juliet's balcony, the anise in the wine seduced the fennel in our meal. But when you have licorice, moist hard rock and a little salt you are in for some Shakespearean drama. Luckily, we finished the bottle with only a little fight over the last drops, but not much else titillation. Important note: we decanted for 2.5 hours.

10/27/2014 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

Needs time to open, started out mute, but with a little air it was ready to par tay! Very round and smooth texture.....dark black cherry, raspberry, rhubarb fruit....perfect sweetness to the dryness. Silky Chambolle Musigny like.....with darker MSD like fruit and spice.......LOVE the spice here! Needs a little coaxing....but there is killer dusty earth, exotic wood, cinnamon spice box....dried berry, perfumed liqueured florals. Then on the finish the wine firms and crunches with some great crushed rock minerals. Sneaky good now....needs coaxing, but should gain even more. Love this!

10/17/2014 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

OH so tasty! Just love these wines….like having an Italian/Napa/Bordeaux blend! You have the perfectly ripe, fresh crushed dark berry fruit…liqueured with graphite ala Napa….then the silky smooth, powdery dry tannins…with some leather, tobacco, dusty earth ala Bordeaux…..all wrapped up in perfect balance with the fresh and alive cherry skin sours/acidity...tar, chocolate covered orange wedge, and the killer dried potpourri florals ala Italian. Yea…this is one hell of a Italapadeaux wine!!!
Many years of pleasure await with this beauty.

10/16/2014 - wgmccallum Likes this wine:

Ruby. Heath, loam, violets, blackcurrants on the nose. Intense jammy strawberry on the palate, floating acids, long finish. The palate doesn't quite live up to the promise of the nose. 55+13+15+8.

9/8/2014 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Big spicy nose of liniment, dried flowers and sap. There is some bright cherry and plum fruit action as well. It is detailed and crunchy in the mouth with compact flavours and good depth. You get some good grip from the whole bunch and it is nicely poised and set to unfurl over a decade or two.

8/9/2014 - brianspross wrote:

Shockingly good for a $16.19 bottle. Light and tasty pinot noir.

5/1/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Blind Pinot Noirs; 5/1/2014-5/2/2014 (Washington, DC): Soft ruby-raspberry color. Beautiful, intriguing aromas of sour cherries, roses, rhubarb and white pepper. Firm but fresh on the palate, full of tangy red fruit (raspberries, wild strawberries, red currants), but there’s also a lot of spice, tobacco and white pepper elements, some spearmint and subtle vanilla in there. Its tangy elegance belies its structure. Beautiful.

8/6/2014 - rcg62 Likes this wine:

Pale gold. Penetrating nose of honey, pear and some toasted oak. Similar palate. Nice acidity and long juicy finish. Maybe a little bit young premier cru Meursault? I think it has 5 years of life, maybe opens even more. (This note taken 2nd day after opening bottle, which sat in fridge.) Liked it a lot, annoyed I didn't buy more!

(Nb after reading others' notes I'm somewhat stunned by some of the negatives. I thought this was terrific stuff. Maybe it was the tasting a day later? I doubt it though. )

4/28/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:

Served very cold which suppressed the fruit but showed a leather and ripe stem quality. As it warmed the fruit sweetened towards the riper end of the scale and red licorice while the leather note became more pronounced and leaning towards barnyard. I'd guess there's brett here.

4/17/2014 - fingers wrote:

It's okay. That's my tasting note.
I'm not sure why I still have 14 various bottles of Bo taking up space in my cellar.
fwiw, I don't care much for Tablas, either

12/29/2013 - Colima74 Likes this wine:

I opened a couple of nights ago, and I felt it was a little flat, lacking in the acidity I like. Tonite, however, this was a different wine, with a fine acidic edge to a bit of full chard fruit. This is a more robust chard compared to the LF White Hill. I liked this a lot tonite for its restrained power.

2/5/2014 - kenhoeve Likes this wine:

This is one of those you knew was firing from the first whiff. Cool, fruity, but something exotic that is a combination of earth and spice that is unique and subdued. That character carried over to the palate very well, but it became immeasurably better. Balance and earthy elegance dance on the palate while bright red fruit is very expressive, the stream of red fruited flavors and acidity literally make you salivate, and lead into a very long finish. Notes of cranberry, sour cherry, red licorice, and spice, with a backbone of earth continue to echo. A complete and incredibly satisfying Pinot that is outstanding with both food and alone. Lean and powerful, this screams integrity. A real treat that is likely on the upswing, one of the best Rhys I've had and not even estate. Superb.

1/22/2014 - markandsusanw Likes this wine:

Splash decant ... Simply beautiful. My first bottle in about two years and it's as lovely as ever. Rich, full and well-balanaced. Red fruit to open, extremely smooth and lush. Spice, earth and a hint of vanilla. This has it all. And a great QPR, too. Just love this wine!

1/28/2014 - Chriskrueger wrote:

Excellent - thought it was a chateauneuf

12/14/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine:

Silly good, in a suave N. Rhone style, ridiculous value. Should develop nicely for several more years.

9/9/2013 - VeniceCalif wrote:

Deep ruby with some orange. Very nice nose, led by spices: cinnamon, allspice. Next a plummy layer of dark fruit. And below that, some earthy, mushroomy tones. Awhile after opening, some completely welcome floral tones came in. Smooth and rich on the palate, showing that bottle age has paid off. Tobacco flavors, cherry pie, and a few chocolate notes in a rich stew. Finishes with a bit of rust and some cooked flavors over low tannins. This wine is showing very well right now. The date of this wine leads me to place Linne Calodo among the leaders of the Rhone Revival in Paso Robles. It's a very impressive bottle of juice.