-- decanted approx. 1.5 hrs. prior to initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. --
NOSE: very nice; alluring; deep, dark red fruits with a savory edge; red apple skins; not complex, but awfully enjoyable.
BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium-deep depth. {forgot to note weight}
TASTE: medium+ to high acidity; smooth --- no tannin; oak; ripe, dark red fruits; no funk; 13.3% alc.; not complex. Drink Now and over the near term. Gut impression score: 90.
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Really nice. Spicy nose with a little lingering stemminess. The fruit has moved to a bit of raspberry and maybe apricot. I think fully resolved so not sure where it goes from here but glad to have it tonight.
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Dark red color, 90 minutes of airtime in bottle before dinner, dense brooding fruit (meaning plenty now but more to come with age IMO), good balance, integrated tannins, medium weight, long pleasant fruit finish. Nice to drink with lamb chops but will have years to go.
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Layers of fruit on the nose. Happily, a little more reserved in the mouth, with great acidity -- still plenty of fruit, but not fat/one-dimensional. Beginning to show some positive age qualities, but still somewhat primary.
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Opens with an outstanding floral nose. The wine is medium bodied with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, herbs and spice. Really nicely balanced, deep and complex. In a phase of early maturity but can go for 3-5 more years easily.
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Deep ruby color. Enjoyable nose of fresh berries with some balsamic undertones. Medium body, medium+ acid, well integrated tannins and flavors of fresh cherries and cranberry juice with some balsamic undertones. Lovely.
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Starting to show some maturity. Savory mouthful, with some tomato leaf, herb and spice. Well resolved structure... ready to go, in may opinion yet still no rush.
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Deep ruby color. Notes of pine needle and licorice on the nose with sweet raspberry in the background. Medium bodied on the palate, a bit thin through the middle, may still be too young.
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A tale of two nights. On the first,tomato, pile of wet leaves. opened up to sweet prunes and dusty fruit. Rich, but also more tomato vine w/ an angular finish.
Night two: it came together much more elegantly, with vegatal notes going to the background behind some lacey delicate fruit.
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Color: medium ruby, clearer at the rim Nose: evolves a lot. First opened, a memorable earth and dead leaf note; raspberry on the ripe side, vanilla. Ripped grass and licorice (in the wood root format). There is also a grilled meat/mallard reaction note Palate: in balance with a bitter note. Medium acidity, hint of tannin still, medium body. The mouth still has raspberry but also a ripe plum note. Licorice, umami, mint and licorice, even tobacco hints Finish: long. Really quite long
Well, a deep wine here. Not quite my cup of tea but there is so much happening, so many layers. I had from bottle over 2 hours + and the evolution continued, from some pretty savage grass and rasp to a more welcoming ripe raspberry umami. Always with a licorice hint. Really interesting, more on its own than with food.
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As we know wine is sometimes a magical mystery tour. On February 13th I was less than enthusiastic about this wine. I have been buying Rhys since 2008 and store them in commercial grade cellar in my home, and I said "I continue to await my Alleluia moment from Rhys Pinots." Tonight this wine was signing. Go figure. This is why we drink wine I guess.
Cellared since release. Frankly fairly boring and disappointed. While I acknowledge that the professional reviewers believe this wine has many years left and some suggest up to 2030, I do not see this wine improving and would drink it up in next few years. I continue to await my Alleluia moment from Rhys Pinots.
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-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2.5 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 5 --
NOSE: initially, a pleasant meaty/savory/high-toned mix --- perhaps a bit tomatoey; medium-light oak. Day 5: new hints of green and cola.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: strong mineral; tight at first, but started to unfurl a little after the one hour mark; ripe; somewhat unfocused; a bit Gevrey-like; still kind of tight at 2.25 hours. Day 5: noticeably oxidized. Tough to get a read on this bottle --- about 4.5 years ago, I scored this much higher and said Hold. This bottle was, simply, a bit difficult. Probably best to drink in the near term.
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Slightly firm upon opening, with a bit of tannic grip still. This Rhys uncoiled with more air and the Horseshoe definitely had more fruit than the 08 Rhys Skyline we drank recently. Almost a spearmint note with spice, bramble or black tea notes and soft fruit flavors. I cannot recall if there was stem inclusion, but it tastes as if there was. Ready to drink w/o decanting in my opinion, enjoyed the evolution of it while drinking.
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From a perfect bottle, this wine had a deep red center and light red rims. The medium intensity nose offered up blackberries, clove, cherries, and tan spices.
In the mouth, this wine was refined and integrated at first with light tannin and crisp acidity. The length was pretty good at first but improved in the glass. After an hour the tannin firmed up and the wine closed down a bit. Then, after 3 hours, the tannin mellowed out again.
This wasn't getting any better but it was still going strong after 10 hours of air. This is young but I am not sure I would bet on it getting much better.
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Ripe but firm and showing some complexity, this bottle performed essentially the same way as my prior notes. The more air this received, the better it tasted. The fruit came out a bit more and the acidic/alcoholic edge rounded out. Drink over the next 5-10 years with extended air.
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This wine had a very deep red center and red/tawny rims. The nose was fairly dramatic at first but calmed down with time. I gave this wine several hours of air. Afterward, the medium intensity nose offered up raspberries, smoked cherries, and some tan spices.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe with firm acidity and light tannin. For many hours, it tasted a bit young in that the well defined fruit was backed by a structure that was a bit too edgy. Only after 12 hours of air did the edginess calm down.
This is a nice wine, especially after extended air. It will certainly hold for 10+ years and may well improve. Will it be worth the wait?
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The wine has held up well and drinking very pretty. Strong nose of sandalwood, sour red plum, with a subtle 5-spice note. Red fruited with a beautiful tenor tone on the palate. Still with some structure but smoothed our enough for enjoyment now. Glad I opened it, but might need to seek out again as good bottles have a long way to go
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This wine had a deep red center with light red/clear rims. The medium intensity nose generated sour cherry, sandalwood, plum, and mineral notes.
In the mouth, this was a bit tight and edgy at first. As it aired, the nose opened up and the palate became rounder, more integrated, and much longer. The acidity was quite crisp and it took awhile for it to calm down. Finally, after 4 hours of air the wine turned a corner as it developed some attractive tan spice flavors.
This wine is still quite young. It has plenty of structure and the balance got much better with extended air. I am unclear if this will improve with bottle age but I would recommend decanting for at least 4 hours BEFORE you start drinking it.
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When first opened this was brimming with red fruit on the nose and was also all juicy strawberry on the palate. Recorked and left for a few hours at cellar temp before drinking. Color was medium garnet with slight bricking at the rim. The nose had changed dramatically since it was initially opened. Darker fruits, herbs, floral notes, and a touch of cola. The palate is pretty gentle in this low-acid vintage, and while that leads to a mouth filling impression, it's maybe a little hollow in the middle. There's some acidity to keep the wine fresh, but it seems to me to be missing the structure I'd like to see for it to remain balanced with substantially more age. The tannins are fine and still present enough that the wine comes across as adolescent. Nonetheless, I think this is best drunk over the next 5 years or so.
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Maybe the first Rhys Pinot for me that has a sense of maturity. Stemmy/whole cluster notes recede with air. Nice depth, lots of spice and earthy notes. Still has a solid concentrated core of ripe red fruit. Good length on the finish. Well balanced. This has softened, plusher fuller feeling on the palate but still fresh. Has some more upside but good to go now.
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This wine was absolutely brilliant this evening. Almost every review here comments on cherry but I did not see it leaning so much cherry or black cherry, to me I picked up the orange peel as much as cherry, with some clove. Perfectly balanced and really just spectacular with duck breast hot pot take out from Single Thread. Every time I think maybe I should be done with Rhys they pull me back in.....
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Absolutely gorgeous fragrant nose of roses, cranberry, silky underbrush and sun baked clay. Very tart red fruited palate with an undercurrent of spicy oak. Lovely texture and acid filled finish. Early days and plenty of life left, but drinking beautifully.
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Drinking beautifully! Delicious red cherries, spice, earth, and barrel spice notes on the open nose and layered palate with refreshing acidity on the long finish. Classic Rhys!
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Enjoyed over two nights. Beautiful nose that is full of black cherry laced with florals, toasted spice and toasted herb. My 2017 descriptor of potpourri still holds true. The palate has a similar flavor profile with terrific concentration. Good structure to keep the wine balanced and fresh. Delicious and in a peak drinking window now.
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The best of a trio of 2009s including Rhys’ Bearwallow and Family Farm. While today the Family Farm may drink as well this feels like it has more secrets to unfold. The nose is more bold and focused. The palate shows ethearelness and elegance but they are wrapped in noticeable structure and fine tannins which will resolve with time. The flavors show red and black cherries, earth and spice rolling into a long satisfying finish.
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A nice wine that drinks well with food. It still seems to lack some structure and acidity, but I can't argue with the results that this is still drinking well so it has obviously held up.
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Decanted for 4-5 hours and it was open and ready for business. This is fairly delicate, red cherry and cranberry but enough fruit to keep me happy but very light on its feet. Very nice with Burgundy themed dinner
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This is in a really great place. Beautiful nose of red cherry, flowers, and herbs de Provence. Smooth, silky and bright, with a long long finish. Slightly chewy, with sandalwood, eucalyptus and cherry flavors. This is one of the best and most complex and elegant pinots I've had in recent memory. Lovely stuff.
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PnP. Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Medium red. Lovely floral nose with lavender and spice. Sweet fruit with whole cluster spice and wood character, especially on the finish. I expect this will integrate with air. This did get better with air and became more seamless. I still think the whole clusters are overdone in this wine. With additional air this declined rather rapidly; perhaps this is on a downward slide or else was an off bottle. Surprising and disappointing
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This bright and nuanced Pinot is drinking well right now, with an elegant but powerful profile that Rhys delivers like few others. Pale red in color; light in body; enticing aromas of cherry peel, dried strawberry, eucalyptus, and balsam wood. The tastes are a little more straightforward, but still delicious - notes of cranberry, raspberry, stems, and pine needles, with a layered and lingering finish. 13.3% alcohol. Drink now.
I drank this on the same night as a 2009 Mount Eden Pinot, a more fulsome interpretation of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Mount Eden was deeper red in color; fuller in mouthfeel; and had a more gamey and earthy nose. Despite being the lighter of the two, though, the Rhys was more nuanced and elegant than the Mount Eden, which seemed a touch sappy and brutish in comparison. Neither would be confused with a ripe and round Russian River Pinot, but each has aged well, in the tradition of rustic, tart, and wild Santa Cruz Pinot.
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With grilled veal chops, corn on the cob. Crimson/cherry, medium deep, a pretty wine, perhaps a touch of mahogany at the meniscus. Dark cherry, tobacco, earthy nose spilling onto the palate. Nice length. Drinking very well right now.
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Six years after my previous bottle. Darker in tone and more sappy than before, with dominant fennel, clove, and spice notes. Perhaps lacking a bit in depth, but much more open and interesting. Might gain a little complexity over the next few years, but drinking pretty well right now.
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Revisiting again four years after my last bottle. This is headed in the right direction and is another great reminder of why it is great to support Rhys. Some '09 flabbiness was there in the form of low acidity. The whole cluster is much more integrated this time as tertiary characteristics are becoming prominent. Any improvement will be modest, so now is a good time to open one.
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Stood up for several weeks. Decanted off of fine sediment. Shy aromas that took almost 1.5h to open up. Now at the 2.5h after decant. Black cherries, some pomegranate, some green stems, bark, earth, soy/sous bois aromas. Palate has tart red and black cherries, earth, green stems, bark, soy/sous bois and minerals. Rich yet elegant, medium to full bodied with nice acids and mild-moderate tannins. Excellent depth. Showing some evolution and secondary characteristics. Evolving nicely with plenty of life. I think it can go for another 10 years. Open next bottle in 5 years or so.
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Did a side by side of the 2009 Horseshoe and 2009 Swan Terrace. Opened and poured a small sample from each. The color was very similar, a medium ruby, but the Swan Terrace had a bit more brilliance. On the nose, the Horseshoe is fairly deep pitched, with dark red fruit. The Swan Terrace is brighter, with more lift and elegance, and a lovely spice note. On the palate, the Horseshoe is somewhat brooding, deep fruited, medium tannins. The Swan Terrace is lighter on its feet, shows some stems, a very bright wine, with some light cherry fruit. At this stage I prefer the ST.
After about two hours, both wines have developed nicely. The Horseshoe still maintains a larger frame, with a bit of a burly quality. The tannins have melted away a bit, and it has a nice finish, but there’s something about it that leaves me a bit flat. I’m inclined to say it’s time to drink these. The Swan Terrace, on the other hand, is simply terrific. Elegant, focused, pure red fruit, good acidity. The tannins are light and fine, but it could use some time to coalesce. Hold for a few years.
On the second day, the Horseshoe is slipping, and is not too interesting. The Swan Terrace is still showing beautifully brilliant red fruit. Really a very nice wine. As disappointing as the Horseshoe is, the Swan Terrace is lovely.
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One hour decant and this nice Pinot was excellent with pecan encrusted rainbow trout and green beans almondine...smooth easy drinker.in its drinking window
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There is a light at the end of the Rhys Pinot development tunnel. This still shows healthy red fruit, but it also has loamy earth, leafy underbrush and crushed herbs. The tannins are still apparent, but there is sufficient fruit to balance. This is on a great path for drinking any time over the next several years.
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Pretty epic first glass. Poured through coravin, the aromas and taste can't be any farther apart, and both are evolving rapidly. Big wine glossy mouthfeel, no signs of fatigue. Best Rhys I've had to date so far.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and day 3 -med dark red, minimal edge clearing -fragrant cherry rhubarb pinot fruit and some sweet sawdust; more expressive with barrel spice on day 3 -med acidity, med weight excellent depth fading sweet earthy New World rhubarb pinot fruit, med/med- tannins and minimal discernible oak; more open-knit red/rhubarb fruit and spice on day 3 -this is continuing to age gracefully with the expected evolution of fainter fruit and more integrated oak though it hasn't picked up much for overt mature elements either, drinking well now though this is still on the upside
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Opened and let slow-ox for about 1 hour. This was tasted at a wine dinner and tasted over the course of the evening, with food and along with many other wines. Ruby color. Nose offered some red berries and a smoky/floral incense note. Some red berries and apple peel but very bitter and tart. There is acidity but a bitterness together with a dried and bitter herbal element that made this a big disappointment. One of the few bottles at the dinner in a sea of empties that had more than 1/2 remaining at the end of the evening.
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Still as tasty, pure, and as open-knit as my previous notes indicate, and one of my all-time favorite Rhys pinots, but this wine was unfortunately not drunk in a vacuum. I drank a Kosta Browne a couple nights ago which was far more fun and delicious, which is why I couldn’t rate this Rhys higher.
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Rich strawberry, black cherry, rhubarb, moist forest floor, mushroom, black truffle, absolute silk on the palate with medium acidity and fine tannins. This is drinking extremely well right now as a PnP, I’d drink over the next 5 years.
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Not a good showing. Ripe fruits and decent depth but this is cloying and out of balance without the structure or acid to keep things in check. Drink up.
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PnP. Medium dark red. Nice clean nose of dark fruits and some mineral with whole cluster notes. On the palate the fruit is predominant with some additional spice and mineral notes on the finish. Perhaps a hint of alcohol at the end. Overall very nice at age 9.
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Big spicy nose with a bit of forest and mushroom. Palate shows clean, linear red fruits. Backend of the palate shows considerable firm tannins, rather dry, with repeating spice notes—I assume this is the whole cluster and it adds a bit of greenness. Lengthy finish. Needs some time to settle down the raw elements still, and a little disconcerting that’s it’s not more integrated at this stage. Consumed over 2 nights. Overall this is excellent, but meets expectations rather than exceeding.
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Bitter dark fruits -- blackberry and black cherry -- with some earth, pepper and a black olive note that became more noticeable with air. The acid and tannin structure was very prominent. A sense of weight despite the acid lift. Between the dark fruit, the pepper and olives and the copious tannins, I had to check the label to confirm I had grabbed a pinot; blind, I would have guessed a syrah. Rather brooding and serious.
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Nice fairly full bodied Rhys Pinot. Bitter cherry, floral notes, spice, and a little pepper and sarsaparilla. Moderate tannins, acid and EtOH. Not much secondary development here. I liked this with dinner tonight.
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My final remaining Rhys 2009, as with like the 2011s, I made a decision to drink them all as I don't believe these will age like some of the other vintages. For the 2009s, like with others (Copain is a good reference), I find the vintage to be riper and more fleshy with less structure, which is the basis for my viewpoint. As for this bottle, and I did leave the remnants with the host when I left, it showed better than the previous bottle, with some remaining grip and good purity. I will note that when we opened it that it seemed kind of one-dimensional but over the afternoon, I saw it improve and show well. If you have the 09 Shoe as I know many still do around here, I don't see any reason to rush the bottle, based on how this one showed. But, I do also believe that the Rhys community should challenge the 2009 and 2011 wines and get more of them opened, and avoid the inertia to sit on these and wait. For these two vintages. and to help keep the progression of the winery in perspective as like all of us, Kevin and Jeff continue to evolve the craft, we should keep trying these vintages and sharing perspectives with each other.
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PnPed. Open for business right away. Sweet and dark nose of candied strawberry, rainier cherries, blackberry, that Rhys herbal-stemmy thing, and with time, some game bird, graham cracker, violets and baking spices. The sweet fruit and the savory herbs-stems-game are combining really nicely at points. The same combination occurs on the palate as well and not just now and then - the palate is excellent, with lots of flavor but also good drive and balance. It's quite sweet with lots of strawberry, Rainier cherry and blackberry, but the savory notes mentioned in the nose are stronger here, and the melange is wonderful. Lots of spices and some good florals as well. The finish tends a bit towards the stemmy and shows the good acid propping up the wine. Very Rhys, very delicious. Drink now. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5-17.5/20.
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Dark red color, decanted one hour before dinner, mixed cherry nose, mixed cherry and cranberry fruit, medium weight, tannins are present but starting to soften, lengthy finish. Improved over time until the last drop. A very nice wine with years to go.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia; 2/15/2018-2/17/2018 (Chicago, IL): The nose on this is quite ripe, with some nice brown spice and some sweet stone fruit elements. Fairly heady and spicy. There's a bit of cola in the nose and palate, and that's the thing that puts me off the most here. I definitely like the nose a bit more than the palate.
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Opened after my rather arrogant prediction it would taste similar to a German pinot. NOPE. This showed rather poorly in the lineup. Initially, whole cluster funk/green beans (never had that before) dominated the nose and palate, giving this a rather bitter character than was unwelcoming. With air, this improved considerably, showing a nice core of black cherry fruit. Whole cluster still didn't seem to integrate well, but in the end this was a very enjoyable wine I kept coming back to. B+
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Youthful despite being 8 years old. Gingerbread, baking spices and bright red fruit. Cranberry. Early signs of secondary development. As a food accompaniment, suffered a little next to the 2010 Fourrier Gevrey VV because it was a little, well, Californian in its sweetness. The Rhys was more complex, but the Fourrier played better with our food.
Notes consistent with the last bottle I tasted and reaffirms my impression that this is the best wine I've ever had from Rhys. Absolutely delicious. Stylistically, about 60/40 what you would expect from California vs Burgundy. This wine was the intersection between an excellent vintage, an outstanding vineyard, and top notch wine-making. Had this with pork cheek and it couldn't have been a better pairing.
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Ripe, baked strawberry fruit showing the solar vintage, but lots of complexity and development here, particularly exotic spice, game and earthy notes. There is still a slight astringence but it's not intrusive. Alas acidity is low per the vintage. Overall this shows an extreme personality for Rhys and more than a bit candied, but with some development in hand it's nonetheless quite tasty -- if you can abide the 2009 character. Drinking well already but has plenty of gas to go further. 3 btls left and I'll wait at least a couple of years to open the next.
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Rhys @ My Place--Part 3 (My House In The South OC): Listed ABV is 13.3%. Of all the 2009s we tasted during our event, this was the best for me. Some light stemminess infuses the palate and aromatic, giving it some pine needle accents. It also reflects the riper tones of the vintage with jammy and spicy strawberry fruit. My sense about 2009 for the winery is that these should be enjoyed now, not aged like say the 2010s. I plan to drink all of my 2009s in the next year or so, including my remaining bottle of this wine, too.
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opaque, dark ruby. Big/ripe dark fruits, velvety with some sweetness, blueberries. some tannins. Distinctively Cali pinot. Nice for those in the mood. 90 pts
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This was a surprise. A very open-knit, pretty, and charming Rhys pinot noir. I have had some Rhys that were on the leaner side, and some that were more esoteric. This was neither. This was very sweet red fruit driven with maybe cinnamon and other spices perking up the back end. Very effortless and velvety. Not a very intellectual pinot, but a very easy wine to like, and I certainly couldn't stop sipping this wine.
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This is worthy of its reputation. Black cherry color. Pretty, complex nose of black cherry, earth, a touch of stems, and minerals. In the mouth, a sumptuous texture intermingles with focused, linear cherry fruit, plenty of earth notes, and a touch of steminess on the finish. This is legit and complex. The only nit is the whole cluster stands out in a slightly disjointed fashion. A-/A
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The wine started off being quite herbaceous and closed. Some evidence of black fruits appeared but nothing else. After an hour or so, the wine showed more promise but had started to develop that off-putting sweetness that I find so objectionable. Rhys was supposed to be California's answer to Burgundy. It simply paled in comparison to the 2004 Domaine Ponsot MSD Alouettes we has the pleasure of drinking the night previously.
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I almost thought it was sweet but it is immediately balanced out by herbs and olives and earth. Acidity is good and the finish is beautifully long. There is definitely the taste of cherry cola on the finish, but the wine is delicious.
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My first Rhys. I wasn't sure I would like it. Solid garnet color. Red fruit and spice aromas. Balanced entry. Ripe, but not overly so. Red raspberry puree. Solid core of fruit. Long, long finish. I can still taste it. Quite a particular style and did somewhat remind me of Calera with the stem inclusion, but this is a step up. I really loved it. 93
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Pretty, clear red. Initially it was sweet cherries with a hint of menthol and spices, gradually opening and deepening, adding complexity with earth, balsam and pine. Fleshy and a bit thick with the oak, but still enough acid to not to flabby. The tannins were noticeable, but subsumed into the fruit. Quite tasty, and got better at the end, which raised the score to the final number.
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Rhys 08/09/10 (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago, IL): Medium-full nose of dense black cherry, meat, smoke and potpourri spice. Again the palate is already delicious with rich and dense black cherry fruit with loads of potpourri spice. Good balancing acidity. Really enjoyable now, but would guess it picks up complexity with age.
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The Rotating Dinners, II.1: Rhys, 2008-10 (Chicago, IL): This has gotten even heavier than I remember it being. It's got cherry cola, candied black fruit, and a bit of unpleasant sweetness here. No acidic lift, no freshness. Sort of a thick black wall right now seemingly without too many tannins either. Maybe something will emerge out of this, but right now, it's really not enjoyable at all.
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very herbal on the nose. pine, sage, lavender, and forest floor dominate on top of some dark red berry fruit. The palate shows a nice acidic profile with the fruit more prominent and the herbal notes taking a background note. The nose is more impressive here, and as the fruit fades, it will be interesting to see where this goes.
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Decanted at 5:30 pm and tasted through the next 7 hours. Medium to dark, slightly translucent ruby/ garnet. Very complex and layered. Nose of grilled meat, vanilla, strawberry, marzipan and baking spices. On the palate, red fruits, menthol, orange zest, yeast, vanilla, clove and red licorice. Long finish. Probably better in a few more years.
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2nd bottle of three. medium body. full nose of fruit and some underbrush. tannins are still strong but this is ready to drink. fruit is darker berries. on the ripe side. some cocoa on the finish. at times this goes towards a bigger, fruitier style, and other times, more burgundian - but I would not mistake this for France, just a certain style here.
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Too much of everything I don't like about Rhys Pinots. This is heavy on the whole cluster and boy does it show, that distinctive lavender soap aroma (the same one I noted three years ago) dominates the nose. The stems are less notable on the palate but the fruit profile is two notches too ripe, with a confected, slightly bitter edge. It also has the good qualities of Rhys Pinot: good acidity, lots of refined tannic structure, and a nice savoriness. But if you don't swoon over the idiosyncratic house style, this may not do much for you.
One of the oddities of the Rhys wines is that, for a winery with such a stated commitment to terroir, their house style is far more distinctive to me than the terroir differences. I do think there are differences among their bottlings, but the wines are marked more by their similarities than their differences.
Monday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): This one kinda got lost in the other wines from the evening. Had dark and concentrated berry fruit throughout with some nice touches of floral notes and spice. A nice wine.
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Needed a couple hours of air to smooth out. Nose was quite expressive with cherry pit and earth spice aromas. Ripe back cherry fruit with good density without hint of over ripeness and just the right amount of acidity. Plenty of stem spice and mint which seemed to integrate as it got air. Finish was a little disappointing as it was shorter and with only moderate complexity. Overall, quite strong without being exceptional. Very well balanced so would expect further positive progression with aging. Bumped a point. Night 2 this was much more expressive with a great nose with black cherry and spice. Palate and finish have smoothed out.
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Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. Clearly new world in it's aroma and on the palate. A brooding and powerful nose is quite stemmy with prominent stem-driven herb intermixed with black cherry and orange peel. Palate is concentrated with black cherry, baking spices and even some cola. Quite enjoyable and I'm keen to see how this develops with more bottle age.
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The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of pinot noir. Heavy, unintegrated whole cluster, both on the nose, and in the form of some bitterness on the palate. Some notes of orange peel and cola on the nose that give this a little bit of a confected quality. Quite ripe, this shows a fair bit of extraction on the palate. I guessed this pretty easily as new world.
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This was good, but I didn't love it. Classic new world pinot; huge nose of bing cherry, hints of cola, spice, crushed rock, violets. The palate is big and rich with quite a bit of structure still present from the tannins. I think the best days are ahead of it.
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-- decanted 1.5 hours before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2 days --
NOSE: very expressive; rich and tart black cherry; tart raspberry; sweet cranberry; bitter floral note, too.
BODY: sediment present; violet-garnet color of medium depth; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: tighter on the palate than the Nose suggested; red-fruited; hint of oak; a touch bitter; medium to medium+ acidity; just a touch of noticeable fine tannins; long finish of medium intensity; dense; seems like it's starting to open, but still needs more time (maybe another 2 or 3 years). On Day 2 it was a bit more open on the palate --- ripe and slightly sweet red fruits, strong (and pleasant) green savory aspect, too (stems?). Hold.
50, 5, 14, 17, 8 = 94
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I like this a lot - of the Rhys PNs I've had, this is one of my favorites. Drinking well, and I'd put this in the drink/hold category, but I do think in another couple of years this will be in its prime window.
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nose - cranberry, toast, herbal hints mouth - dark cherry, dark plum, nicely tart fruit. the combination of rich ripeness and prominent acid makes for good balance. hard to believe that last time i tasted this i called it 'flabby'. very enjoyable.
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dark ruby. nose of raspberry and cherry with pine needle and a subtle sandalwood/spice note. crystalline red fruit on the palate - sweet yet dry. a spicy note rounds out a savory finish. really elegant at this point but with a distinct SCM personality. while balanced and very rounded at this point i would expect that it has some evolution ahead of it.
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Darker fruits than I expected in the nose with some beef and warm cinnamon. The palate is fairly feel with some more beef and some purple berries. Nice acidity with some lemon rind in there. Good wine.
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Already plenty of notes on this one so I'm not sure what more I can add. I will say it is drinking better than our last bottle from 2.5 yrs ago and seems to be in a nice spot (and guessing it still has a number of good years ahead of it). Very nice wine, though I think we still prefer the Alpine from this vintage.
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I didn't bother to make notes for this bottle since I thought I had recently tasted. Opps, different vintage. Drunk along side a Sojourn Gap from the same vintage. This was much more enjoyable for me although the Sojourn was tasty, just more fruit forward than the Rhys which had better balance and a little edge to it.
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Opened and finished the same evening so nothing left to carry over into the next day. I found the bottle to improve with air, picking up a zesty quality, yet retaining the riper edges of the vintage. I would still call this approachable, as I did with the last bottle I drank and wrote up, although I did like this bottle better, given the better energy I felt like it showed.
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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.
Medium to dark ruby, only slightly translucent. Looks almost like a medium bodied cab. Nose at first seems tarry and a bit like acetone, but gives way to strawberry jam and perhaps cotton candy. California style Pinot Noir with fairly chewy texture. The fruit seems sweet but lacks some complexity and there are few secondary flavors. The finish is a bit short. Not sure how well this will age? My first bottle of Rhys Pinot which is well regarded and hard to come by, but for my taste lacks the finesse and complexity to warrant a much higher score. Better with food like smoked duck leg which was a great complement.
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PnP. Medium deep red. Complex nose of black fruits, spice, and forest floor. Medium full depth on the palate with spicy whole cluster nuances adding to the black/red fruit combo. Long finish which has some tannins to resolve but not obtrusive. This is drinking well but may evolve into something more seamless with a few more years. One of the better Rhys I have had. Opened after an '07 Williams-Selyem Weir proved undrinkable.
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Captivating, daring bouquet balances stems, buttoned-up cherry fruit, and spice. The fruit again is lively and distinctive. Fresh but not youthful; direct. Tastes like California without being in the oft-maligned old California style. Really memorable. (Double decanted)
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My first bottle of the '09 Horseshoe, and it was a beauty that promises to continue to improve. The whole cluster complements the asian spice, tea and cherry components. Medium plus acidity made this an excellent accompaniment with brined chicken and braised short ribs.
I will check back in 2018-2020 for bottle 2.
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PnP. Definitely the best Rhys I have had so far - it's got the signature Rhys green/stemmy notes, but in front of that is a huge portion of sweet fruit - raspberry and blackberry. The fruit is concentrated and almost candied, or jammy without the connotations of heavy ripeness. The fruit blends perfectly in the nose with the common Rhys gingerbread, spice aspect. The nose is crisp and vibrant, with some but richness from the great fruit, but not overbearing in any way. The palate is similar, with the red-blue fruits and delicious spice. The palate also shows excellent drive and vibrancy. These flavors also show in the finish, but here we see more of the Rhys green and stems - showing the tonality of structure. Good now, but probably peak in 3-5. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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OMG this is really superb. Sweet red cherry nose. Medium-high acid, medium body, fresh, pure, beautiful pinot fruit. Has the crunchiness of the Rhys SCM sites in spades.
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Watergrill: Very complete, quite fleshy, ripe sunny grapes and berry fruit showing here; this is a classic CA Pinot version but with class, not the ik. Still a bit too ripe for me--have with braised short ribs, not dover sole.
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A thinking man's (or woman's) wine that evolves after many hours/days of being open. I had one glass on day one which was nice, but the nose hadn't come out much and this isn't an opulent taster either. So I figured the wine needed more time, so I corked it up and put it in the refrig for four days. Back to room temperature on the fourth day, the wine had a fantastic nose - very elegant. One of those kinds of wines where you actually spend time just enjoying the smell in the glass. Still probably not enough fruit for me on the taste (I'm no AFWE), but I appreciate the quality here.
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Rhys Tasting With The Gang--Part 2 (My Place): This has a broad texture, expansive like the 2008 Shoe I tasted before it from the same flight. There is a darker quality here to this 2008, a dark raspberry and dark cherry, what my notes also say is a 'brooding' quality. And, like the 2008, it contains that same soily quality that I enjoyed in that wine, a mulchy note. But different from the 2008, this 2009 is more approachable.
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We opened this last Friday to get a feel for modestly/young aged Pinot in advance of the futures offer. Finished it on Monday. Don't know how to describe, other than to say we wouldn't confuse it for a burgundy, but it surely doesn't taste like most California's. Some swirls and sips were spectacular with a wonderful cherry thing going on, while others sniffs hinted of peppermint. Not a delicious, easy wine; instead, something to think about and debate, and ponder. Can you ask for more in a wine?
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Wow! Decanted for 3 hours but needed more time. drank over 2 hours and continuing to evolve in the glass. Lots of fruit with a hint of earth, everything the best CA pinot can offer.
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After a 90 minute decant at cellar temperature, initially the nose was all baking spice, some earth, and red fruits. After warming up red fruits, some stems and mushrooms emerged. the mouth feel is dense and balanced with some acidity, but obviously Californian--but in a good way. Over a meal of sauté pork loin, the mid palate expanded although less acidity was event. The finish is smooth and balanced. Overall, a great wine with many years still ahead of it.
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This one was still very much youthful yet already a stunning wine. The captivating nose offered dark red fruits, most notably cherry and raspberry, with smoky, sultry Indian spices, violets and a hint of herbs, which carried through to the palate and were met by chalky minerals. Just a very beautiful pinot that should age well.
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nose - violets, floral, a sour berry aroma mouth - tart dark berry, very clean, sour finish, hint of cola. more lively but less silky than the 09 Horseshoe Syrah which was tasted in tandem
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Popped and poured. Lots to like on the precise nose, showing spice, raspberries and pepper. Lean, energetic and slightly tannic palate showing a subtle saline texture with great balance. Finishes lean and dry, showing quite young.
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This is a very good wine. It's very Rhys-y: the nose is dominated by stems with a dominant lavender soap aroma but also cinnamon, twig, and greener stalky scents. The fruit is very much in the background. It really is almost too stemmy for my taste (I'm not a big fan of whole-cluster pinot).
I like the palate much better. The fruit impression is extremely ripe black cherry but it's a cool ripeness and it's not overripe, it's not candied or cola-flavored and there are some interesting earthy things going on underneath. There's quite a bit of structure supporting the fruit with excellent acidity and sandpapery tannins, and the structure keeps the fruit airy despite the concentration. This continued to get more interesting over the course of 2-3 hours and I think it will improve with more age as the stems integrate more.
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Not feeling it on this pop and pour, pepper was the major component on nose and palate early on. Then it was tart pepper. Gonna wait a few years on my other one. Decant well if you're getting into this now
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I am getting very little love from this bottle..and it's my own fault for opening 3 to 5 years too early @!@Q@X. Decanted 4 hrs and nothing but great promise. Wanted to take a peek, and I can tell this bottle is just lying in wait to open up.
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Consumed over two nights. Better on night two. Very good, and probably the best Rhys Pinot I've had to date. Should continue to age well for many years.
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PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs and Day 2 -deep dark red -lively spice, some oak, reminiscent of a barrel sample -med- acidity is just enough, highly concentrated with med weight, dark ripe rich cherry fruit with a little cherry cola and earthiness, long finish with a little unintegrated oak, pretty tannic at this point -solid potential, slumbering now
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decanted for an hour. nose of raspberry, warm hay, subtle herbs and a hint of baking spice. on the palate this is savory and rich with a mineral backbone but not showing all that it has to offer. a baby, for sure. look forward to seeing this evolve in the coming years.
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A long and complete wine – savory, earthy, somewhat floral – and certainly very tasty now (not the least bit closed), but with all its fruit-driven intensity, it'll need several years to really show its stuff.
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Honestly this was probably a bit young. Nice acidity and subtle finish. Bright cherry and strawberry intermixed with a hay like note. Decent finish and overall good. Probably could use a bit more time in the cellar.
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Open for one hour, followed for several hours afterward. Starts very pretty, then turns a bit California with pine needle and mulberry, then it gets really interesting with curry powder, caramel, lily, black cherry, smoke, and serious stem action. Really well balanced acidity and a long finish. Quite a big wine with lots of potential. Not going to touch another one for a few years
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More fruit-driven and less savory than other bottlings, but not without nice suggestions of herbs and stones. Oak is mildly apparent. Still deep and very elegant. Great pinot, but right now at least, not as compelling as I've come to expect from Rhys.
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Since I have quite a few of these, I thought I'd give one a try. Opened and decanted for about two hours; drank over the course of about three hours. A distinct spice quality on the nose, along with deep red fruit; develops a bit of menthol, and a bit of vanilla; really lovely, complex and charming. Palate is firm, yet shows a very silky mouthfeel; it seems to glide across the tongue; energetic and well balanced; fairly deep pitched fruit, but with some tart red fruit in the mix, and the oak makes its presence known on the finish. Very fine grained tannins. Beautiful pinot, with the nose being the highlight at this stage, and this clearly needs another few years to coalesce.
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Decanted 1.5 hr. Translucent garnet. Aromas are completely melded melange of black fruits, bark, earth and a hint of green pepper. Aromas are still reticent that needs some coaxing. Palate shows red/black fruits (lots) and a bit of earth and lots of minerals in midpalate and on. High toned with an earthy depth. Finish is long with lots of lingering minerals. Silky with a bit of tannic grip. Just nice but can't wait to see what happens with a bit of age.
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USA Cult and Wines of Interest (Sydney, Australia): Heady aromas of pepper, ginger and raspberry. Powerful (but bright) fruit on the palate with good acidity to keep things balanced. Very good length. There is heaps of character here and it took me a while to come around to it, but in the end I thought it was interesting and well worth trying.
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Pulled the cork, did a splash decant, and followed over four hours. Served with food (stuffed mushrooms and meatloaf, in case you were wondering.) Good earthy nose showing spice, berries and some rose petal. Good crunchy notes of cool climate pinot noir. Has a tartness to it that matches with the bright raspberries spice. Silky in texture but ends with a crunchy bite of tart cranberries.
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Wasn't showing that well when first opened, decanted, and came back to it about two hours later. Much better, but will probably wait a couple yrs on the next bottle. A little tight, but still some nice red fruit coming through. A little more Pinot funk, and a bit heavier than the Alpine to us.
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This bottle gave a similar showing to previous experiences with this wine. Based on this showing the wine gives the impression that it will benefit from couple more years of additional bottle age.
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I had a tough time getting a read on this, it's approachable but excruciatingly compact. Hard cherry candy, an iron/slate/graphite sort of minerality, and if you close your eyes suddenly everything goes blue. It really does convey this powerful blue tone, there might be some blueberry there but this wine is more than enough to start confusing my senses. Solid base earth tone, there is something green and something floral way in the background. As much as this gives right now, it is a total juggernaut. Clogging tannins too. My rating is today, I don't really know but based on maker this is going way up. 91++.
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Popped and poured. Bright cherry, red fruit, spice and iron on the nose. Sappy showing red and blue fruit flavors with a silky texture and a touch of saline on the palate. Really delicious. Long finish. Well made and showing more CA than Burgundy.
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Tasted day after opening. Very rich lavender nose. Black cherry fruit profile, sort of Grenache-like. Medium-bodied. Not really Burgundian, but elegant.
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Although it was too soon to drink this bottle, I was very curious to see where the 2009 Rhys Horseshoe was at. First, I opened the bottle and let it sit for two hours and then decanted it and let it sit for another two hours. Giving the wine some good oxygen exposure really helped open things up - although the tannins were still relatively firm and there was some slight bitterness on the finish. This is a wonderful California pinot that is very well balanced with extremely silky fruit and nice minerality. On the palate I got blueberries, blackberries, plums, cherries, spices, flowers, earth, crushed rocks, and a touch of mocha. With another few years of age this wine has the potential to add at least another couple points and could really end up as something special. If you have multiple bottles of this, it is worth opening one today in order to experience the wine at different points of development.
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Popped and poured one night with pasta, then finished a couple nights later. Very floral aroma and plum taste. A little bit of spice on the palate as well. I was expecting this to be nowhere near being ready to drink, but this was actually in pretty decent shape.
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Baby killing again. Cool room temp. First glass given lots of air. Rest saved for day 2. Very dense, closed aromas. Dark fruits, lavender, wood, spice. Bright fruit and acid in the mouth, uplift in the midpalate, fine but structured tannins give grip. Finish is long and juicy with some pepper spice. Harmonious. As expected this will need lots of time, but couldn't resist opening the Horseshoe.
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Decanted for an hour or two. Aromatic nose of red fruits and a perfumed sweet green stemmy character. More of the same on the palate, where the latter group of flavors provides a decidedly uplifting note to this wine. Some very fine tannins on the finish. If anything, this will get better over the next couple of years. While the pieces are very much in synch today, I think another few years of bottle age will serve to improve integration. 93+ pts for now, with (my guess) some decent room for improvement.
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Opened and poured, this wine gave a wonderful showing. Having recently tasted the unreleased 2010 Rhys Pinot Noir, "Alpine Vineyard", this bottle gives evidence that the Rhys wines benefit from later release dates (in this case three years from harvest) and additional bottle age. Overall this wine gives an outstanding showing now and leaves the impression that it should benefit from a few more years of bottle age.
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Nose - deep even approach, smoky/savory/smooth dark fruit - morello cherry and a touch of blackberry, mocha and white chocolate. Pert morello cherry, dried wild savory herbs, berry, zesty, dusty tannins, grippy. Drink '14-'28.
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Tasted at the pickup event. Color much darker than the 2010 San Mateo, nose is "firmer" than the SM, showing the stem inclusion, nice mix of red and black fruit, palate is tannic, very structured, lovely fruit but very, very firm, well focused, a knockout wine. They say it's about 75% whole cluster, and 13.3% alcohol.
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Tasted during the pickup day. Opened ~12hrs before tasting. Open, dark fruits, with some pepper spice. In the mouth, it exhibits the fine, dry but grippy tannins that I've come to expect from this bottling from the past few years. Good acidic structure. Generous, medium-bodied fruit. Pleasing finish. Shows a bit more open right now, compared to what I remember of the 08 Horseshoe, but the 09 still requires lots of air if opened young. I'm always biased towards Horseshoe, but this one won't disappoint.
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Decanted. Intense aromas of violets, lavender layered with capsicum, cinnamon, strawberry leaf, black cherry juice, Christmas cake, petrichor, slate and roasted coffee bean. Lovely velvet mouthfeel with bright, mouthwatering acid to carry stout and grippy tannin along the slightly sappy finish. Powerful, gorgeous and complex while retaining elegance.
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Rhys Visit--All The 2009s From Bottle! (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): 13.3%, 60% new wood and 100% whole cluster. Floral aromatics and a stemmy note. Juicy and bold with black cherry, mineral and some light shadings of licorice. Spicy finish with even some leather. This was the only 2009 Rhys pinot to be decanted.
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2/17/2024 - Wine Sparty wrote: 92 Points
I think this has 5 years left at least. Still quite youthful, bright fruits.
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12/3/2023 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted approx. 1.5 hrs. prior to initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. --
NOSE: very nice; alluring; deep, dark red fruits with a savory edge; red apple skins; not complex, but awfully enjoyable.
BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium-deep depth. {forgot to note weight}
TASTE: medium+ to high acidity; smooth --- no tannin; oak; ripe, dark red fruits; no funk; 13.3% alc.; not complex. Drink Now and over the near term. Gut impression score: 90.
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11/23/2023 - Backdoctor wrote: 93 Points
still youthful. Balanced with good red fruit on palate
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4/5/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious red raspberry, spice, earthy notes on the open nose and layered palate with resolving tannins on the long finish. Drinking beautifully!
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1/28/2023 - amoryb wrote:
Really nice. Spicy nose with a little lingering stemminess. The fruit has moved to a bit of raspberry and maybe apricot. I think fully resolved so not sure where it goes from here but glad to have it tonight.
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8/24/2022 - jjct Likes this wine:
Gorgeous youthful fruit underpinned by elegant minerality. Silky texture, with fine-grained tannins. Drinking beautifully.
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8/12/2022 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dark red color, 90 minutes of airtime in bottle before dinner, dense brooding fruit (meaning plenty now but more to come with age IMO), good balance, integrated tannins, medium weight, long pleasant fruit finish. Nice to drink with lamb chops but will have years to go.
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8/8/2022 - Seanwsmithm3 wrote: flawed
Flawed
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6/26/2022 - dougie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Got more rustic over 5 hours. Not as deep and fruity as the swan terrace 09 a week ago. But, really good!
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6/4/2022 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
13 years in this has a youthful energy. Had it 3 years ago and little has changed. Fresh black cherry, pomegranate, and blood orange liqueur.
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4/14/2022 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar tasting note to previous bottle, but not quite as vibrant as I remember it.
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3/21/2022 - gbauer wrote:
Layers of fruit on the nose. Happily, a little more reserved in the mouth, with great acidity -- still plenty of fruit, but not fat/one-dimensional. Beginning to show some positive age qualities, but still somewhat primary.
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3/14/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opens with an outstanding floral nose. The wine is medium bodied with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, herbs and spice. Really nicely balanced, deep and complex. In a phase of early maturity but can go for 3-5 more years easily.
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10/23/2021 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely improved with time, but I still don't see that this justifies the price. 13.3%
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7/26/2021 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Enjoyable nose of fresh berries with some balsamic undertones. Medium body, medium+ acid, well integrated tannins and flavors of fresh cherries and cranberry juice with some balsamic undertones. Lovely.
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7/18/2021 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Starting to show some maturity. Savory mouthful, with some tomato leaf, herb and spice. Well resolved structure... ready to go, in may opinion yet still no rush.
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5/26/2021 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Notes of pine needle and licorice on the nose with sweet raspberry in the background. Medium bodied on the palate, a bit thin through the middle, may still be too young.
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4/10/2021 - pakabear wrote: flawed
Corked, really disappointing!
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3/24/2021 - Erik R. wrote:
A tale of two nights. On the first,tomato, pile of wet leaves. opened up to sweet prunes and dusty fruit. Rich, but also more tomato vine w/ an angular finish.
Night two: it came together much more elegantly, with vegatal notes going to the background behind some lacey delicate fruit.
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2/19/2021 - stet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Color: medium ruby, clearer at the rim
Nose: evolves a lot. First opened, a memorable earth and dead leaf note; raspberry on the ripe side, vanilla. Ripped grass and licorice (in the wood root format). There is also a grilled meat/mallard reaction note
Palate: in balance with a bitter note. Medium acidity, hint of tannin still, medium body. The mouth still has raspberry but also a ripe plum note. Licorice, umami, mint and licorice, even tobacco hints
Finish: long. Really quite long
Well, a deep wine here. Not quite my cup of tea but there is so much happening, so many layers. I had from bottle over 2 hours + and the evolution continued, from some pretty savage grass and rasp to a more welcoming ripe raspberry umami. Always with a licorice hint. Really interesting, more on its own than with food.
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2/17/2021 - viking92067 Likes this wine: 93 Points
As we know wine is sometimes a magical mystery tour. On February 13th I was less than enthusiastic about this wine. I have been buying Rhys since 2008 and store them in commercial grade cellar in my home, and I said "I continue to await my Alleluia moment from Rhys Pinots."
Tonight this wine was signing. Go figure. This is why we drink wine I guess.
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2/13/2021 - viking92067 wrote: 91 Points
Cellared since release. Frankly fairly boring and disappointed. While I acknowledge that the professional reviewers believe this wine has many years left and some suggest up to 2030, I do not see this wine improving and would drink it up in next few years. I continue to await my Alleluia moment from Rhys Pinots.
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1/22/2021 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Same notes as previous, drinking really well. Do not hesitate to open and enjoy now. Needs a little air to show it's best.
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12/24/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2.5 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 5 --
NOSE: initially, a pleasant meaty/savory/high-toned mix --- perhaps a bit tomatoey; medium-light oak. Day 5: new hints of green and cola.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: strong mineral; tight at first, but started to unfurl a little after the one hour mark; ripe; somewhat unfocused; a bit Gevrey-like; still kind of tight at 2.25 hours. Day 5: noticeably oxidized. Tough to get a read on this bottle --- about 4.5 years ago, I scored this much higher and said Hold. This bottle was, simply, a bit difficult. Probably best to drink in the near term.
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12/15/2020 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Slightly firm upon opening, with a bit of tannic grip still. This Rhys uncoiled with more air and the Horseshoe definitely had more fruit than the 08 Rhys Skyline we drank recently. Almost a spearmint note with spice, bramble or black tea notes and soft fruit flavors. I cannot recall if there was stem inclusion, but it tastes as if there was. Ready to drink w/o decanting in my opinion, enjoyed the evolution of it while drinking.
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11/26/2020 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
From a perfect bottle, this wine had a deep red center and light red rims. The medium intensity nose offered up blackberries, clove, cherries, and tan spices.
In the mouth, this wine was refined and integrated at first with light tannin and crisp acidity. The length was pretty good at first but improved in the glass. After an hour the tannin firmed up and the wine closed down a bit. Then, after 3 hours, the tannin mellowed out again.
This wasn't getting any better but it was still going strong after 10 hours of air. This is young but I am not sure I would bet on it getting much better.
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8/8/2020 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
Ripe but firm and showing some complexity, this bottle performed essentially the same way as my prior notes. The more air this received, the better it tasted. The fruit came out a bit more and the acidic/alcoholic edge rounded out. Drink over the next 5-10 years with extended air.
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6/13/2020 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
This wine had a very deep red center and red/tawny rims. The nose was fairly dramatic at first but calmed down with time. I gave this wine several hours of air. Afterward, the medium intensity nose offered up raspberries, smoked cherries, and some tan spices.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe with firm acidity and light tannin. For many hours, it tasted a bit young in that the well defined fruit was backed by a structure that was a bit too edgy. Only after 12 hours of air did the edginess calm down.
This is a nice wine, especially after extended air. It will certainly hold for 10+ years and may well improve. Will it be worth the wait?
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6/12/2020 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
The wine has held up well and drinking very pretty. Strong nose of sandalwood, sour red plum, with a subtle 5-spice note. Red fruited with a beautiful tenor tone on the palate. Still with some structure but smoothed our enough for enjoyment now. Glad I opened it, but might need to seek out again as good bottles have a long way to go
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5/29/2020 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
This wine had a deep red center with light red/clear rims. The medium intensity nose generated sour cherry, sandalwood, plum, and mineral notes.
In the mouth, this was a bit tight and edgy at first. As it aired, the nose opened up and the palate became rounder, more integrated, and much longer. The acidity was quite crisp and it took awhile for it to calm down. Finally, after 4 hours of air the wine turned a corner as it developed some attractive tan spice flavors.
This wine is still quite young. It has plenty of structure and the balance got much better with extended air. I am unclear if this will improve with bottle age but I would recommend decanting for at least 4 hours BEFORE you start drinking it.
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5/12/2020 - MartyL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Forward and generous without being overblown. What I want from a CA pinot.
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5/2/2020 - jlm wrote:
When first opened this was brimming with red fruit on the nose and was also all juicy strawberry on the palate. Recorked and left for a few hours at cellar temp before drinking. Color was medium garnet with slight bricking at the rim. The nose had changed dramatically since it was initially opened. Darker fruits, herbs, floral notes, and a touch of cola. The palate is pretty gentle in this low-acid vintage, and while that leads to a mouth filling impression, it's maybe a little hollow in the middle. There's some acidity to keep the wine fresh, but it seems to me to be missing the structure I'd like to see for it to remain balanced with substantially more age. The tannins are fine and still present enough that the wine comes across as adolescent. Nonetheless, I think this is best drunk over the next 5 years or so.
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4/17/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Maybe the first Rhys Pinot for me that has a sense of maturity. Stemmy/whole cluster notes recede with air. Nice depth, lots of spice and earthy notes. Still has a solid concentrated core of ripe red fruit. Good length on the finish. Well balanced. This has softened, plusher fuller
feeling on the palate but still fresh. Has some more upside but good to go now.
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4/6/2020 - MikeCW wrote: 95 Points
This wine was absolutely brilliant this evening. Almost every review here comments on cherry but I did not see it leaning so much cherry or black cherry, to me I picked up the orange peel as much as cherry, with some clove. Perfectly balanced and really just spectacular with duck breast hot pot take out from Single Thread. Every time I think maybe I should be done with Rhys they pull me back in.....
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3/29/2020 - rhanke wrote: 92 Points
Nice. Earthy, hints of tea. Refined raspberry. Very nice after an hour of being opened.
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3/27/2020 - jreis Likes this wine:
Absolutely gorgeous fragrant nose of roses, cranberry, silky underbrush and sun baked clay. Very tart red fruited palate with an undercurrent of spicy oak. Lovely texture and acid filled finish. Early days and plenty of life left, but drinking beautifully.
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2/7/2020 - Tree512 wrote: 91 Points
Deep red and black fruits, nice spice and good balance, very moreish. Ready to go but has loads of life ahead.
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2/6/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully! Delicious red cherries, spice, earth, and barrel spice notes on the open nose and layered palate with refreshing acidity on the long finish. Classic Rhys!
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1/2/2020 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed over two nights. Beautiful nose that is full of black cherry laced with florals, toasted spice and toasted herb. My 2017 descriptor of potpourri still holds true. The palate has a similar flavor profile with terrific concentration. Good structure to keep the wine balanced and fresh. Delicious and in a peak drinking window now.
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12/24/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
The best of a trio of 2009s including Rhys’ Bearwallow and Family Farm. While today the Family Farm may drink as well this feels like it has more secrets to unfold. The nose is more bold and focused. The palate shows ethearelness and elegance but they are wrapped in noticeable structure and fine tannins which will resolve with time. The flavors show red and black cherries, earth and spice rolling into a long satisfying finish.
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12/17/2019 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 91 Points
A nice wine that drinks well with food. It still seems to lack some structure and acidity, but I can't argue with the results that this is still drinking well so it has obviously held up.
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11/26/2019 - Mr T wrote:
Decanted for 4-5 hours and it was open and ready for business. This is fairly delicate, red cherry and cranberry but enough fruit to keep me happy but very light on its feet. Very nice with Burgundy themed dinner
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11/22/2019 - GrapeScott wrote: 94 Points
This is in a really great place. Beautiful nose of red cherry, flowers, and herbs de Provence. Smooth, silky and bright, with a long long finish. Slightly chewy, with sandalwood, eucalyptus and cherry flavors. This is one of the best and most complex and elegant pinots I've had in recent memory. Lovely stuff.
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11/22/2019 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Enough’s been said about the notes so I’ll simply affirm this wine is drinking fantastically!
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10/9/2019 - rosenst1 wrote: 87 Points
PnP. Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Medium red. Lovely floral nose with lavender and spice. Sweet fruit with whole cluster spice and wood character, especially on the finish. I expect this will integrate with air. This did get better with air and became more seamless. I still think the whole clusters are overdone in this wine. With additional air this declined rather rapidly; perhaps this is on a downward slide or else was an off bottle. Surprising and disappointing
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8/26/2019 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This bright and nuanced Pinot is drinking well right now, with an elegant but powerful profile that Rhys delivers like few others. Pale red in color; light in body; enticing aromas of cherry peel, dried strawberry, eucalyptus, and balsam wood. The tastes are a little more straightforward, but still delicious - notes of cranberry, raspberry, stems, and pine needles, with a layered and lingering finish. 13.3% alcohol. Drink now.
I drank this on the same night as a 2009 Mount Eden Pinot, a more fulsome interpretation of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Mount Eden was deeper red in color; fuller in mouthfeel; and had a more gamey and earthy nose. Despite being the lighter of the two, though, the Rhys was more nuanced and elegant than the Mount Eden, which seemed a touch sappy and brutish in comparison. Neither would be confused with a ripe and round Russian River Pinot, but each has aged well, in the tradition of rustic, tart, and wild Santa Cruz Pinot.
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8/17/2019 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 91 Points
With grilled veal chops, corn on the cob.
Crimson/cherry, medium deep, a pretty wine, perhaps a touch of mahogany at the meniscus.
Dark cherry, tobacco, earthy nose spilling onto the palate. Nice length. Drinking very well right now.
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7/21/2019 - rhit wrote:
Six years after my previous bottle. Darker in tone and more sappy than before, with dominant fennel, clove, and spice notes. Perhaps lacking a bit in depth, but much more open and interesting. Might gain a little complexity over the next few years, but drinking pretty well right now.
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6/16/2019 - WG Johns@n Likes this wine: 93 Points
Revisiting again four years after my last bottle. This is headed in the right direction and is another great reminder of why it is great to support Rhys. Some '09 flabbiness was there in the form of low acidity. The whole cluster is much more integrated this time as tertiary characteristics are becoming prominent. Any improvement will be modest, so now is a good time to open one.
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5/27/2019 - James Kim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stood up for several weeks. Decanted off of fine sediment. Shy aromas that took almost 1.5h to open up. Now at the 2.5h after decant. Black cherries, some pomegranate, some green stems, bark, earth, soy/sous bois aromas. Palate has tart red and black cherries, earth, green stems, bark, soy/sous bois and minerals. Rich yet elegant, medium to full bodied with nice acids and mild-moderate tannins. Excellent depth. Showing some evolution and secondary characteristics. Evolving nicely with plenty of life. I think it can go for another 10 years. Open next bottle in 5 years or so.
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5/18/2019 - xwine wrote:
Did a side by side of the 2009 Horseshoe and 2009 Swan Terrace. Opened and poured a small sample from each. The color was very similar, a medium ruby, but the Swan Terrace had a bit more brilliance. On the nose, the Horseshoe is fairly deep pitched, with dark red fruit. The Swan Terrace is brighter, with more lift and elegance, and a lovely spice note. On the palate, the Horseshoe is somewhat brooding, deep fruited, medium tannins. The Swan Terrace is lighter on its feet, shows some stems, a very bright wine, with some light cherry fruit. At this stage I prefer the ST.
After about two hours, both wines have developed nicely. The Horseshoe still maintains a larger frame, with a bit of a burly quality. The tannins have melted away a bit, and it has a nice finish, but there’s something about it that leaves me a bit flat. I’m inclined to say it’s time to drink these. The Swan Terrace, on the other hand, is simply terrific. Elegant, focused, pure red fruit, good acidity. The tannins are light and fine, but it could use some time to coalesce. Hold for a few years.
On the second day, the Horseshoe is slipping, and is not too interesting. The Swan Terrace is still showing beautifully brilliant red fruit. Really a very nice wine. As disappointing as the Horseshoe is, the Swan Terrace is lovely.
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5/17/2019 - gesusser Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hour decant and this nice Pinot was excellent with pecan encrusted rainbow trout and green beans almondine...smooth easy drinker.in its drinking window
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4/14/2019 - BHP1994 wrote: 94 Points
Gotta give it to CT reviewer Seth Rosenberg on this. Great tasting note and spot on to my palate. Drinking very well. Loved this.
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3/28/2019 - Rieslingfan wrote:
There is a light at the end of the Rhys Pinot development tunnel. This still shows healthy red fruit, but it also has loamy earth, leafy underbrush and crushed herbs. The tannins are still apparent, but there is sufficient fruit to balance. This is on a great path for drinking any time over the next several years.
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3/16/2019 - Trophy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pretty epic first glass. Poured through coravin, the aromas and taste can't be any farther apart, and both are evolving rapidly. Big wine glossy mouthfeel, no signs of fatigue. Best Rhys I've had to date so far.
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2/18/2019 - Cote d'Or Likes this wine:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and day 3
-med dark red, minimal edge clearing
-fragrant cherry rhubarb pinot fruit and some sweet sawdust; more expressive with barrel spice on day 3
-med acidity, med weight excellent depth fading sweet earthy New World rhubarb pinot fruit, med/med- tannins and minimal discernible oak; more open-knit red/rhubarb fruit and spice on day 3
-this is continuing to age gracefully with the expected evolution of fainter fruit and more integrated oak though it hasn't picked up much for overt mature elements either, drinking well now though this is still on the upside
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2/15/2019 - t_moderne wrote:
Opened and let slow-ox for about 1 hour.
This was tasted at a wine dinner and tasted over the course of the evening, with food and along with many other wines.
Ruby color. Nose offered some red berries and a smoky/floral incense note.
Some red berries and apple peel but very bitter and tart. There is acidity but a bitterness together with a dried and bitter herbal element that made this a big disappointment.
One of the few bottles at the dinner in a sea of empties that had more than 1/2 remaining at the end of the evening.
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2/12/2019 - Jonathan T wrote: 93 Points
Still as tasty, pure, and as open-knit as my previous notes indicate, and one of my all-time favorite Rhys pinots, but this wine was unfortunately not drunk in a vacuum. I drank a Kosta Browne a couple nights ago which was far more fun and delicious, which is why I couldn’t rate this Rhys higher.
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1/24/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich strawberry, black cherry, rhubarb, moist forest floor, mushroom, black truffle, absolute silk on the palate with medium acidity and fine tannins. This is drinking extremely well right now as a PnP, I’d drink over the next 5 years.
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1/12/2019 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 89 Points
Dark red. Spicy black pepper, red current fruit, a bit of black olive on the finish. Full bodied- drinks more like a Rhône blend than a Pinot.
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12/29/2018 - rc@ughey wrote: 84 Points
Not a good showing. Ripe fruits and decent depth but this is cloying and out of balance without the structure or acid to keep things in check. Drink up.
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12/23/2018 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Medium dark red. Nice clean nose of dark fruits and some mineral with whole cluster notes. On the palate the fruit is predominant with some additional spice and mineral notes on the finish. Perhaps a hint of alcohol at the end. Overall very nice at age 9.
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10/16/2018 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Big spicy nose with a bit of forest and mushroom. Palate shows clean, linear red fruits. Backend of the palate shows considerable firm tannins, rather dry, with repeating spice notes—I assume this is the whole cluster and it adds a bit of greenness. Lengthy finish. Needs some time to settle down the raw elements still, and a little disconcerting that’s it’s not more integrated at this stage. Consumed over 2 nights. Overall this is excellent, but meets expectations rather than exceeding.
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10/6/2018 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bitter dark fruits -- blackberry and black cherry -- with some earth, pepper and a black olive note that became more noticeable with air. The acid and tannin structure was very prominent. A sense of weight despite the acid lift. Between the dark fruit, the pepper and olives and the copious tannins, I had to check the label to confirm I had grabbed a pinot; blind, I would have guessed a syrah. Rather brooding and serious.
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8/11/2018 - WST Likes this wine:
Nice fairly full bodied Rhys Pinot. Bitter cherry, floral notes, spice, and a little pepper and sarsaparilla. Moderate tannins, acid and EtOH. Not much secondary development here. I liked this with dinner tonight.
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8/2/2018 - j@$0n p€++y wrote: 87 Points
Holy stems! Ripe, lush, brown sugar, stems, cola, cedar, more stems, spice, coffee, herbal, more stems. Not sure where this headed.
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7/8/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My final remaining Rhys 2009, as with like the 2011s, I made a decision to drink them all as I don't believe these will age like some of the other vintages. For the 2009s, like with others (Copain is a good reference), I find the vintage to be riper and more fleshy with less structure, which is the basis for my viewpoint. As for this bottle, and I did leave the remnants with the host when I left, it showed better than the previous bottle, with some remaining grip and good purity. I will note that when we opened it that it seemed kind of one-dimensional but over the afternoon, I saw it improve and show well. If you have the 09 Shoe as I know many still do around here, I don't see any reason to rush the bottle, based on how this one showed. But, I do also believe that the Rhys community should challenge the 2009 and 2011 wines and get more of them opened, and avoid the inertia to sit on these and wait. For these two vintages. and to help keep the progression of the winery in perspective as like all of us, Kevin and Jeff continue to evolve the craft, we should keep trying these vintages and sharing perspectives with each other.
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4/20/2018 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnPed. Open for business right away. Sweet and dark nose of candied strawberry, rainier cherries, blackberry, that Rhys herbal-stemmy thing, and with time, some game bird, graham cracker, violets and baking spices. The sweet fruit and the savory herbs-stems-game are combining really nicely at points. The same combination occurs on the palate as well and not just now and then - the palate is excellent, with lots of flavor but also good drive and balance. It's quite sweet with lots of strawberry, Rainier cherry and blackberry, but the savory notes mentioned in the nose are stronger here, and the melange is wonderful. Lots of spices and some good florals as well. The finish tends a bit towards the stemmy and shows the good acid propping up the wine. Very Rhys, very delicious. Drink now. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5-17.5/20.
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4/5/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dark red color, decanted one hour before dinner, mixed cherry nose, mixed cherry and cranberry fruit, medium weight, tannins are present but starting to soften, lengthy finish. Improved over time until the last drop. A very nice wine with years to go.
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2/16/2018 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia; 2/15/2018-2/17/2018 (Chicago, IL): The nose on this is quite ripe, with some nice brown spice and some sweet stone fruit elements. Fairly heady and spicy. There's a bit of cola in the nose and palate, and that's the thing that puts me off the most here. I definitely like the nose a bit more than the palate.
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2/4/2018 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully, if young and lush, but loads of complexity. Consistent with my note from May 2017.
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1/24/2018 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
1 hour decant. Nice job.
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12/16/2017 - Nutty08 wrote:
Opened after my rather arrogant prediction it would taste similar to a German pinot. NOPE. This showed rather poorly in the lineup. Initially, whole cluster funk/green beans (never had that before) dominated the nose and palate, giving this a rather bitter character than was unwelcoming. With air, this improved considerably, showing a nice core of black cherry fruit. Whole cluster still didn't seem to integrate well, but in the end this was a very enjoyable wine I kept coming back to. B+
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12/3/2017 - ducster72 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthful despite being 8 years old. Gingerbread, baking spices and bright red fruit. Cranberry. Early signs of secondary development. As a food accompaniment, suffered a little next to the 2010 Fourrier Gevrey VV because it was a little, well, Californian in its sweetness. The Rhys was more complex, but the Fourrier played better with our food.
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11/2/2017 - Jonathan T wrote: 94 Points
Notes consistent with the last bottle I tasted and reaffirms my impression that this is the best wine I've ever had from Rhys. Absolutely delicious. Stylistically, about 60/40 what you would expect from California vs Burgundy. This wine was the intersection between an excellent vintage, an outstanding vineyard, and top notch wine-making. Had this with pork cheek and it couldn't have been a better pairing.
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10/23/2017 - lolo66 Likes this wine:
Last bottle and this was quite spectacular. Full. Fragrant. Ripe berries. Nice earth tones. Perfectly balanced. All notes integrated. A lovely wine.
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10/13/2017 - 5laton wrote:
Ripe, baked strawberry fruit showing the solar vintage, but lots of complexity and development here, particularly exotic spice, game and earthy notes. There is still a slight astringence but it's not intrusive. Alas acidity is low per the vintage. Overall this shows an extreme personality for Rhys and more than a bit candied, but with some development in hand it's nonetheless quite tasty -- if you can abide the 2009 character. Drinking well already but has plenty of gas to go further. 3 btls left and I'll wait at least a couple of years to open the next.
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10/1/2017 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Rhys @ My Place--Part 3 (My House In The South OC): Listed ABV is 13.3%. Of all the 2009s we tasted during our event, this was the best for me. Some light stemminess infuses the palate and aromatic, giving it some pine needle accents. It also reflects the riper tones of the vintage with jammy and spicy strawberry fruit. My sense about 2009 for the winery is that these should be enjoyed now, not aged like say the 2010s. I plan to drink all of my 2009s in the next year or so, including my remaining bottle of this wine, too.
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9/30/2017 - fred o. wrote:
opaque, dark ruby. Big/ripe dark fruits, velvety with some sweetness, blueberries. some tannins. Distinctively Cali pinot. Nice for those in the mood. 90 pts
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7/18/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a surprise. A very open-knit, pretty, and charming Rhys pinot noir. I have had some Rhys that were on the leaner side, and some that were more esoteric. This was neither. This was very sweet red fruit driven with maybe cinnamon and other spices perking up the back end. Very effortless and velvety. Not a very intellectual pinot, but a very easy wine to like, and I certainly couldn't stop sipping this wine.
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6/25/2017 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine:
This shined on a night with Kutch, Chermette, Clos Saron. Sorry no notes.
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6/12/2017 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
This is worthy of its reputation. Black cherry color. Pretty, complex nose of black cherry, earth, a touch of stems, and minerals. In the mouth, a sumptuous texture intermingles with focused, linear cherry fruit, plenty of earth notes, and a touch of steminess on the finish. This is legit and complex. The only nit is the whole cluster stands out in a slightly disjointed fashion. A-/A
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6/10/2017 - Moonie wrote: 85 Points
The wine started off being quite herbaceous and closed. Some evidence of black fruits appeared but nothing else. After an hour or so, the wine showed more promise but had started to develop that off-putting sweetness that I find so objectionable. Rhys was supposed to be California's answer to Burgundy. It simply paled in comparison to the 2004 Domaine Ponsot MSD Alouettes we has the pleasure of drinking the night previously.
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6/3/2017 - Diane (LI) wrote:
I almost thought it was sweet but it is immediately balanced out by herbs and olives and earth. Acidity is good and the finish is beautifully long. There is definitely the taste of cherry cola on the finish, but the wine is delicious.
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5/31/2017 - swade wrote: 93 Points
My first Rhys. I wasn't sure I would like it. Solid garnet color. Red fruit and spice aromas. Balanced entry. Ripe, but not overly so. Red raspberry puree. Solid core of fruit. Long, long finish. I can still taste it. Quite a particular style and did somewhat remind me of Calera with the stem inclusion, but this is a step up. I really loved it. 93
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5/25/2017 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty, clear red. Initially it was sweet cherries with a hint of menthol and spices, gradually opening and deepening, adding complexity with earth, balsam and pine. Fleshy and a bit thick with the oak, but still enough acid to not to flabby. The tannins were noticeable, but subsumed into the fruit. Quite tasty, and got better at the end, which raised the score to the final number.
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5/24/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Rhys 08/09/10 (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago, IL): Medium-full nose of dense black cherry, meat, smoke and potpourri spice. Again the palate is already delicious with rich and dense black cherry fruit with loads of potpourri spice. Good balancing acidity. Really enjoyable now, but would guess it picks up complexity with age.
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5/24/2017 - acyso wrote: 83 Points
The Rotating Dinners, II.1: Rhys, 2008-10 (Chicago, IL): This has gotten even heavier than I remember it being. It's got cherry cola, candied black fruit, and a bit of unpleasant sweetness here. No acidic lift, no freshness. Sort of a thick black wall right now seemingly without too many tannins either. Maybe something will emerge out of this, but right now, it's really not enjoyable at all.
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4/30/2017 - ews3 wrote: 90 Points
very herbal on the nose. pine, sage, lavender, and forest floor dominate on top of some dark red berry fruit. The palate shows a nice acidic profile with the fruit more prominent and the herbal notes taking a background note. The nose is more impressive here, and as the fruit fades, it will be interesting to see where this goes.
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4/5/2017 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 88 Points
PnP. Not sure I see what others see in these wines. Nice acidity but too much Cali candy. 13.3%
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3/18/2017 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at 5:30 pm and tasted through the next 7 hours. Medium to dark, slightly translucent ruby/ garnet. Very complex and layered. Nose of grilled meat, vanilla, strawberry, marzipan and baking spices. On the palate, red fruits, menthol, orange zest, yeast, vanilla, clove and red licorice. Long finish. Probably better in a few more years.
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3/18/2017 - lolo66 wrote:
2nd bottle of three. medium body. full nose of fruit and some underbrush. tannins are still strong but this is ready to drink. fruit is darker berries. on the ripe side. some cocoa on the finish. at times this goes towards a bigger, fruitier style, and other times, more burgundian - but I would not mistake this for France, just a certain style here.
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1/31/2017 - Moonie Does not like this wine: 86 Points
The previous note on this wine is absolutely on target.
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1/29/2017 - coremill wrote: 87 Points
Too much of everything I don't like about Rhys Pinots. This is heavy on the whole cluster and boy does it show, that distinctive lavender soap aroma (the same one I noted three years ago) dominates the nose. The stems are less notable on the palate but the fruit profile is two notches too ripe, with a confected, slightly bitter edge. It also has the good qualities of Rhys Pinot: good acidity, lots of refined tannic structure, and a nice savoriness. But if you don't swoon over the idiosyncratic house style, this may not do much for you.
One of the oddities of the Rhys wines is that, for a winery with such a stated commitment to terroir, their house style is far more distinctive to me than the terroir differences. I do think there are differences among their bottlings, but the wines are marked more by their similarities than their differences.
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1/11/2017 - gbauer wrote:
Double decanted 1.5 hours before drinking. Good, full, complex. At the very beginning of its window. Better with more time.
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11/6/2016 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
Delicious, with mostly red-fruited character with some candied ripeness and cinnamon spice and a touch of stem showing on the finish.
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9/14/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 91 Points
Dark and brooding but very good after being open 30 mins excellent ages well.
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9/12/2016 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Monday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): This one kinda got lost in the other wines from the evening. Had dark and concentrated berry fruit throughout with some nice touches of floral notes and spice. A nice wine.
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8/23/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed a couple hours of air to smooth out. Nose was quite expressive with cherry pit and earth spice aromas. Ripe back cherry fruit with good density without hint of over ripeness and just the right amount of acidity. Plenty of stem spice and mint which seemed to integrate as it got air. Finish was a little disappointing as it was shorter and with only moderate complexity. Overall, quite strong without being exceptional. Very well balanced so would expect further positive progression with aging.
Bumped a point. Night 2 this was much more expressive with a great nose with black cherry and spice. Palate and finish have smoothed out.
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8/18/2016 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. Clearly new world in it's aroma and on the palate. A brooding and powerful nose is quite stemmy with prominent stem-driven herb intermixed with black cherry and orange peel. Palate is concentrated with black cherry, baking spices and even some cola. Quite enjoyable and I'm keen to see how this develops with more bottle age.
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8/18/2016 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of pinot noir. Heavy, unintegrated whole cluster, both on the nose, and in the form of some bitterness on the palate. Some notes of orange peel and cola on the nose that give this a little bit of a confected quality. Quite ripe, this shows a fair bit of extraction on the palate. I guessed this pretty easily as new world.
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8/9/2016 - rhanke wrote: 90 Points
I smelled more cranberry then black berry or cherry. Nice finish
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7/17/2016 - atilathehun wrote: 91 Points
93 nose, 89 palette, flavor profile too muted for me
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6/23/2016 - jnewman77 wrote:
This was good, but I didn't love it. Classic new world pinot; huge nose of bing cherry, hints of cola, spice, crushed rock, violets. The palate is big and rich with quite a bit of structure still present from the tannins. I think the best days are ahead of it.
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6/7/2016 - Tom Warden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect CA Pinot.
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5/20/2016 - mhauser Likes this wine:
Remarkably good. Aromas and flavors that seduce endlessly.
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5/14/2016 - grafstrb wrote: 94 Points
-- decanted 1.5 hours before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 days --
NOSE: very expressive; rich and tart black cherry; tart raspberry; sweet cranberry; bitter floral note, too.
BODY: sediment present; violet-garnet color of medium depth; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: tighter on the palate than the Nose suggested; red-fruited; hint of oak; a touch bitter; medium to medium+ acidity; just a touch of noticeable fine tannins; long finish of medium intensity; dense; seems like it's starting to open, but still needs more time (maybe another 2 or 3 years). On Day 2 it was a bit more open on the palate --- ripe and slightly sweet red fruits, strong (and pleasant) green savory aspect, too (stems?). Hold.
50, 5, 14, 17, 8 = 94
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5/6/2016 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
I like this a lot - of the Rhys PNs I've had, this is one of my favorites. Drinking well, and I'd put this in the drink/hold category, but I do think in another couple of years this will be in its prime window.
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3/19/2016 - jpecht Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really excellent, light wine but explosive with red fruits, nice finish
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1/24/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light cherry with cranberry, stems, berry, cherry and good acidity and finish
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12/28/2015 - soyhead wrote:
nose - cranberry, toast, herbal hints
mouth - dark cherry, dark plum, nicely tart fruit. the combination of rich ripeness and prominent acid makes for good balance. hard to believe that last time i tasted this i called it 'flabby'. very enjoyable.
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12/23/2015 - kthornton78 wrote:
another fantastic bottle.
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12/15/2015 - kthornton78 wrote:
dark ruby. nose of raspberry and cherry with pine needle and a subtle sandalwood/spice note. crystalline red fruit on the palate - sweet yet dry. a spicy note rounds out a savory finish. really elegant at this point but with a distinct SCM personality. while balanced and very rounded at this point i would expect that it has some evolution ahead of it.
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11/28/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Darker fruits than I expected in the nose with some beef and warm cinnamon. The palate is fairly feel with some more beef and some purple berries. Nice acidity with some lemon rind in there. Good wine.
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9/28/2015 - domco wrote:
Already plenty of notes on this one so I'm not sure what more I can add. I will say it is drinking better than our last bottle from 2.5 yrs ago and seems to be in a nice spot (and guessing it still has a number of good years ahead of it). Very nice wine, though I think we still prefer the Alpine from this vintage.
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9/8/2015 - brigcampbell wrote:
I didn't bother to make notes for this bottle since I thought I had recently tasted. Opps, different vintage. Drunk along side a Sojourn Gap from the same vintage. This was much more enjoyable for me although the Sojourn was tasty, just more fruit forward than the Rhys which had better balance and a little edge to it.
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9/7/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened and finished the same evening so nothing left to carry over into the next day. I found the bottle to improve with air, picking up a zesty quality, yet retaining the riper edges of the vintage. I would still call this approachable, as I did with the last bottle I drank and wrote up, although I did like this bottle better, given the better energy I felt like it showed.
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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.
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5/23/2015 - oldwines wrote: 90 Points
Medium to dark ruby, only slightly translucent. Looks almost like a medium bodied cab. Nose at first seems tarry and a bit like acetone, but gives way to strawberry jam and perhaps cotton candy. California style Pinot Noir with fairly chewy texture. The fruit seems sweet but lacks some complexity and there are few secondary flavors. The finish is a bit short. Not sure how well this will age? My first bottle of Rhys Pinot which is well regarded and hard to come by, but for my taste lacks the finesse and complexity to warrant a much higher score. Better with food like smoked duck leg which was a great complement.
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5/20/2015 - Uglypinga wrote:
May have been an off bottle. There was a flavor there that was hard to identify but I wasn't happy with the showing. I'll have to revisit soon.
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5/18/2015 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium deep red. Complex nose of black fruits, spice, and forest floor. Medium full depth on the palate with spicy whole cluster nuances adding to the black/red fruit combo. Long finish which has some tannins to resolve but not obtrusive. This is drinking well but may evolve into something more seamless with a few more years. One of the better Rhys I have had. Opened after an '07 Williams-Selyem Weir proved undrinkable.
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4/21/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Captivating, daring bouquet balances stems, buttoned-up cherry fruit, and spice. The fruit again is lively and distinctive. Fresh but not youthful; direct. Tastes like California without being in the oft-maligned old California style. Really memorable.
(Double decanted)
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4/17/2015 - WG Johns@n Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first bottle of the '09 Horseshoe, and it was a beauty that promises to continue to improve. The whole cluster complements the asian spice, tea and cherry components. Medium plus acidity made this an excellent accompaniment with brined chicken and braised short ribs.
I will check back in 2018-2020 for bottle 2.
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3/28/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle and really great! cherry spice black tea good acidity, nicely rounded into a delicious package.
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3/28/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP. Definitely the best Rhys I have had so far - it's got the signature Rhys green/stemmy notes, but in front of that is a huge portion of sweet fruit - raspberry and blackberry. The fruit is concentrated and almost candied, or jammy without the connotations of heavy ripeness. The fruit blends perfectly in the nose with the common Rhys gingerbread, spice aspect. The nose is crisp and vibrant, with some but richness from the great fruit, but not overbearing in any way. The palate is similar, with the red-blue fruits and delicious spice. The palate also shows excellent drive and vibrancy. These flavors also show in the finish, but here we see more of the Rhys green and stems - showing the tonality of structure. Good now, but probably peak in 3-5. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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3/24/2015 - winelover1986 Likes this wine:
OMG this is really superb. Sweet red cherry nose. Medium-high acid, medium body, fresh, pure, beautiful pinot fruit. Has the crunchiness of the Rhys SCM sites in spades.
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3/4/2015 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light garnet with cherry, berry and light stems for interesting and well integrated thinking mans pinot
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3/2/2015 - gregg g wrote:
In flight with '07-'12. Aromatically pleasant. Fleshed out nicely. Fairly deep, tart fruits. Classy.
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3/1/2015 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Watergrill: Very complete, quite fleshy, ripe sunny grapes and berry fruit showing here; this is a classic CA Pinot version but with class, not the ik. Still a bit too ripe for me--have with braised short ribs, not dover sole.
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1/22/2015 - Justin B Likes this wine: 92 Points
A thinking man's (or woman's) wine that evolves after many hours/days of being open. I had one glass on day one which was nice, but the nose hadn't come out much and this isn't an opulent taster either. So I figured the wine needed more time, so I corked it up and put it in the refrig for four days. Back to room temperature on the fourth day, the wine had a fantastic nose - very elegant. One of those kinds of wines where you actually spend time just enjoying the smell in the glass. Still probably not enough fruit for me on the taste (I'm no AFWE), but I appreciate the quality here.
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1/17/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Rhys Tasting With The Gang--Part 2 (My Place): This has a broad texture, expansive like the 2008 Shoe I tasted before it from the same flight. There is a darker quality here to this 2008, a dark raspberry and dark cherry, what my notes also say is a 'brooding' quality. And, like the 2008, it contains that same soily quality that I enjoyed in that wine, a mulchy note. But different from the 2008, this 2009 is more approachable.
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1/8/2015 - cartime wrote: 89 Points
Black fruited, a little ripe, with seemingly lowish acidity. Not impressed with this bottle. More time?
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11/26/2014 - soyhead wrote:
Limited notes- velvety mouthfeel with generous dark fruit but it's lack of acidity gives it a flabby feel. Well liked by others
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11/19/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote:
We opened this last Friday to get a feel for modestly/young aged Pinot in advance of the futures offer. Finished it on Monday. Don't know how to describe, other than to say we wouldn't confuse it for a burgundy, but it surely doesn't taste like most California's. Some swirls and sips were spectacular with a wonderful cherry thing going on, while others sniffs hinted of peppermint. Not a delicious, easy wine; instead, something to think about and debate, and ponder. Can you ask for more in a wine?
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11/16/2014 - 2thdoc wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Decanted for 3 hours but needed more time. drank over 2 hours and continuing to evolve in the glass. Lots of fruit with a hint of earth, everything the best CA pinot can offer.
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10/4/2014 - Dale B. wrote: 92 Points
After a 90 minute decant at cellar temperature, initially the nose was all baking spice, some earth, and red fruits. After warming up red fruits, some stems and mushrooms emerged. the mouth feel is dense and balanced with some acidity, but obviously Californian--but in a good way. Over a meal of sauté pork loin, the mid palate expanded although less acidity was event. The finish is smooth and balanced. Overall, a great wine with many years still ahead of it.
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9/26/2014 - wineaux2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This one was still very much youthful yet already a stunning wine. The captivating nose offered dark red fruits, most notably cherry and raspberry, with smoky, sultry Indian spices, violets and a hint of herbs, which carried through to the palate and were met by chalky minerals. Just a very beautiful pinot that should age well.
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9/10/2014 - soyhead Likes this wine:
nose - violets, floral, a sour berry aroma
mouth - tart dark berry, very clean, sour finish, hint of cola.
more lively but less silky than the 09 Horseshoe Syrah which was tasted in tandem
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7/15/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good solid PN.
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7/8/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 92 Points
Young with lots of goodness
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4/2/2014 - llink wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Lots to like on the precise nose, showing spice, raspberries and pepper. Lean, energetic and slightly tannic palate showing a subtle saline texture with great balance. Finishes lean and dry, showing quite young.
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2/9/2014 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
This is a very good wine. It's very Rhys-y: the nose is dominated by stems with a dominant lavender soap aroma but also cinnamon, twig, and greener stalky scents. The fruit is very much in the background. It really is almost too stemmy for my taste (I'm not a big fan of whole-cluster pinot).
I like the palate much better. The fruit impression is extremely ripe black cherry but it's a cool ripeness and it's not overripe, it's not candied or cola-flavored and there are some interesting earthy things going on underneath. There's quite a bit of structure supporting the fruit with excellent acidity and sandpapery tannins, and the structure keeps the fruit airy despite the concentration. This continued to get more interesting over the course of 2-3 hours and I think it will improve with more age as the stems integrate more.
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12/9/2013 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours.
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10/30/2013 - blaine wrote:
Not feeling it on this pop and pour, pepper was the major component on nose and palate early on. Then it was tart pepper. Gonna wait a few years on my other one. Decant well if you're getting into this now
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10/27/2013 - scott w Likes this wine:
I am getting very little love from this bottle..and it's my own fault for opening 3 to 5 years too early @!@Q@X. Decanted 4 hrs and nothing but great promise. Wanted to take a peek, and I can tell this bottle is just lying in wait to open up.
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10/15/2013 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous, soaring perfume. Sandalwood and balsamic. Quite locked up on the palate, deeply structured. Impressive wine.
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10/3/2013 - jwsmith wrote: 91 Points
Big wine more syrah like than pinot
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9/30/2013 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Consumed over two nights. Better on night two. Very good, and probably the best Rhys Pinot I've had to date. Should continue to age well for many years.
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9/25/2013 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs and Day 2
-deep dark red
-lively spice, some oak, reminiscent of a barrel sample
-med- acidity is just enough, highly concentrated with med weight, dark ripe rich cherry fruit with a little cherry cola and earthiness, long finish with a little unintegrated oak, pretty tannic at this point
-solid potential, slumbering now
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8/26/2013 - kthornton78 Likes this wine:
decanted for an hour. nose of raspberry, warm hay, subtle herbs and a hint of baking spice. on the palate this is savory and rich with a mineral backbone but not showing all that it has to offer. a baby, for sure. look forward to seeing this evolve in the coming years.
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8/24/2013 - Wicker Parker Likes this wine:
A long and complete wine – savory, earthy, somewhat floral – and certainly very tasty now (not the least bit closed), but with all its fruit-driven intensity, it'll need several years to really show its stuff.
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8/22/2013 - JDV.DDSPHD wrote: 89 Points
Honestly this was probably a bit young. Nice acidity and subtle finish. Bright cherry and strawberry intermixed with a hay like note. Decent finish and overall good. Probably could use a bit more time in the cellar.
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7/29/2013 - rmh66 wrote: 91 Points
Open for one hour, followed for several hours afterward. Starts very pretty, then turns a bit California with pine needle and mulberry, then it gets really interesting with curry powder, caramel, lily, black cherry, smoke, and serious stem action. Really well balanced acidity and a long finish. Quite a big wine with lots of potential. Not going to touch another one for a few years
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7/14/2013 - rhit Likes this wine:
More fruit-driven and less savory than other bottlings, but not without nice suggestions of herbs and stones. Oak is mildly apparent. Still deep and very elegant. Great pinot, but right now at least, not as compelling as I've come to expect from Rhys.
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6/9/2013 - xwine wrote:
Since I have quite a few of these, I thought I'd give one a try. Opened and decanted for about two hours; drank over the course of about three hours. A distinct spice quality on the nose, along with deep red fruit; develops a bit of menthol, and a bit of vanilla; really lovely, complex and charming. Palate is firm, yet shows a very silky mouthfeel; it seems to glide across the tongue; energetic and well balanced; fairly deep pitched fruit, but with some tart red fruit in the mix, and the oak makes its presence known on the finish. Very fine grained tannins. Beautiful pinot, with the nose being the highlight at this stage, and this clearly needs another few years to coalesce.
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6/3/2013 - James Kim wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hr. Translucent garnet. Aromas are completely melded melange of black fruits, bark, earth and a hint of green pepper. Aromas are still reticent that needs some coaxing. Palate shows red/black fruits (lots) and a bit of earth and lots of minerals in midpalate and on. High toned with an earthy depth. Finish is long with lots of lingering minerals. Silky with a bit of tannic grip. Just nice but can't wait to see what happens with a bit of age.
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3/14/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
USA Cult and Wines of Interest (Sydney, Australia): Heady aromas of pepper, ginger and raspberry. Powerful (but bright) fruit on the palate with good acidity to keep things balanced. Very good length. There is heaps of character here and it took me a while to come around to it, but in the end I thought it was interesting and well worth trying.
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2/3/2013 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Pulled the cork, did a splash decant, and followed over four hours. Served with food (stuffed mushrooms and meatloaf, in case you were wondering.)
Good earthy nose showing spice, berries and some rose petal. Good crunchy notes of cool climate pinot noir. Has a tartness to it that matches with the bright raspberries spice. Silky in texture but ends with a crunchy bite of tart cranberries.
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1/27/2013 - domco wrote: 91 Points
Wasn't showing that well when first opened, decanted, and came back to it about two hours later. Much better, but will probably wait a couple yrs on the next bottle. A little tight, but still some nice red fruit coming through. A little more Pinot funk, and a bit heavier than the Alpine to us.
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1/23/2013 - sehill Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle gave a similar showing to previous experiences with this wine. Based on this showing the wine gives the impression that it will benefit from couple more years of additional bottle age.
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12/31/2012 - VinoDiver wrote: 90 Points
Light body, nice nose of red fruits. The profile opened up after sitting open about an hour, but this lacked any acidity.
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12/23/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 91 Points
I had a tough time getting a read on this, it's approachable but excruciatingly compact. Hard cherry candy, an iron/slate/graphite sort of minerality, and if you close your eyes suddenly everything goes blue. It really does convey this powerful blue tone, there might be some blueberry there but this wine is more than enough to start confusing my senses. Solid base earth tone, there is something green and something floral way in the background. As much as this gives right now, it is a total juggernaut. Clogging tannins too. My rating is today, I don't really know but based on maker this is going way up. 91++.
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12/22/2012 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured. Bright cherry, red fruit, spice and iron on the nose.
Sappy showing red and blue fruit flavors with a silky texture and a touch of saline on the palate. Really delicious.
Long finish.
Well made and showing more CA than Burgundy.
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12/9/2012 - cooberp Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted day after opening. Very rich lavender nose. Black cherry fruit profile, sort of Grenache-like. Medium-bodied. Not really Burgundian, but elegant.
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12/2/2012 - Krugman wrote: 94 Points
Although it was too soon to drink this bottle, I was very curious to see where the 2009 Rhys Horseshoe was at. First, I opened the bottle and let it sit for two hours and then decanted it and let it sit for another two hours. Giving the wine some good oxygen exposure really helped open things up - although the tannins were still relatively firm and there was some slight bitterness on the finish. This is a wonderful California pinot that is very well balanced with extremely silky fruit and nice minerality. On the palate I got blueberries, blackberries, plums, cherries, spices, flowers, earth, crushed rocks, and a touch of mocha. With another few years of age this wine has the potential to add at least another couple points and could really end up as something special. If you have multiple bottles of this, it is worth opening one today in order to experience the wine at different points of development.
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11/20/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured one night with pasta, then finished a couple nights later. Very floral aroma and plum taste. A little bit of spice on the palate as well. I was expecting this to be nowhere near being ready to drink, but this was actually in pretty decent shape.
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11/13/2012 - jakuda wrote:
Baby killing again. Cool room temp. First glass given lots of air. Rest saved for day 2. Very dense, closed aromas. Dark fruits, lavender, wood, spice. Bright fruit and acid in the mouth, uplift in the midpalate, fine but structured tannins give grip. Finish is long and juicy with some pepper spice. Harmonious. As expected this will need lots of time, but couldn't resist opening the Horseshoe.
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11/5/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour or two. Aromatic nose of red fruits and a perfumed sweet green stemmy character. More of the same on the palate, where the latter group of flavors provides a decidedly uplifting note to this wine. Some very fine tannins on the finish. If anything, this will get better over the next couple of years. While the pieces are very much in synch today, I think another few years of bottle age will serve to improve integration. 93+ pts for now, with (my guess) some decent room for improvement.
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9/23/2012 - sehill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and poured, this wine gave a wonderful showing. Having recently tasted the unreleased 2010 Rhys Pinot Noir, "Alpine Vineyard", this bottle gives evidence that the Rhys wines benefit from later release dates (in this case three years from harvest) and additional bottle age. Overall this wine gives an outstanding showing now and leaves the impression that it should benefit from a few more years of bottle age.
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3/17/2012 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
Nose - deep even approach, smoky/savory/smooth dark fruit - morello cherry and a touch of blackberry, mocha and white chocolate.
Pert morello cherry, dried wild savory herbs, berry, zesty, dusty tannins, grippy. Drink '14-'28.
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3/17/2012 - xwine wrote:
Tasted at the pickup event. Color much darker than the 2010 San Mateo, nose is "firmer" than the SM, showing the stem inclusion, nice mix of red and black fruit, palate is tannic, very structured, lovely fruit but very, very firm, well focused, a knockout wine. They say it's about 75% whole cluster, and 13.3% alcohol.
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3/17/2012 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose - spicebox
mouth - tea, nice floral, hints of lighter red fruits, has potential
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3/17/2012 - jakuda wrote:
Tasted during the pickup day. Opened ~12hrs before tasting. Open, dark fruits, with some pepper spice. In the mouth, it exhibits the fine, dry but grippy tannins that I've come to expect from this bottling from the past few years. Good acidic structure. Generous, medium-bodied fruit. Pleasing finish. Shows a bit more open right now, compared to what I remember of the 08 Horseshoe, but the 09 still requires lots of air if opened young. I'm always biased towards Horseshoe, but this one won't disappoint.
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8/17/2011 - sethmorgenlong wrote:
Decanted. Intense aromas of violets, lavender layered with capsicum, cinnamon, strawberry leaf, black cherry juice, Christmas cake, petrichor, slate and roasted coffee bean. Lovely velvet mouthfeel with bright, mouthwatering acid to carry stout and grippy tannin along the slightly sappy finish. Powerful, gorgeous and complex while retaining elegance.
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3/17/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Rhys Visit--All The 2009s From Bottle! (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): 13.3%, 60% new wood and 100% whole cluster. Floral aromatics and a stemmy note. Juicy and bold with black cherry, mineral and some light shadings of licorice. Spicy finish with even some leather. This was the only 2009 Rhys pinot to be decanted.
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