Community Tasting Note

Frank Murray III wrote:

Saturday, March 24, 2012 - It's been a while since I tasted an 09 Rhys, the last time being my April 2011 visit when I worked through all of them. This cuvee bottling was not part of that day's lineup so I'm doing this one for the first time. I've had the wine open about 30 mins so my initial impression is just that, to be followed later by some notes after the wine breathes out more fully. Listed alc is 13.3%. The aromatic signature shows the whole cluster that I recall from the other 2009s a year ago--has that smoky, cracker pepper/herb note. The palate is softer, weightier than some of the 2009s I recall from my visit, more forward here absent the minerality and cut of the other bottlings. The fruit core is pretty, lots of raspberry, cherry hard candy and then the presence of the herbal note driven from the stems. Some light tannin also lives in the finish but when emerges for me is a loamy/soily note, and pine needle, which are features I found in some of the other Rhys 09s, namely the Family Farm and Alpine. At the very end, a touch of oak arrives but it's seasoning with a brushing of cinnamon stick. I'll be curious to see how air treats this wine as we have dinner in about 2 hours......and next day, pretty much the same, maybe a bit softer in tone but there is a bit of a gamy note in the finish. For a drink window, I'd say now through 2014.

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