Very good. Short decant in part because I mangled the cork. Red berries, strawberry, spice, moderate acid and tannin. A little stemminess, which was fine. Tasty and fleshed out from front end to back end. We drank it all in one sitting. A nice, middle of the road-styled pinot and in a good spot right now.
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Still fresh enough, some fruit but also spice and meaty elements, like a. Light Syrah. Softer tea elements and some zip on finish, darker fruits maybe now,
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When it was first opened, this showed so much fruit, I wouldn't say primary fruit, but bright and intense fruit -- red cherry, red and yellow plum, raspberry, orange, pomelo -- now, after 10 or so hours open in the bottle, it is so very savory, and the fruit is less prominent.
Aromas of ketchup, autumn leaves, stewed beef, pomegranate molasses, raspberry syrup, cherry jam, and citrus preserves, a little minty herbs and tobacco... tangy and meaty on the palate, spicy and peppery, airy herbs and pine forest, tannins are totally resolved (though I suspect they were never prominent), tart fruit keeps it fresh but this is definitely turning the corner to savory tertiary notes. Long, tart and spicy finish, fresh and vibrant, this is not going to fade soon, it has 5+ years, at least, but I'd also say that don't see improvement from here...
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PnP. Very good aromatics with dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and a touch of herbal. Lots of flavor showing dark cherry, spice, pepper, mild gaminess and herbal on the palate. Soft tannins . Very well balanced with good acidity and freshness of the fruit. Drinking really well. My last bottle.
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Light ruby with garnet edges. Raspberries, strawberries, black plums, rhubarb, red currants, loam, bright coffee, a touch of chocolate, toast, and a touch of vanillin oak. A nice attack of penetrating fruit, smooth and fresh juicy body, medium to high acids, low to medium tannins, low alcohol (12.5%), warm aromatic back notes, very long fragrant finish.
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Good color, maybe showing a tinge of age, some nice light stem spice on the nose, a bit pine forest-y, a bit garrigue-y, deliciously zesty, medium intensity, fruit spectrum is a mix of bright cherry, darker raspberry, some hints of higher toned strawberry, excellent acidity, tannins are quite fine, but just enough to coat the tongue nicely. In a great place for drinking, not sure how much improvement there will be with more bottle age, but should drink nicely up to a decade from now.
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2012 was a really good year for this wine, but my impressions of previous bottles were much better than this one - my last. In particular, the fruit has faded to such an extent that it no longer keeps up with the acid. After a while in the glass, and adaptation of the palate to the acid, I can start to appreciate the comparatively subtle red fruits - underripe strawberry / cranberry, some cherry - and the remaining tannins, but it was pretty far out of balance for my tastes. Perhaps it was an odd bottle, but if I had more, I'd be thinking to drink it soon and to be careful with pairings. It worked out OK with pizza, but wouldn't have worked nearly so well with something less bold/acidic.
Edit: I see recent magnum scores are significantly higher: confirms my thesis?
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-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hrs. --
NOSE: red-fruited, with savory/high-toned background; savory cherry and red currants; gentle, warm spices; not funky.
BODY: violet-ruby color of medium depth with slight bricking throughout; {forgot to note weight}
TASTE: rich, savory cherry; medium-light oak; light leather; medium+ to high acidity; relaxed; no tannins; drinking quite well right now. Gut impression score: 91
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind on Days 1 and 3 --
Ripe, rich, dark red fruits; good acidity; 12.5% alc. not noticeable; in a very nice spot right now; 2012 seems to be a particularly good vintage for this bottling. Excellent! Gut impression score: 92 - 93. Drink Now and over the near term.
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Medium dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour; from 375ml. Ripe nose, cherry cola, raspberry jam, hints of purple flowers, dried spices, cranberry and cigar wrapper. The palate is spicy, ripe dark red berries, blackberry, ground spices; clove, cardamom, lots of pepper, plenty of acid with mild tannins and a sour back end.
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PnP. Aromas of dark cherry, spice, pepper, game and a touch of herbal. Did not need a decant. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and herbalness on the palate. Soft tannins . Very well balanced with nice acidity and freshness of the fruit. In a really good place now.
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Floral nose of red fruits. Light bodied with flavours of cranberry and tart raspberry on the palate leading to a dry finish with good acidity, fine tannin and a bit of sap. Elegant and firm. Good now but will keep.
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This was the second bottle of the evening, for four enthusiastic drinkers, and it disappeared in about three minutes (even though one of the drinkers is an avowed despiser of Pinot Noir). I barely had time to formulate a complete opinion of the wine, though it is clearly ready to drink, it has deep cherry flavors, a lovely structure, moderated but discernible acidity, and probably another two years before its peak.
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Light ruby in color with a nose that had a cranberry and orange mixture going on... This is pretty tart and a finish that is quite good and long if not overly complicated (at least not after opening). Hits more on the back of the tongue than the sides... I like this for sure as it sits more time in the glass. Intriguing aromas that now drift more purple and dark red fruits with lots of spice. Have to believe this has plenty of life left but good now too!
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-- decanted 70 minutes before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over approx. 90 minutes --
NOSE: rich, red fruits --- mostly cherry; a touch high-toned, with medium-light oak; no funk; fairly expressive.
BODY: blood red color of medium-deep depth; slight bricking throughout; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: medium+ to high acidity; no tannin; rich, red fruits, but there is a touch of mid-palate wateriness on the finish, which suggests to me this doesn't have the stuffing to go another ten years in the cellar; red currants; Gala apple skin; Drink Now and over the next few years. Gut impression score: 90 - 91.
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PnP. Notes after about an hour or 2 of air. Medium deep red. Nose of dark fruits, definitely more to the herbal dark flavor end of the spectrum. Quite dense on the palate with good cut and penetrating flavors which are quite lasting on the finish. Would not have picked this as Anderson valley pinot given the dark end of the fruit. Interesting wine at age 9 and will age further, not sure will improve.
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Showing well. I don't know if this will improve significantly from here, so would err on the side of drinking soon. Still leaning to the primary, which may be best for this one.
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Expression is far younger than the last bottle, still displaying tart pomegranate/cranberry, but not much on tertiary notes. This bottle suggests at least another decade of potential before it hits its peak.
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375ml bottle popped-and-poured. Exciting red and black cherry with savory spice aromas. Similar flavors with firm structure that seems far from ready, even in this small format. Medium weight and good length.
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Earthy aromas suggest it has matured more than the palate suggests. Loads of tart pomegranate/cranberry and still some noteworthy acidity. One bottle left and I don’t plan to open it for at least another five years.
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This was a lovely Pinot drinking in a great spot last night! We chose it to celebrate our anniversary last night outside at Table 34. Nice, rustic, earthy nose. The palate showed more of the same with orange peel, tea, and some dusty cranberry. While this will no doubt go longer in the cellar I think it is pretty ideal now.
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I'm with nutty08 on this one, at least as far as the mid-palate goes - was it bitter or just tart? Does this have the stuffing to go the distance? I'm not convinced. Was it just this bottle? Was it me this evening? And, yes, I decanted then aired for an hour and a half. I didn't leave a comment or score for my last bottle, so I don't think I was overly impressed (and I've enjoyed other Rhys wines), sorry to say.
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Expressive nose. Dark cherry notes, quite bright, lots of “interesting” herbal notes that I think must be from the whole cluster. These seem to had a herbaceous lens’s, and bitterness to the mid palate. Distracting at this point. Even after 4hrs air were quite prominent. Palate is otherwise well crafted and poised, ripeness of the fruit well judged and with appropriate acidity. This is a tough one to sort out. Best to hold I think.
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Medium ruby color. Aromas of pomegranate, hibiscus, earthy spices, pine forest, hints of allspice. Dense and medium bodied, with fig driven fruit and sandalwood, tea and floral spice depth. Dry and rough grainy tannins at first, gaining some volume and roundness with air. Moderate acidity, juicy depth on the finish. Good flavor development, grainy and unyielding structurally at first, recommend a decant. Tough to read the potential: 89-90.
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Opened this about an hour ago, and then put a light chill on it. It's come around nicely. What really seems to come through in this bottle is the red apple, very akin to the old Copain Kiser bottlings that are made from the Kiser property next door. And given the extra push of ripeness from the vintage, you could even take a leap and say candied red apple, but in no terms is this a sweet wine. Complementing the red apple is pomegranate, a juicy quality of that fruit, along with a cherry note. Wrapping all of this together is the acidity that comes with Rhys, and the Bearwallow terroir which for me is a soil/loamy infusion to the palate. Finally, there is a cinnamon note woven through the finish, which is the same thing I found in the bottle from last July. With the tang of the acid, the red fruit and this spice note, we could even drop the 'cinnamon red hots' reference, which I do think is accurate, but as I mentioned about the candied red apple, the wine is not cloying. It's hard to not keep buying Bearwallow, and even Porkie Hill, as while I want to focus on the SCM single plot wines which I love, I also do think that Bear's fruit is telling a good story and with some age like this bottle, it's really quite beautiful to see how it's progressing. This is my last 2012 Bear, sacrificed for the Rhys virtual event tonight on Wine Berserkers....of note about the wine on Day 2, more cranberry coming forward, and the acidity really brightening, which is one of the real hallmarks of the 2012 Rhys wines. This is really alive today, and the drinking window, as with many of the 2012s, are simply long and potentially rewarding.
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Briefly decanted. High toned cranberry on both the nose and palate. Resolved tannins, decent finish. But not enough acid or tannins to give it structure. Drink now.
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Wow drinking great. Great color. Deep nose. Raspberry dominates for me. This is really good. Big juicy, acidic dark fruit. Flavor lingers. More Cali than burg but so nice and subtle.
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Interesting that I’m not having the same experience as other TNs here. Not a bad bottle but just much more muted than what others have mentioned. Nose of cranberry, pomegranate, many a hint of sulfur. Palate has a root beer back palate note, some black cherry toward the front. Moderate but drying tannins. Mouthfeel seems a little thin. Lacks depth and complexity. Hoping it’s just in a dumb phase. Have another bottle in the cellar so will wait awhile and try again. Not rating due to my divergent experience.
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I think this needs another couple of years. There’s a back-end bitterness to the tannins in Anderson Valley Pinots at this age and this one is no exception. I always notice it when the wine is between 6-9 years old or so and it doesn’t matter much who made it. It almost reminds me of chickory. Fortunately that back-end bitterness resolves at about the 10 year mark when the red fruit shines through with the best of the savory characteristics. You just have to hope the wine still has substance to get there. This one certainly should although the body and length is maybe not among Rhys’ best, the freshness should carry it. Should improve though and there’s more pleasure to come.
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PnP. Very aromatic. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, game and a touch of herbal. I was surprised as Rhys wines usually need time to open, but this was very good from the start and got better with time. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and herbalness on the palate. There are some tannins in the long finish, but not harsh. Very well balanced with nice acidity and freshnees of the fruit. Just starting to hit a really good spot to open and enjoy. I suspect will be really good for many years to come.
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Side by side 2012 Alpine and 2012 Bearwallow (from 375). These were the most successful vintages I have had to date. Both bottles popped and poured, and tasted over several hours as they opened up. Both showed purity and restraint, both have a bright future but are ready to go with a few hours of air. The Alpine was cooler and more brooding, somewhat snobbish but definitely classy. The Bearwallow more overtly fruity and brash, with crisp cherry fruit and some spice. Both wines showed excellent focus. Very good finish for the Alpine, persisting and delicate, excellent long mouthwatering finish on the Bearwallow with sweet kirsch notes. I've had may Rhys pinots and to me they are always pleasurable but seldom impressive, however these two really sang tonight.
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Just 5 TNs this year, yet there remains 2000 bottles in the CT community inventory. So, that's about .025% of the total amount being logged as notes for this year to date. I find this fascinating, especially with Rhys, that even nearly 7 years out, there aren't more CT users opening these up. I'm going to help then, as I last tried this in 2016 as part of an Anderson Valley event we did here at my place. Opened today's bottle about 30 mins ago, poured a few ounces to a burg stem to write an opener for this TN, with the rest of the wine being enjoyed later today, when I will capture a few more impressions. The aromatics on this are cool, very similar to 2016's bottle: pepper, game, some herbals, probably sounding a lot like syrah. I find that the Bear wines made by Rhys show these qualities, the Bear terroir as I see it. The palate at this moment is smooth, glassy. Juicy dark cherry, dark apple and the same soily note in the bottle I found a few years back. A bit of spicy cinnamon also gets into the wine's core, too. 12.5% ABV, which is just a bonus, also. Finishes with a tangy, spicy, soily tone, the dark cherry holding it all together. In a lovely drinking place now, and I will add some closing remarks tomorrow.....this remained pretty consistent with the previous day, with the tangy quality showing well in the final glass.
Enjoyed this bottle from our cellar at Bouchon with friends last night. It went quite well the Duck Confit special and was very easy to drink on its own. I definitely agree this with improve with a few more years of cellar rest and will become a bit more seamless but it is impressive now.
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Dark cherries, thyme, wild strawberries, and tart plums on the lovely nose. Medium-high acidity with tart dark berries and cherries on the palate. Grippy tannins add structure with a slightly bitter, long finish. Beautiful now, but could use a couple more years to harmonize. 93+
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Just under 3 yrs from my previous btl. This was excellent, but now I'm always going to wonder if it would have been better if I had waited a little longer. On the nose, an intoxicating mix of wild cherry and strawberry, leather, sandalwood, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, all complemented by a touch of earthy funkiness..so complete. On the palate, fantastic acidity, sweet cherry, strawberry, crushed mulberry, a hint of leather and loads of spice...an unfiltered fruity density that is just excellent, some spicy stem notes and just gorgeous velvety mouthfeel. On the finish, the tannin seems very soft and extremely fine, and is complemented by a nice tangy brightness. So much better than my previous btl...wish I had more!
Day 2: open unrefrigerated on the counter overnight. Huh..this is but a shadow of its former self. This makes me unsure whether this will hold up with significant addl age...
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22 months after our prior, this has become a beautifully integrated wine. Dark fruit, some white pepper. Lovely spice, perfect balance. Highly enjoyable over four nights. Sadly, our last — but we suspect this should be doing well for at least three or four more years.
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Clear, medium ruby color. Aromatics of fig & pomegranate fruit, paprika & tea spices, pressed flowers, earth and iron. Opens with snappy red fruit, adding weight and densely layered secondary depth in the middle, consistent with the nose. Well-integrated acid, medium tannins, adding flesh and polish with air. Finishes with dry and sumptuous red fruit and spices, moderate in length. Shows well, but would recommend a vigorous decant or more time.
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Opens with time in the decanter. Surprisingly firm tannins still but they round out over time. Pencil lead and tanned leather on the palate. More Burgundy than California.
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Rhys 2012 Horizontal Tasting: Decanted 1.5 hours -med dark red -aromatic perfumed spicy -med/med+ acidity, med weight taut red/black fruit good minerality with spice/mint element, med fine chalky tannins -very good now early in what should be an extended good drinking window, my #4 of 8 pinots
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Maybe needed to drink this bottle last year as it seems to have peaked. Still good balance with some lingering notes of spice on the finish. Good wine. Nice ruby color in the glass.
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My first Rhys I'm less than enamored. Maybe it needs more time? Cranberry and red apple on the nose, pretty much mirrored on the palate with some mixed berry. Not quite jammy, but thick with fruit. Medium bodied. Decent finish. Inoffensive. Nothing distinctive about this. Not sensing a lot of acidity. I expected more spice, earthiness, and focus, but I really didn't find those things today. If you have this, I'd hold for a few years to see what develops.
Atlanta Does Rhys (Aria, Atlanta, GA): The 2010, 2012, and 2013 Bearwallows share a very similar profile of a fruit cobbler where the rich dark fruit and spices meld together seamlessly. The 2012 showed surprisingly stout tannin after the less structured 2010, and the added structure really helped the nuances of the wine to show through.
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Contrasting with our note nearly 2 years ago, this time we didn't notice any excessively evident sweetness, tho there was some. We perceived mostly lovely Asian spice, saline, and minerality. Again, fine balance and finish.
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Tart red berries -- most notably raspberry, rhubarb, Asian 5-spice, pine needle, mineral. Light and delicate at first, opened up after some time open. Laser-like focus, fine tannins, good acidity and a lingering finish.
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The Deep End - Anderson Valley (FMIII in the OC): The nose didn't explode out of the glass like the last time but still very pleasant sweet berry, almost a blueberry syrup aroma. Red fruit and the herbal thing are working well together. A tobacco leaf note on the finish. You want complexity in your Pinot then here you go. Good stuff.
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Anderson Valley Deep End tasting at my place; 10/22/2016-10/23/2016 (My Place): This drank like Rhys Bear should, really surpassing the 2011 that we had earlier in the evening. I know, we are talking about 2 vintages, both being very different but the contrast was evident. The 2012 got back to what I dig about Bear--cherry, soil, herb and red apple. There is some stem influence here and a little herbal quality, too. I enjoyed this......retasted the following AM from leftover. Wow, so much distinctive, soily cherry notes, touch of game. Then the acidity comes through the back of the finish, like a savory red apple skin quality. This is super, really distinctive this morning and shows what air can do to really frame out a wine, especially drinking them one at a time, doing these retastes of last night's bottles. This is terrific.
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(at Jardinière – SF) Really enjoyed this bottle. The nose was simply captivating: fruit and earth with admirable power. The palate was tight initially but opened well with 60 minutes of air. I think this will be rockin’ in a few years. Great balance. (92+)
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Coravin'd a glass from a 375ml. Wow i thought BW was the weaker vineyard compared to HS, but not these bottles. Cranberry, cherry, some baking spice.. surprisingly balanced for such a young wine. quite tasty.. maybe it just hasn't shut down yet? i'm certainly gonna drink through the half bottles i have
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Nose quite closed, but elegant and showing good potential. Palate restrained but good acid and balance, with a silky mouth feel. An overall elegant impression. If the fruit develops as one would hope, could be very good in 3 years and last several more. At present, could be mistaken for a good Oregon pinot. Best to wait 3 years to open the next bottle.
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Decanted. Open at first, but slowly shut down a bit. Still fairly aromatic, but at first the nose was intense with sandalwood, cranberry and sour cherry. On the palate, darker than the nose suggests with a mix of cherry and cranberry. Medium bodied, well-balanced acidity and a very clean tannic finish.
Very refined. Definitely old-world poise, but lots of new world flair. Needs time though.
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Well made wine, elegant and pretty but with ripe California fruit, good acidity and balance, but... Tasted a little watered down (not just lacking concentration, but like it had water in it - very strange, both my wife and I said this independently without influencing one another). Drink or hold 3-5+.
Tasted over two nights. This has a distinct cooler climate profile. Herbal notes and more subtle some darker fruit on the nose. Nice concentration. Good amount of herbs, menthol and darker fruit. Not sure how many stems are included here but it is definitely on the high side. Overall, a solid wine.
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The nose is dark with a blast of menthol and some grilled meat. The palate is bright with pomegranate like fruit and soke dark tones in the back end. The structure is almost rustic at this point with chalky tannins that last a while. Young but very compelling.
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Last bottle was this past May. Tonight's bottle was pulled to share a flight with the 2009 Copain Kiser En Bas, a wine that is grown on the same proximal site as this Rhys. The intent is to create some contrast and discussion with a multi-course pairing dinner, attended by my daughter, son-in-law and their friends--a nice opportunity to get some great wines open with them and have some fun and education. So this Rhys, which has been on my short list for WOTY for 2015. Opened about an hour ago. What's here? First thing that screams out is intensity with balance. There is a minerally, cherry fruit, accented by what to me seems like a shading of whole cluster, although I am unsure how much the 12s saw. Finishes with same intense cherry that carries long into the finish, and a shading of red apple, which is always for me what Copain Kiser often shows. As I often say and prefer in my wines almost universally now, there is no booze nor wood tones showing here--none of it. Thus, the wine gets to show the red fruit and depth that is here. Boy, this is good and will pair a great contrast with the Copain En Bas.
This is a well made wine that shows a lot of balance with a very nice finish. Typical Rhys with an understated, non fruit forward style that pairs very well with food. Some of best Pinots made in California, IMHO. Could benefit from another 2 years in the cellar, but drinking very nice right now.
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Really good. Light. Good acidity, but not overwhelming. Subtle tannins. Enough fruit/oak to provide structure and weight, but not any more. Better with some air, as that toned down the fruit a bit and allowed some of the deeper notes through.
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Fascinating & surprising. Darker colored than most Pinot, but with high toned bright fruit. Artistic Pinot Noir. The acidic balance is memorable here, but as those tannins emerge this really shows some power. Medium bodied & fresh with some tension on the palate. Some angularity which will mellow with bottle age & some air. This bottle disappeared quickly at dinner, so we didn't get to see it blossom to full bloom. The spicy layers show through the mid palate & play off that acid and my salmon brilliantly. That is the beauty of this wine, the finesse with the food, the subtle working of its own complexity. Rhys wines stop me in my meal and my thoughts. Excellent as always.
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Very good wine. Raspberry, cranberry, and tart cherry with a crushed gravel undertone. I opened this 3 hours before consuming. I would think that this still needs a few years of cellaring.
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Splash decanted (375ml). Bright red fruit, bramble and spice on nose. Medium weight fruit on palate that is delightfully tense, layered, mineral and a bit tight at this juncture. This was very pleasurable now, has a long life ahead and we loved it with seared Ahi tuna. Almost a 'holy cow' wine as everything was in such balance and full of expression.
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Double-decanted and then let breathe for one hour. Tight and unyielding for the most part. Top note mostly strawberry with hint of raspberry, mineral, some spice. Found it dry and tannic at this stage, but has potential to improve with more age.
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When a wine can repeat excellence on more than one occasion, that is a big gate of success for me to judge greatness. And when the same wine poured blind can illicit similar responses from others, than it's further testament that something really high class is at work in the bottle. I drank this wine again last night, with Brig Campbell at the table (he has the previous note in CT), and concur with his enthusiasm. Last night's bottle (served blind) was in total as good as the one I wrote up from February. Perfumed, beautiful balance, lots of cherry fruit and acidity, then an underpinning of mineral structure. Just an awesome showing. I would expect this wine to finish as one of my contenders for WOTY in 2015, given how it has now showed twice. The real deal, man.
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Oh sweet Jesus, this EXPLODES out of the decanter and fills the table with aromas when it's poured into the glasses and we were outside... The last wine that showed like this was... <drumroll please> The 2013 Bearwallow. What's going on in this vineyard? Silly.
There's a great moss, cherry, and red berry notes and flavors. Finishes with more of a pomegranate. Terrific complexity. A+ WOTN for everyone but me, my second, because I fell in love with a burg.
Note: This Wine was open and decanted 5 hours prior to drinking.
Color: Medium Red Cherry in appearance. Looks rather clear and not cloudy.
Nose: Very Pretty floral notes with a slight touch of oak in the background. Really nice and in a way reminds me of of young Williams Seylem wine insofar the smell has silky red fruit overtones that is definitely not Burgundy but very attractive.
Taste on Day 1: Medium body with a definite acid spine on the finish. This wine needs time to blossom but right now it is showing a good depth of mostly medium red cherry fruit with great balance but much of the nuances and complexity remains hidden under a middle weight frame structure of fruit. The 2012 San Mateo I had some time back was more open and lush compared to this wine but there is more going on with this Bearwallow terms of complex flavors and greater substance. I like this wine and if there was a California interpretation of a exotic Vosne Romane this might qualify for a top village wine that locality (Like Mugneret-Gibourg). Will probally let this sit for 3-5 more years and try another bottle then. Really lovely the more I sip. Will see how it preforms on day 2. Score 91+ today.
Day 2: This wine has closed up somewhat relative to the 1st day. Very similar to the 2012 San Mateo wine five months previous. The fruit is darker and the structure is larger,more reserved and more restrained. This wine is best enjoyed on Day 1 as there is simply more showing compared to the more massive structure now. Still a very good wine but since so much is hidden it is best to lay these away and forget until 2018-2020 at least. Recommended for the patent indeed.
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Confounding wine in a way - thought right away this had a hint of TCA but went back and forth on it, having it over two nights. Smelled like faint TCA but the palate is expressive, with acid out front but also delicious fruit at times. the TCA smell didn't get progressively worse, as it usually does. I'm usually pretty confident about calling corked wine but this one had me asking: Can a wine be this stemmy to almost smell like TCA?
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Deep and well-balanced, if a touch sweet at this point. (By the way, this is for us one of the most beautiful vineyards in California -- and it is a pleasure to finally drink the product from the lovely site we have seen for many years, rounding the corner on the road from the coast.)
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Opened and poured, the aromatics begin with generous dark cherry fruit with a subtle spice and underlying earth notes. The color is a youthful medium to dark ruby. The medium bodied palate shows forward, youthful fruit with a medium length finish that concludes with subtle tannins. At this stage the wine gives balanced, youthful fruit with just enough tannin structure to give this some firmness on the palate. This drinks well and may benefit from an additional year or two of bottle age.
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From a 375ml. Balance, balance, balance. Spicy red fruits that just slide across the palate and keep going. Drinking very well now, perhaps a bit strong on the bitterness. I suspect that will integrate with a bit more time.
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I was a bit confused at the wide perspectives on this wine based on the limited notes in the database. So, I wanted to see how I would react to the wine in my own glass, with a plan to drink this across 2-3 nights. Initial reaction? Oooh, this is good. Those that made comments about stemmy tones or structure, I just don't find these yet. I've had the bottle open about an hour and what I do find is a distinct meaty note and supportive acidity. A soily, wet leaf, mulch note with a touch of sweet leather and lots of red cherry. Really unique. Not sure where the wine heads over the next few days but I'll reload this note over the next few nights and put my perspective in. At about 90 mins open, I start to see some structure starts to emerge, tightening up the finish......Day 2, retrying without food, intentionally to see how the wine shows without any other inputs around it. Perfect serving temp, as well. Man, this is good stuff. The cherry really shines through today, as juicy, vibrant with a shading of blue fruit that was not present yesterday. Some accents of spice, from what is I am sure soil and stem, these are accents that season the wine nicely. There is structure here today, seen in the lean edges of the red fruit and the bit of grip that carries the finish, showing that same meaty edge and soily note. Damn, rings like a Burg. This is a leaner, red fruited style so it's going to ring true for the CA pinot palate that seeks out this style. I seem to thrive on it now so this fits well for me. Drink window? Ehh, no rush. Delicious now with the structure and energy, but likely to go several years out. Adding to the WOTY list.
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted a couple glasses non-blind over approx. two hours -- -- 375mL --
NOSE: ripe, sweet cherry; medium-light oak; nice savory/green/dried herbs aspect – from the stems, perhaps?
BODY: light garnet color of medium depth; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: Dang! This is very good. Nice acidity and some fine tannins; red-fruited; moderate green/stalky note; ripe; nice stuffing; very long finish; light oak note, which was highlighted when paired with pork loin and light BBQ sauce. This is an excellent wine.
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Rhys Pickup Event (Rhys Vineyards): Very deep and intense and wild berry nose (blackberries?). Palate is well structured and deep, though the finish was a bit clipped. Very good.
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Young and primary, but full nose of black cherry and spice. Big, fuller bodied black cherry fruit profile with structure to match. Primary. Tough to get a read other than to say this has plenty of stuffing.
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An Epic Night of Rhys (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is extremely tight. It takes some serious coaxing to reveal red fruits, red florals, fresh picked berries, currants, red cherries, and spice tones. There is excellent depth when it actually shows, but the tightness is very serious.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and good tannins. The structure is pretty imposing right now with red fruits, fresh picked berries, currants, red cherries, and spice tones poking through underneath.
Overall: This isn't even close to ready for primetime. The stuffing is really good, it will just take a good while to fully show itself.
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Popped and poured from 375. Stunning, vibrant purplish-red color. Reserved nose of primary red fruit with a touch of spice. Compact flavor expression on the palate. Plenty of fruit, but likely closed down a bit at the moment. Showed some mineral after being open a few hours. Silky smooth texture and a nice touch of acid gives it absolutely perfect balance. Slightly tannic on the finish. This is in need of many years in the cellar, but should be absolutely thrilling with sufficient bottle age.
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Earthy, mineral nose. Shares a licorice-inflected profile with the 2008 and 2011 Bearwallow pinots also in the flight. Has a generosity of fruit that should make this the best of the three in time, but this has so much structure and stemminess now that I would not recommend opening one of these for 4-5 years. 90+
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Elegant, medium-bodied, pure dark strawberry/raspberry fruit, very clean, floral flavors, excellent structure, ample finish, obviously young but tannins not overwhelming, reminiscent of a Rochioli pinot
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Really impressive Bearwallow, maybe the best yet. Unlike the Family Farm this didn't need any time after uncorking to get into gear. It feels milder in concentration than the Family Farm, with the result that it is also less primary and shows some stony earth under the fruit, and is very, very drinkable - goes down so easy. Again, no signs of stems or oak here. I'm not sure I would have ID'd this as a California wine blind.
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Enjoying tasting my way through the 2012 Rhys lineup (love the 375s!). This one is a bit more approachable than the Alpine, though I think the Alpine has more upside potential. That said, this is delicious and hard to resist.
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Very clearly Anderson Valley in profile. Excellent balance of acidity and depth. Tiny bit of stems on the finish but not very noticeable. No harm in opening one now.
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Rhys Vineyards Tasting -- Barrel and Bottle (Rhys Vineyards): A boysenberry/cranberry quality on both the nose and palate really distinguish the Bearwallow from the other pinots in the Rhys lineup. Kevin describes it as “wild berry,” which may be a better way of putting it. It shows some light spice, and is rich, deep and long on the finish. Very nice. 20% whole cluster.
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3/23/2024 - Robert R. Likes this wine:
Very good. Short decant in part because I mangled the cork. Red berries, strawberry, spice, moderate acid and tannin. A little stemminess, which was fine. Tasty and fleshed out from front end to back end. We drank it all in one sitting. A nice, middle of the road-styled pinot and in a good spot right now.
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3/1/2024 - Mbad77 wrote: 92 Points
Still fresh enough, some fruit but also spice and meaty elements, like a. Light Syrah. Softer tea elements and some zip on finish, darker fruits maybe now,
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2/3/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:
When it was first opened, this showed so much fruit, I wouldn't say primary fruit, but bright and intense fruit -- red cherry, red and yellow plum, raspberry, orange, pomelo -- now, after 10 or so hours open in the bottle, it is so very savory, and the fruit is less prominent.
Aromas of ketchup, autumn leaves, stewed beef, pomegranate molasses, raspberry syrup, cherry jam, and citrus preserves, a little minty herbs and tobacco... tangy and meaty on the palate, spicy and peppery, airy herbs and pine forest, tannins are totally resolved (though I suspect they were never prominent), tart fruit keeps it fresh but this is definitely turning the corner to savory tertiary notes. Long, tart and spicy finish, fresh and vibrant, this is not going to fade soon, it has 5+ years, at least, but I'd also say that don't see improvement from here...
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1/20/2024 - BigTex22 Likes this wine:
Still has a ton of primary fruit but lacks structure. Drink now or hold.
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12/10/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious tart red cherry and strawberry with spice and earth notes on the nose and palate with refreshing acidity on the long finish.
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12/8/2023 - gharter Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Very good aromatics with dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and a touch of herbal. Lots of flavor showing dark cherry, spice, pepper, mild gaminess and herbal on the palate. Soft tannins . Very well balanced with good acidity and freshness of the fruit. Drinking really well. My last bottle.
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10/26/2023 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
still fairly tannic on opening
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8/9/2023 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light ruby with garnet edges. Raspberries, strawberries, black plums, rhubarb, red currants, loam, bright coffee, a touch of chocolate, toast, and a touch of vanillin oak. A nice attack of penetrating fruit, smooth and fresh juicy body, medium to high acids, low to medium tannins, low alcohol (12.5%), warm aromatic back notes, very long fragrant finish.
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8/3/2023 - alanr wrote: 91 Points
Good color, maybe showing a tinge of age, some nice light stem spice on the nose, a bit pine forest-y, a bit garrigue-y, deliciously zesty, medium intensity, fruit spectrum is a mix of bright cherry, darker raspberry, some hints of higher toned strawberry, excellent acidity, tannins are quite fine, but just enough to coat the tongue nicely. In a great place for drinking, not sure how much improvement there will be with more bottle age, but should drink nicely up to a decade from now.
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8/2/2023 - jjct Likes this wine:
Nice middle aged AV pinot. Crunchy red fruit, well balanced, a bit rustic on the finish.
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6/23/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar tasting note to previous bottle.
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2/12/2023 - DrPhyzx Likes this wine: 90 Points
2012 was a really good year for this wine, but my impressions of previous bottles were much better than this one - my last. In particular, the fruit has faded to such an extent that it no longer keeps up with the acid. After a while in the glass, and adaptation of the palate to the acid, I can start to appreciate the comparatively subtle red fruits - underripe strawberry / cranberry, some cherry - and the remaining tannins, but it was pretty far out of balance for my tastes. Perhaps it was an odd bottle, but if I had more, I'd be thinking to drink it soon and to be careful with pairings. It worked out OK with pizza, but wouldn't have worked nearly so well with something less bold/acidic.
Edit: I see recent magnum scores are significantly higher: confirms my thesis?
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2/2/2023 - Tree512 wrote: 90 Points
Light on its feet, strawberry on the palate, ready to go. Not particularly deep or complex but very moreish.
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12/22/2022 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hrs. --
NOSE: red-fruited, with savory/high-toned background; savory cherry and red currants; gentle, warm spices; not funky.
BODY: violet-ruby color of medium depth with slight bricking throughout; {forgot to note weight}
TASTE: rich, savory cherry; medium-light oak; light leather; medium+ to high acidity; relaxed; no tannins; drinking quite well right now. Gut impression score: 91
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11/24/2022 - kabert Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely. Dark cherries and raspberries. Some tartness and spice on the finish. Excellent accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner. From magnum.
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4/3/2022 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good but wouldn’t choose again. Wasn’t my type of California Pinot — a little flat and the fruit hidden.
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2/28/2022 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind on Days 1 and 3 --
Ripe, rich, dark red fruits; good acidity; 12.5% alc. not noticeable; in a very nice spot right now; 2012 seems to be a particularly good vintage for this bottling. Excellent! Gut impression score: 92 - 93. Drink Now and over the near term.
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2/26/2022 - lockestep Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very pleasant but lacking in interest beyond that. Drink or hold, maybe it will pick up something going forward.
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2/11/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Medium dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour; from 375ml. Ripe nose, cherry cola, raspberry jam, hints of purple flowers, dried spices, cranberry and cigar wrapper. The palate is spicy, ripe dark red berries, blackberry, ground spices; clove, cardamom, lots of pepper, plenty of acid with mild tannins and a sour back end.
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12/17/2021 - gharter Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. Aromas of dark cherry, spice, pepper, game and a touch of herbal. Did not need a decant. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and herbalness on the palate. Soft tannins . Very well balanced with nice acidity and freshness of the fruit. In a really good place now.
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12/1/2021 - bonedoc wrote:
overshadowed by '2010 mt eden estate chard, but very delicious burgundy style.
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11/26/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
Out of magnum, paired perfectly w thanksgiving. Cherries pomegranate a touch of orange , burgundy meets Cali. Bravo!
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10/13/2021 - Charlie Carnes wrote:
This was weak tonight. Dumped it!
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9/25/2021 - porkandsalmon wrote:
Floral nose of red fruits. Light bodied with flavours of cranberry and tart raspberry on the palate leading to a dry finish with good acidity, fine tannin and a bit of sap. Elegant and firm. Good now but will keep.
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8/9/2021 - bonedoc wrote:
Restrained Cali pn w brine, salinity notes.
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7/14/2021 - talbot61 wrote: 91 Points
This was the second bottle of the evening, for four enthusiastic drinkers, and it disappeared in about three minutes (even though one of the drinkers is an avowed despiser of Pinot Noir). I barely had time to formulate a complete opinion of the wine, though it is clearly ready to drink, it has deep cherry flavors, a lovely structure, moderated but discernible acidity, and probably another two years before its peak.
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6/30/2021 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light ruby in color with a nose that had a cranberry and orange mixture going on... This is pretty tart and a finish that is quite good and long if not overly complicated (at least not after opening). Hits more on the back of the tongue than the sides... I like this for sure as it sits more time in the glass. Intriguing aromas that now drift more purple and dark red fruits with lots of spice. Have to believe this has plenty of life left but good now too!
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6/10/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and drank over 1 hour, pretty red some purple fruits, round, a touch of minerals, nicely done.
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6/8/2021 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted 70 minutes before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 90 minutes --
NOSE: rich, red fruits --- mostly cherry; a touch high-toned, with medium-light oak; no funk; fairly expressive.
BODY: blood red color of medium-deep depth; slight bricking throughout; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: medium+ to high acidity; no tannin; rich, red fruits, but there is a touch of mid-palate wateriness on the finish, which suggests to me this doesn't have the stuffing to go another ten years in the cellar; red currants; Gala apple skin; Drink Now and over the next few years. Gut impression score: 90 - 91.
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6/4/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Notes after about an hour or 2 of air. Medium deep red. Nose of dark fruits, definitely more to the herbal dark flavor end of the spectrum. Quite dense on the palate with good cut and penetrating flavors which are quite lasting on the finish. Would not have picked this as Anderson valley pinot given the dark end of the fruit. Interesting wine at age 9 and will age further, not sure will improve.
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5/5/2021 - lockestep Likes this wine: 89 Points
Showing well. I don't know if this will improve significantly from here, so would err on the side of drinking soon. Still leaning to the primary, which may be best for this one.
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3/8/2021 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Expression is far younger than the last bottle, still displaying tart pomegranate/cranberry, but not much on tertiary notes. This bottle suggests at least another decade of potential before it hits its peak.
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10/28/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
375ml bottle popped-and-poured. Exciting red and black cherry with savory spice aromas. Similar flavors with firm structure that seems far from ready, even in this small format. Medium weight and good length.
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10/20/2020 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy aromas suggest it has matured more than the palate suggests. Loads of tart pomegranate/cranberry and still some noteworthy acidity. One bottle left and I don’t plan to open it for at least another five years.
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9/11/2020 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a lovely Pinot drinking in a great spot last night! We chose it to celebrate our anniversary last night outside at Table 34. Nice, rustic, earthy nose. The palate showed more of the same with orange peel, tea, and some dusty cranberry. While this will no doubt go longer in the cellar I think it is pretty ideal now.
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8/26/2020 - kcp wrote:
I'm with nutty08 on this one, at least as far as the mid-palate goes - was it bitter or just tart? Does this have the stuffing to go the distance? I'm not convinced. Was it just this bottle? Was it me this evening? And, yes, I decanted then aired for an hour and a half. I didn't leave a comment or score for my last bottle, so I don't think I was overly impressed (and I've enjoyed other Rhys wines), sorry to say.
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7/12/2020 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Expressive nose. Dark cherry notes, quite bright, lots of “interesting” herbal notes that I think must be from the whole cluster. These seem to had a herbaceous lens’s, and bitterness to the mid palate. Distracting at this point. Even after 4hrs air were quite prominent. Palate is otherwise well crafted and poised, ripeness of the fruit well judged and with appropriate acidity. This is a tough one to sort out. Best to hold I think.
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6/27/2020 - MattMauldin wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby color. Aromas of pomegranate, hibiscus, earthy spices, pine forest, hints of allspice. Dense and medium bodied, with fig driven fruit and sandalwood, tea and floral spice depth. Dry and rough grainy tannins at first, gaining some volume and roundness with air. Moderate acidity, juicy depth on the finish. Good flavor development, grainy and unyielding structurally at first, recommend a decant. Tough to read the potential: 89-90.
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5/13/2020 - Charlie Carnes wrote: flawed
This was a little grapey, and a little flat. Off bottle, not representative.
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4/24/2020 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Has definitely improved with age. Smooth Burgundian acid, stems keep the backbone to this with raspberry and just a touch of licorice.
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4/16/2020 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened this about an hour ago, and then put a light chill on it. It's come around nicely. What really seems to come through in this bottle is the red apple, very akin to the old Copain Kiser bottlings that are made from the Kiser property next door. And given the extra push of ripeness from the vintage, you could even take a leap and say candied red apple, but in no terms is this a sweet wine. Complementing the red apple is pomegranate, a juicy quality of that fruit, along with a cherry note. Wrapping all of this together is the acidity that comes with Rhys, and the Bearwallow terroir which for me is a soil/loamy infusion to the palate. Finally, there is a cinnamon note woven through the finish, which is the same thing I found in the bottle from last July. With the tang of the acid, the red fruit and this spice note, we could even drop the 'cinnamon red hots' reference, which I do think is accurate, but as I mentioned about the candied red apple, the wine is not cloying. It's hard to not keep buying Bearwallow, and even Porkie Hill, as while I want to focus on the SCM single plot wines which I love, I also do think that Bear's fruit is telling a good story and with some age like this bottle, it's really quite beautiful to see how it's progressing. This is my last 2012 Bear, sacrificed for the Rhys virtual event tonight on Wine Berserkers....of note about the wine on Day 2, more cranberry coming forward, and the acidity really brightening, which is one of the real hallmarks of the 2012 Rhys wines. This is really alive today, and the drinking window, as with many of the 2012s, are simply long and potentially rewarding.
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3/22/2020 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Briefly decanted. High toned cranberry on both the nose and palate. Resolved tannins, decent finish. But not enough acid or tannins to give it structure. Drink now.
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3/20/2020 - Beezc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well after opening but really blossomed with a 30 min decant. Definitely in a good window and can hold if you would like. But why?
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3/20/2020 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow drinking great. Great color. Deep nose. Raspberry dominates for me. This is really good. Big juicy, acidic dark fruit. Flavor lingers. More Cali than burg but so nice and subtle.
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3/5/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 91 Points
NEED A LITTLE AIR.
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1/22/2020 - chadrich wrote:
Interesting that I’m not having the same experience as other TNs here. Not a bad bottle but just much more muted than what others have mentioned. Nose of cranberry, pomegranate, many a hint of sulfur. Palate has a root beer back palate note, some black cherry toward the front. Moderate but drying tannins. Mouthfeel seems a little thin. Lacks depth and complexity. Hoping it’s just in a dumb phase. Have another bottle in the cellar so will wait awhile and try again. Not rating due to my divergent experience.
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1/10/2020 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
I think this needs another couple of years. There’s a back-end bitterness to the tannins in Anderson Valley Pinots at this age and this one is no exception. I always notice it when the wine is between 6-9 years old or so and it doesn’t matter much who made it. It almost reminds me of chickory. Fortunately that back-end bitterness resolves at about the 10 year mark when the red fruit shines through with the best of the savory characteristics. You just have to hope the wine still has substance to get there. This one certainly should although the body and length is maybe not among Rhys’ best, the freshness should carry it. Should improve though and there’s more pleasure to come.
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11/1/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious tart red cherry and strawberry with spice and earth notes on the nose and palate with vibrant refreshing acidity on the long finish.
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8/25/2019 - gharter Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. Very aromatic. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, game and a touch of herbal. I was surprised as Rhys wines usually need time to open, but this was very good from the start and got better with time. Dark cherry, spice, pepper, a gaminess and herbalness on the palate. There are some tannins in the long finish, but not harsh. Very well balanced with nice acidity and freshnees of the fruit. Just starting to hit a really good spot to open and enjoy. I suspect will be really good for many years to come.
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7/30/2019 - ron m wrote:
Side by side 2012 Alpine and 2012 Bearwallow (from 375). These were the most successful vintages I have had to date. Both bottles popped and poured, and tasted over several hours as they opened up. Both showed purity and restraint, both have a bright future but are ready to go with a few hours of air. The Alpine was cooler and more brooding, somewhat snobbish but definitely classy. The Bearwallow more overtly fruity and brash, with crisp cherry fruit and some spice. Both wines showed excellent focus. Very good finish for the Alpine, persisting and delicate, excellent long mouthwatering finish on the Bearwallow with sweet kirsch notes. I've had may Rhys pinots and to me they are always pleasurable but seldom impressive, however these two really sang tonight.
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7/4/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Just 5 TNs this year, yet there remains 2000 bottles in the CT community inventory. So, that's about .025% of the total amount being logged as notes for this year to date. I find this fascinating, especially with Rhys, that even nearly 7 years out, there aren't more CT users opening these up. I'm going to help then, as I last tried this in 2016 as part of an Anderson Valley event we did here at my place. Opened today's bottle about 30 mins ago, poured a few ounces to a burg stem to write an opener for this TN, with the rest of the wine being enjoyed later today, when I will capture a few more impressions. The aromatics on this are cool, very similar to 2016's bottle: pepper, game, some herbals, probably sounding a lot like syrah. I find that the Bear wines made by Rhys show these qualities, the Bear terroir as I see it. The palate at this moment is smooth, glassy. Juicy dark cherry, dark apple and the same soily note in the bottle I found a few years back. A bit of spicy cinnamon also gets into the wine's core, too. 12.5% ABV, which is just a bonus, also. Finishes with a tangy, spicy, soily tone, the dark cherry holding it all together. In a lovely drinking place now, and I will add some closing remarks tomorrow.....this remained pretty consistent with the previous day, with the tangy quality showing well in the final glass.
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3/5/2019 - rhit wrote:
Black cherry, nice texture, grippy tannin. Should have had it with pork.
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2/7/2019 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed this bottle from our cellar at Bouchon with friends last night. It went quite well the Duck Confit special and was very easy to drink on its own. I definitely agree this with improve with a few more years of cellar rest and will become a bit more seamless but it is impressive now.
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2/1/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherries, thyme, wild strawberries, and tart plums on the lovely nose. Medium-high acidity with tart dark berries and cherries on the palate. Grippy tannins add structure with a slightly bitter, long finish. Beautiful now, but could use a couple more years to harmonize. 93+
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1/30/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Just under 3 yrs from my previous btl. This was excellent, but now I'm always going to wonder if it would have been better if I had waited a little longer. On the nose, an intoxicating mix of wild cherry and strawberry, leather, sandalwood, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, all complemented by a touch of earthy funkiness..so complete. On the palate, fantastic acidity, sweet cherry, strawberry, crushed mulberry, a hint of leather and loads of spice...an unfiltered fruity density that is just excellent, some spicy stem notes and just gorgeous velvety mouthfeel. On the finish, the tannin seems very soft and extremely fine, and is complemented by a nice tangy brightness. So much better than my previous btl...wish I had more!
Day 2: open unrefrigerated on the counter overnight. Huh..this is but a shadow of its former self. This makes me unsure whether this will hold up with significant addl age...
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1/7/2019 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs time but I like this vineyard from their range. Buy more Bearwallow.
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11/10/2018 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
22 months after our prior, this has become a beautifully integrated wine. Dark fruit, some white pepper. Lovely spice, perfect balance. Highly enjoyable over four nights. Sadly, our last — but we suspect this should be doing well for at least three or four more years.
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10/7/2018 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear, medium ruby color. Aromatics of fig & pomegranate fruit, paprika & tea spices, pressed flowers, earth and iron. Opens with snappy red fruit, adding weight and densely layered secondary depth in the middle, consistent with the nose. Well-integrated acid, medium tannins, adding flesh and polish with air. Finishes with dry and sumptuous red fruit and spices, moderate in length. Shows well, but would recommend a vigorous decant or more time.
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8/22/2018 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opens with time in the decanter. Surprisingly firm tannins still but they round out over time. Pencil lead and tanned leather on the palate. More Burgundy than California.
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8/4/2018 - rama Likes this wine:
Double decanted from split, consumed over a few hours. Still quiet youthful, give this air or wait longer.
Sweet spice on the nose, dark fruited and bright, creamy and saline. Elegant and long finish.
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6/24/2018 - mbo1 wrote: 92 Points
Floral with red fruit notes. Nice acidity. Not much to say, but just a really good bottle.
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1/15/2018 - Sour Grapes Likes this wine: 91 Points
Starting to open up nicely with an hour of air. Enjoyed the 2012 much more than the 2011.
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12/10/2017 - silton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sour plums and earthy black cherries, basically as advertised.
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11/19/2017 - soyhead wrote:
from magnum. showing nicely. savory plum, a good accompaniment to vietnamese fusion
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8/28/2017 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Ripe fruit, but it is delicious. Berries, licorice, lots of acidity, long finish. Easy to drink.
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8/27/2017 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Rhys 2012 Horizontal Tasting: Decanted 1.5 hours
-med dark red
-aromatic perfumed spicy
-med/med+ acidity, med weight taut red/black fruit good minerality with spice/mint element, med fine chalky tannins
-very good now early in what should be an extended good drinking window, my #4 of 8 pinots
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6/17/2017 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe needed to drink this bottle last year as it seems to have peaked. Still good balance with some lingering notes of spice on the finish. Good wine. Nice ruby color in the glass.
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6/7/2017 - Eric.S wrote:
My first Rhys I'm less than enamored. Maybe it needs more time?
Cranberry and red apple on the nose, pretty much mirrored on the palate with some mixed berry. Not quite jammy, but thick with fruit. Medium bodied. Decent finish. Inoffensive. Nothing distinctive about this. Not sensing a lot of acidity.
I expected more spice, earthiness, and focus, but I really didn't find those things today. If you have this, I'd hold for a few years to see what develops.
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5/2/2017 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Atlanta Does Rhys (Aria, Atlanta, GA): The 2010, 2012, and 2013 Bearwallows share a very similar profile of a fruit cobbler where the rich dark fruit and spices meld together seamlessly. The 2012 showed surprisingly stout tannin after the less structured 2010, and the added structure really helped the nuances of the wine to show through.
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2/11/2017 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Contrasting with our note nearly 2 years ago, this time we didn't notice any excessively evident sweetness, tho there was some. We perceived mostly lovely Asian spice, saline, and minerality. Again, fine balance and finish.
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10/27/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote:
Tart red berries -- most notably raspberry, rhubarb, Asian 5-spice, pine needle, mineral. Light and delicate at first, opened up after some time open. Laser-like focus, fine tannins, good acidity and a lingering finish.
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10/23/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
The Deep End - Anderson Valley (FMIII in the OC): The nose didn't explode out of the glass like the last time but still very pleasant sweet berry, almost a blueberry syrup aroma. Red fruit and the herbal thing are working well together. A tobacco leaf note on the finish. You want complexity in your Pinot then here you go. Good stuff.
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10/23/2016 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Anderson Valley Deep End tasting at my place; 10/22/2016-10/23/2016 (My Place): This drank like Rhys Bear should, really surpassing the 2011 that we had earlier in the evening. I know, we are talking about 2 vintages, both being very different but the contrast was evident. The 2012 got back to what I dig about Bear--cherry, soil, herb and red apple. There is some stem influence here and a little herbal quality, too. I enjoyed this......retasted the following AM from leftover. Wow, so much distinctive, soily cherry notes, touch of game. Then the acidity comes through the back of the finish, like a savory red apple skin quality. This is super, really distinctive this morning and shows what air can do to really frame out a wine, especially drinking them one at a time, doing these retastes of last night's bottles. This is terrific.
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10/7/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
(at Jardinière – SF) Really enjoyed this bottle. The nose was simply captivating: fruit and earth with admirable power. The palate was tight initially but opened well with 60 minutes of air. I think this will be rockin’ in a few years. Great balance. (92+)
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8/30/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Needs about an hour of air to shine. Plenty of fruit, licorice, baking spices, and excellent acidity. I am becoming a fan of Bearwallow.
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7/2/2016 - Stumpy wrote: 88 Points
Decent bottle but a touch too light and thin for our tastes.
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6/4/2016 - John O' Likes this wine:
a bit muted at first. terrific when it opened up
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5/5/2016 - mye wrote: 90 Points
Coravin'd a glass from a 375ml. Wow i thought BW was the weaker vineyard compared to HS, but not these bottles. Cranberry, cherry, some baking spice.. surprisingly balanced for such a young wine. quite tasty.. maybe it just hasn't shut down yet? i'm certainly gonna drink through the half bottles i have
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3/6/2016 - Dennis Graves wrote: 92 Points
Nose quite closed, but elegant and showing good potential. Palate restrained but good acid and balance, with a silky mouth feel. An overall elegant impression. If the fruit develops as one would hope, could be very good in 3 years and last several more. At present, could be mistaken for a good Oregon pinot.
Best to wait 3 years to open the next bottle.
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2/25/2016 - Stumpy wrote: 89 Points
Too early to drink. Potential is there but seemed a bit closed down.
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2/16/2016 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 92 Points
Delicious. Balanced.
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2/3/2016 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Decanted. Open at first, but slowly shut down a bit. Still fairly aromatic, but at first the nose was intense with sandalwood, cranberry and sour cherry. On the palate, darker than the nose suggests with a mix of cherry and cranberry. Medium bodied, well-balanced acidity and a very clean tannic finish.
Very refined. Definitely old-world poise, but lots of new world flair. Needs time though.
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1/8/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Well made wine, elegant and pretty but with ripe California fruit, good acidity and balance, but... Tasted a little watered down (not just lacking concentration, but like it had water in it - very strange, both my wife and I said this independently without influencing one another). Drink or hold 3-5+.
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1/2/2016 - crna1163 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome. Excellent red fruit cherries and strawberries. Great finish.
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1/2/2016 - crna1163 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice dark red fruit. Very subtle and smooth. Might benefit from decanting.
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11/8/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Tasted over two nights. This has a distinct cooler climate profile. Herbal notes and more subtle some darker fruit on the nose. Nice concentration. Good amount of herbs, menthol and darker fruit. Not sure how many stems are included here but it is definitely on the high side. Overall, a solid wine.
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11/7/2015 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Nice dark fruit profile. Black cherry, dark plum. minerality. Nose shows some herbaceous notes. Palate better than nose. Medium finish is pleasant.
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10/28/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
The nose is dark with a blast of menthol and some grilled meat. The palate is bright with pomegranate like fruit and soke dark tones in the back end. The structure is almost rustic at this point with chalky tannins that last a while. Young but very compelling.
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10/24/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Last bottle was this past May. Tonight's bottle was pulled to share a flight with the 2009 Copain Kiser En Bas, a wine that is grown on the same proximal site as this Rhys. The intent is to create some contrast and discussion with a multi-course pairing dinner, attended by my daughter, son-in-law and their friends--a nice opportunity to get some great wines open with them and have some fun and education. So this Rhys, which has been on my short list for WOTY for 2015. Opened about an hour ago. What's here? First thing that screams out is intensity with balance. There is a minerally, cherry fruit, accented by what to me seems like a shading of whole cluster, although I am unsure how much the 12s saw. Finishes with same intense cherry that carries long into the finish, and a shading of red apple, which is always for me what Copain Kiser often shows. As I often say and prefer in my wines almost universally now, there is no booze nor wood tones showing here--none of it. Thus, the wine gets to show the red fruit and depth that is here. Boy, this is good and will pair a great contrast with the Copain En Bas.
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9/19/2015 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a well made wine that shows a lot of balance with a very nice finish. Typical Rhys with an understated, non fruit forward style that pairs very well with food. Some of best Pinots made in California, IMHO. Could benefit from another 2 years in the cellar, but drinking very nice right now.
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8/27/2015 - missionpk Likes this wine:
Really good. Light. Good acidity, but not overwhelming. Subtle tannins. Enough fruit/oak to provide structure and weight, but not any more. Better with some air, as that toned down the fruit a bit and allowed some of the deeper notes through.
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8/23/2015 - Anthony Lombardi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fascinating & surprising. Darker colored than most Pinot, but with high toned bright fruit. Artistic Pinot Noir. The acidic balance is memorable here, but as those tannins emerge this really shows some power. Medium bodied & fresh with some tension on the palate. Some angularity which will mellow with bottle age & some air. This bottle disappeared quickly at dinner, so we didn't get to see it blossom to full bloom. The spicy layers show through the mid palate & play off that acid and my salmon brilliantly. That is the beauty of this wine, the finesse with the food, the subtle working of its own complexity. Rhys wines stop me in my meal and my thoughts. Excellent as always.
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6/28/2015 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very good wine. Raspberry, cranberry, and tart cherry with a crushed gravel undertone. I opened this 3 hours before consuming. I would think that this still needs a few years of cellaring.
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5/31/2015 - thomaskeil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Splash decanted (375ml). Bright red fruit, bramble and spice on nose. Medium weight fruit on palate that is delightfully tense, layered, mineral and a bit tight at this juncture. This was very pleasurable now, has a long life ahead and we loved it with seared Ahi tuna. Almost a 'holy cow' wine as everything was in such balance and full of expression.
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5/10/2015 - DRS-Inc wrote: 90 Points
Double-decanted and then let breathe for one hour. Tight and unyielding for the most part. Top note mostly strawberry with hint of raspberry, mineral, some spice. Found it dry and tannic at this stage, but has potential to improve with more age.
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5/7/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
When a wine can repeat excellence on more than one occasion, that is a big gate of success for me to judge greatness. And when the same wine poured blind can illicit similar responses from others, than it's further testament that something really high class is at work in the bottle. I drank this wine again last night, with Brig Campbell at the table (he has the previous note in CT), and concur with his enthusiasm. Last night's bottle (served blind) was in total as good as the one I wrote up from February. Perfumed, beautiful balance, lots of cherry fruit and acidity, then an underpinning of mineral structure. Just an awesome showing. I would expect this wine to finish as one of my contenders for WOTY in 2015, given how it has now showed twice. The real deal, man.
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5/7/2015 - brigcampbell wrote:
Book Club (Maro Grill, Laguna Beach): Blind - guessed California PN but struggled with the area of producer.
Oh sweet Jesus, this EXPLODES out of the decanter and fills the table with aromas when it's poured into the glasses and we were outside... The last wine that showed like this was... <drumroll please> The 2013 Bearwallow. What's going on in this vineyard? Silly.
There's a great moss, cherry, and red berry notes and flavors. Finishes with more of a pomegranate. Terrific complexity. A+ WOTN for everyone but me, my second, because I fell in love with a burg.
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4/18/2015 - Johnnybegood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Note: This Wine was open and decanted 5 hours prior to drinking.
Color: Medium Red Cherry in appearance. Looks rather clear and not cloudy.
Nose: Very Pretty floral notes with a slight touch of oak in the background. Really nice and in a way reminds me of of young Williams Seylem wine insofar the smell has silky red fruit overtones that is definitely not Burgundy but very attractive.
Taste on Day 1: Medium body with a definite acid spine on the finish. This wine needs time to blossom but right now it is showing a good depth of mostly medium red cherry fruit with great balance but much of the nuances and complexity remains hidden under a middle weight frame structure of fruit. The 2012 San Mateo I had some time back was more open and lush compared to this wine but there is more going on with this Bearwallow terms of complex flavors and greater substance. I like this wine and if there was a California interpretation of a exotic Vosne Romane this might qualify for a top village wine that locality (Like Mugneret-Gibourg). Will probally let this sit for 3-5 more years and try another bottle then. Really lovely the more I sip. Will see how it preforms on day 2. Score 91+ today.
Day 2: This wine has closed up somewhat relative to the 1st day. Very similar to the 2012 San Mateo wine five months previous. The fruit is darker and the structure is larger,more reserved and more restrained. This wine is best enjoyed on Day 1 as there is simply more showing compared to the more massive structure now. Still a very good wine but since so much is hidden it is best to lay these away and forget until 2018-2020 at least. Recommended for the patent indeed.
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4/16/2015 - amateurwino wrote: flawed
Confounding wine in a way - thought right away this had a hint of TCA but went back and forth on it, having it over two nights. Smelled like faint TCA but the palate is expressive, with acid out front but also delicious fruit at times. the TCA smell didn't get progressively worse, as it usually does. I'm usually pretty confident about calling corked wine but this one had me asking: Can a wine be this stemmy to almost smell like TCA?
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4/12/2015 - defnefferson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very primary at this time -- sweet berries all day. Great weight and acidity -- no doubt a winner with time, but too soon.
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4/4/2015 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Deep and well-balanced, if a touch sweet at this point. (By the way, this is for us one of the most beautiful vineyards in California -- and it is a pleasure to finally drink the product from the lovely site we have seen for many years, rounding the corner on the road from the coast.)
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3/28/2015 - sehill wrote: 91 Points
Opened and poured, the aromatics begin with generous dark cherry fruit with a subtle spice and underlying earth notes. The color is a youthful medium to dark ruby. The medium bodied palate shows forward, youthful fruit with a medium length finish that concludes with subtle tannins. At this stage the wine gives balanced, youthful fruit with just enough tannin structure to give this some firmness on the palate. This drinks well and may benefit from an additional year or two of bottle age.
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3/2/2015 - ssimpsonjr wrote: 93 Points
From a 375ml. Balance, balance, balance. Spicy red fruits that just slide across the palate and keep going. Drinking very well now, perhaps a bit strong on the bitterness. I suspect that will integrate with a bit more time.
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2/17/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I was a bit confused at the wide perspectives on this wine based on the limited notes in the database. So, I wanted to see how I would react to the wine in my own glass, with a plan to drink this across 2-3 nights. Initial reaction? Oooh, this is good. Those that made comments about stemmy tones or structure, I just don't find these yet. I've had the bottle open about an hour and what I do find is a distinct meaty note and supportive acidity. A soily, wet leaf, mulch note with a touch of sweet leather and lots of red cherry. Really unique. Not sure where the wine heads over the next few days but I'll reload this note over the next few nights and put my perspective in. At about 90 mins open, I start to see some structure starts to emerge, tightening up the finish......Day 2, retrying without food, intentionally to see how the wine shows without any other inputs around it. Perfect serving temp, as well. Man, this is good stuff. The cherry really shines through today, as juicy, vibrant with a shading of blue fruit that was not present yesterday. Some accents of spice, from what is I am sure soil and stem, these are accents that season the wine nicely. There is structure here today, seen in the lean edges of the red fruit and the bit of grip that carries the finish, showing that same meaty edge and soily note. Damn, rings like a Burg. This is a leaner, red fruited style so it's going to ring true for the CA pinot palate that seeks out this style. I seem to thrive on it now so this fits well for me. Drink window? Ehh, no rush. Delicious now with the structure and energy, but likely to go several years out. Adding to the WOTY list.
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2/11/2015 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted a couple glasses non-blind over approx. two hours --
-- 375mL --
NOSE: ripe, sweet cherry; medium-light oak; nice savory/green/dried herbs aspect – from the stems, perhaps?
BODY: light garnet color of medium depth; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: Dang! This is very good. Nice acidity and some fine tannins; red-fruited; moderate green/stalky note; ripe; nice stuffing; very long finish; light oak note, which was highlighted when paired with pork loin and light BBQ sauce. This is an excellent wine.
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10/26/2014 - xwine wrote:
Rhys Pickup Event (Rhys Vineyards): Very deep and intense and wild berry nose (blackberries?). Palate is well structured and deep, though the finish was a bit clipped. Very good.
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9/28/2014 - rc@ughey Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really nice wine. Generous fruit, some spice, and real structure.
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7/18/2014 - Nanda wrote:
Young and primary, but full nose of black cherry and spice. Big, fuller bodied black cherry fruit profile with structure to match. Primary. Tough to get a read other than to say this has plenty of stuffing.
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7/18/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
An Epic Night of Rhys (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is extremely tight. It takes some serious coaxing to reveal red fruits, red florals, fresh picked berries, currants, red cherries, and spice tones. There is excellent depth when it actually shows, but the tightness is very serious.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and good tannins. The structure is pretty imposing right now with red fruits, fresh picked berries, currants, red cherries, and spice tones poking through underneath.
Overall: This isn't even close to ready for primetime. The stuffing is really good, it will just take a good while to fully show itself.
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7/7/2014 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured from 375. Stunning, vibrant purplish-red color. Reserved nose of primary red fruit with a touch of spice. Compact flavor expression on the palate. Plenty of fruit, but likely closed down a bit at the moment. Showed some mineral after being open a few hours. Silky smooth texture and a nice touch of acid gives it absolutely perfect balance. Slightly tannic on the finish. This is in need of many years in the cellar, but should be absolutely thrilling with sufficient bottle age.
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6/25/2014 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, mineral nose. Shares a licorice-inflected profile with the 2008 and 2011 Bearwallow pinots also in the flight. Has a generosity of fruit that should make this the best of the three in time, but this has so much structure and stemminess now that I would not recommend opening one of these for 4-5 years. 90+
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6/4/2014 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rhys in Atlanta (Aria, Atlanta, GA): A younger, more structured version of the 2010.
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5/25/2014 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Elegant, medium-bodied, pure dark strawberry/raspberry fruit, very clean, floral flavors, excellent structure, ample finish, obviously young but tannins not overwhelming, reminiscent of a Rochioli pinot
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4/21/2014 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really impressive Bearwallow, maybe the best yet. Unlike the Family Farm this didn't need any time after uncorking to get into gear. It feels milder in concentration than the Family Farm, with the result that it is also less primary and shows some stony earth under the fruit, and is very, very drinkable - goes down so easy. Again, no signs of stems or oak here. I'm not sure I would have ID'd this as a California wine blind.
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4/16/2014 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Enjoying tasting my way through the 2012 Rhys lineup (love the 375s!). This one is a bit more approachable than the Alpine, though I think the Alpine has more upside potential. That said, this is delicious and hard to resist.
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4/14/2014 - Tubulus wrote: 93 Points
Very clearly Anderson Valley in profile. Excellent balance of acidity and depth. Tiny bit of stems on the finish but not very noticeable. No harm in opening one now.
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3/24/2014 - cartime Likes this wine: 92 Points
Richer, with an earthier, more masculine profile than the Family Farm. Very nice and approachable now.
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2/1/2014 - xwine wrote:
Rhys Vineyards Tasting -- Barrel and Bottle (Rhys Vineyards): A boysenberry/cranberry quality on both the nose and palate really distinguish the Bearwallow from the other pinots in the Rhys lineup. Kevin describes it as “wild berry,” which may be a better way of putting it. It shows some light spice, and is rich, deep and long on the finish. Very nice. 20% whole cluster.
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