Decanted for 2 hours. Served double blind in a flight of 6 “burgundies”. Purple/red Welchs grape juice color. Red fruit and spice/stems on the nose. Fairly structured palate, red fruit combined with silky yet firm tannins with a saline infused texture. I missed this as a CA Pinot ringer, and guessed it to be an 05 Vosne. Showed well, second or third place wine for most tasters.
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The nose opens with sweet red cherry fruit, rosepetal, and spice. It's quite attractive and fairly distinctive for a CA pinot. The palate is medium bodied and still shows some dense extract, although the fruit is beginning to relax and display some age. A fresh, bright acidity is nicely integrated into the fruit. The finish sees some still burly tannins clamp down on things though. This moderates with some time open, as the fruit broadens to buffer the structure. Really hard to read whether this will continue to develop and whether the structure will ever integrate fully, which seems characteristic for the '08 Rhys Pinots.
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The Skyline character shines brightly in this wine, with its distinctive delicate spice and fruit notes. An earthy undertone combines with rough tannins to distract from the fruit and spices a bit. Drinking nicely, not sure if it will improve.
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It’s got a great nose, but the structure, which becomes more prevalent after 45 minutes, obscures some of what there is of the earthy, cherry fruit. We liked it, but I’m not sure that we’d hold it any longer.
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After about 10 years in the cellar, this seems at peak. Lots of intense stem, herb, spice and earthen complexity with still fresh black cherry. Perhaps slightly less concentrated in this vintage would be my only nit.
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I still don't get what is so special about Rhys that allows it to common the prices, but this was drinking pretty well tonight. Slow ox'ed for about 5 hours. Mellow and supple on the attack with dark fruits in the foreground. With time, it gained complexity and nuance with notes of black cherry, black plum, pine needles, orange rind, sous bois, and moss. Still tastes Californian but finishes clean. Nice wine.
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PNP. Carneros Inn. But needed a decant Best in hour two. Good fruit without jamminess and oak Floral Plum , minerals , Forest floor on the nose Subtle balanced elegant.
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Popped and poured. Sour cherry, dusty earth and stem infused spice on the nose. The palate is still moderately clenched and wields lovely if somewhat muted cherry and saline flavor. Drying finish, not sure if this will soften and improve with age.
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12.25% abv. Medium burgundy red, expressive aromatics. On the palate, raspberry compote, cherry and lots of complex Christmas spice. Excellent depth and length in a highly energetic, weightless package. Extremely poised and well balanced. Shows little signs of age, but hard to imagine it will get much better than this. One of the best Pinots I've tasted in a long time. Worth the wait!
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The nose is most intriguing. Loamy, spicy, and herbaceous. Raspberries show up on the palate along with the aromatics. A deliciously long finish on this beautifully balanced wine. I waited 9 years to open this second bottle.
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I don't know but when I taste a Rhy with this profile, it's just calls itself out. This is a very good wine in a great spot right now but no need to drink up. She's a beauty.
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Blind Tasting via Zoom (Over Zoom): Tasted blind. Holy crap, this is gorgeous. Balance and depth are immediately noticeable, as the wine is seamless across my palate. Soil/loam, red fruits with blueberry, both that exhibit a purity of ripeness and depth that is sublime. Outstanding, and yet another testament to me as to how good the 2008 Rhys wines are aging. I am thrilled to have one of these left in my cellar. Just wow.
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A terrific SC pinot, Rhys delivers big time with this. Starts off a bit shy, but showing quite a bit of spice in the nose. Over the course of about two hours, this slowly but surely unfolded, layer by layer, developing nice cherry fruit, minerals, and briefly a bare hint of menthol or camphor (which normally I would not like, but it was barely evident, just enough to add some complexity). Firmly structured, with an iron element which keeps this laser focused. This was really shining by the time we were done (with a small pour left for tasting tomorrow). I love Skyline Vineyard! Complex and compelling. In a word: stunning. No rush on this, and I will let the remaining bottle rest for at least a few years. Riedel Burgundy stems.
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Yeah, this is on point. Santa Cruz Mountains distinction with a French sensibility. It may not become better per se, but probably more of what it is from a terroir standpoint.
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I believe this wine is drinking very well right now and may not get better with age. This is an example of why Rhys wines are worth the wait...delicious!
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Opened and had a couple of glasses over a 3-4 hour period. Very good and firmly in the drink window for my tastes. Recorked the bottle and saved some for next night. On night two it had fallen off and was not nearly as enjoyable.
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Dark raspberry with some black cherry, touch more brooding and grippy than the Swan and Horseshoe, this has so much beautiful complexity, and needs years to really show. Leave this one alone, it should be amazing with time.
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Rhys Dinner (Golden Triangle, Los Gatos): My favorite out of all the Rhys Pinots that night. Gorgeous nose of strawberries, baking spices, and dark cherries. Great structure with berries, cedar, and mineral notes on the palate. Long finish. A phenomenal wine, I'd love to see how this evolves in the next 5-10 years! 95+
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Pop and pour. This was drinking very young - it has many years to go. Very enjoyable now with plenty of upside. Fruit tended toward the darker side of the spectrum.
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Red and black berries throughout with a strong floral start and both sweet and savory spice, finishing with roast meat hints. Everything is in fairly impressive balance with elegant tannins start-to-finish as well. Charming textures with an impressive weightlessness and good+ length. 92 points now, with possible upside from here.
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A lighter pinot with a subtle nose and little acidity. It paired well with a pork dish but not sure it would hold up to a fattier, richer dish. It's drinking well but don't see this getting any better with extended aging.
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Nose: The nose is a bit reticent at first, but it does show off a savory and nuanced take filled with violets, raspberries, baking spices, perfumes, chalky minerals, with some underlying herbal notes.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is still youthful, but the feel is elegant and refined too with violets, baking spices, raspberries, dark red cherries, chalky minerals, roses, and incense on the back end.
Overall: While this is clearly young, it shows the class and poise that I expected. While it feels like it's starting to come into harmony, it has a long way to go with even more upside, I feel.
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Just not much going on with this bottle tonight. The color is surprisingly advanced, but the nose is very muted and not expressive at all. Palate is similarly dull, but no obvious flaws. It is either over the hill or just in a dumb phase.
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CT blind tasting group at David's: My favourite of the flight, showing a lovely scent of bright red and dark berried fruit accented by fresh herbs, earth, and faint stemmy notes. The palate doesn't deliver what the nose promises though in terms of complexity - it's nicely balanced with better integrated acidity than the other Rhys wines, but feels a touch simple on the palate in contrast to the aromatics.
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TTTG Blind: Herbal, savory ripe fruit on the nose. Very rich flavors; berry salad and herbs, with a long sour cherry finish. Medium tannin and acid. Easily my Pinot of the night.
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Served blind, finished 3rd out of 5 Rhys wines from 06-10. This comes across as the youngest wine in the flight, with a lighter weight texture and mouth feel. It has some subdued stems and christmas spice notes but it didn't delivery the soaring DRC like nose that the 09 and 10 Skyline have shown in the past. Supple lightweight texture that should hold up for many years to come.
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Not ready at all, tight and tannic still upon opening. It got a lot better with a few hours opened, but I'd wait 2-3 years min. Fresh fruit and juicy on the attack, long finish and very good balance. The nose has a lot going on and I imagine the palate will follow when it has a chance to cut through it's baby fat.
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Rhys Tasting With The Gang (My House): Tasted alongside the 2007. My notes in comparing the two say that the 2008 was more approachable, with the word juicy underlined. The strawberry fruit is distinctly more red, also perhaps a bit richer. Also a light chalk note to this wine, the tannin here feeling a little different than the 2007, more open textured.
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Initially didn't find all the florals I see described in notes, but great spices, pure and elegant cherry/ red fruit/ slight earth nose. Very elegant nose. Medium body, nice mouth watering acidity and very fine but present tannins. 24 hrs later, and holy #%$#! Explosive florals of the stem/ stalky persuasion. Caught one or two faint whiffs of game/ meat. Super cold springtime floral, minerally nose with Christmas spices. Same on palate with a stony streak, still structured, chewy tannin. Best nose was when I'd let it just sit there with no movement. Could smell it for hours. Clearly not ready, but probably the best Rhys wine I've had. Can't imagine what this will be like at peak, incredible. Skyline and Swan are my faves from Rhys, although I haven't cracked any of my Home bottles yet. Definitely best after 12-24 hrs air.
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2008 Rhys (The Medlar, London): Hugely distinctive nose. So vibrant and fragrant and rounded and lifted. Very floral. An enticingly seductively five star nose. Super sexy in an elegant, fragrant and alluring sense. Floral and fragrant palate too. Tightens up with air — elegant still, but a sense of slightly faded grandeur. Needs a bit of time to loosen, but oh, that nose.... ****(1/2)
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A real crowd-pleaser. Drank at my graduation dinner at Tanta, Chicago. Floral bouquet and bright fruit taste. Good amount of acidity that worked well with the pork belly.
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This was dense and pretty closed, but gave hints of stem, herb and forest floor, and a sense of elegance and restraint overall. I think the makings are there for something great, but I think I burned this one too early.
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Double decanted two hours before serving. Brought to a friend's job-changing celebration dinner.
Medium ruby color. Generous nose of red fruit, pebbles, with a slight floral (rather than stem) element. Very poised on the palate. Darker fruit than the nose showed. Concentrated without seeming extracted. Nice acidity. Silky. Long. Engaging, entrancing even. Just fantastic. Easily my favorite Rhys so far. Easily my favorite new world Pinot so far. I have a few more, which makes me very happy. But how can it improve? Ah, nevermind, I am sure it will. A
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Pop and pour and followed over two days. Nose shows a floral side, leaning towards a stemmy side. Good acidity. The mouth shows fresh berries an a hint of vanilla. Somewhat tart. Shows an earthy side. Restrained.
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Rhys (Peking Duck House): Clearly the most impressive wine on the table in purely aromatic terms, and perhaps overall. This was by far the most supple wine on the table and probably the lightest in body as well, with a gentler touch than the rest. If it seems less grippy it makes up for it in elegance and transparency.
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Opened and poured, this required some airing to show its best. The aromatics shows black cherry that mingles with the stone, earth and stem notes. The color is a dark ruby that is appropriate for the wines age. The medium palate comes into focus with some air time to reveal excellent balance between the fruit and stone characteristics. The refined tannins make an appearance on the finish and abundant enough to give the wine structure and firmness. This should improve with additional bottle age.
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I've always been curious about the hype on Rhys so I ordered an assorted case of the Spring release thx to the BH scores, popped this one first to give it a shot. Gave it roughly 5.5 hours in the decanter. I did have a sip before I decanted it and I didn't think there was a huge difference, no "new" notes popped up.
My experience with skyline is limited to the 06 which I thought was a very big and ripe wine (also on release). It has a very distinct ripe red fruit forward palate with a bit of sweet sap, very primary at the moment. There is a a very precise level of minerality running through the back palate that combined with the high toned ripe fruit creates a cooling mouthfeel. I can only hope the fruit will pull back a little as the ripeness almost overtakes the nice cooling minerality and the palate still seems "big" to me. I think it's drinking well right now, I can only guess (since my experience with Rhys is limited) that the acid will pick up and the fruit will slim down as time goes on. I hope it sheds the baby fat cause while it is far more balanced than the 06 was, it's still riper than I expected with all the comparisons to burgundy that's floated around.
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Rhys Tour and Tasting (Various Rhys vineyards): This is all about spice and rocks on the nose -- simply lovely, and very unique. The palate is tight, structured and firm, and the minerals and rocks really express themselves in this wine. A terrific finish, with a distinct iron element. The purity of site expression in this wine is stunning. The structure seems to demand a number of years in the cellar before opening a bottle.
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Tour and Tasting at Rhys Vineyards (All over): Lively aromas of cranberries with some nutmeg and floral elements. Flinty. In the mouth there is a lot of structure, with very fine, chalky and coating tannins. Acids are firm. Super precise. Quite surprising in a very good way.
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10/16/2023 - Paul Lin wrote: 83 Points
Pale, fragrant notes of cut flowers, red cherries, plum, and sous bois. Drinks okay, but nothing to write home about.
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8/7/2023 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Served double blind in a flight of 6 “burgundies”. Purple/red Welchs grape juice color. Red fruit and spice/stems on the nose. Fairly structured palate, red fruit combined with silky yet firm tannins with a saline infused texture. I missed this as a CA Pinot ringer, and guessed it to be an 05 Vosne. Showed well, second or third place wine for most tasters.
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5/21/2023 - gudetama Does not like this wine: 80 Points
My bottle was either asleep or it's now too old. The fruit was lacking and the tannins were flabby. Disappointed.
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12/23/2022 - UMRich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains my favorite Rhys!
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12/18/2022 - dougie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lush and balanced. Maybe the best Rhys I’ve drank. No hurry for last one. Special!
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10/5/2022 - jlm wrote:
The nose opens with sweet red cherry fruit, rosepetal, and spice. It's quite attractive and fairly distinctive for a CA pinot. The palate is medium bodied and still shows some dense extract, although the fruit is beginning to relax and display some age. A fresh, bright acidity is nicely integrated into the fruit. The finish sees some still burly tannins clamp down on things though. This moderates with some time open, as the fruit broadens to buffer the structure. Really hard to read whether this will continue to develop and whether the structure will ever integrate fully, which seems characteristic for the '08 Rhys Pinots.
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8/29/2022 - Tree512 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Impressive balance and length with the tell-tale cinnamon note that reminds me of Grand Cru Vosne. A pointe.
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8/5/2022 - jjct Likes this wine:
The Skyline character shines brightly in this wine, with its distinctive delicate spice and fruit notes. An earthy undertone combines with rough tannins to distract from the fruit and spices a bit. Drinking nicely, not sure if it will improve.
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4/22/2022 - jbaron wrote: 91 Points
It’s got a great nose, but the structure, which becomes more prevalent after 45 minutes, obscures some of what there is of the earthy, cherry fruit. We liked it, but I’m not sure that we’d hold it any longer.
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10/1/2021 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Crisp tart cherry with earthiness and great finish
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8/13/2021 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
After about 10 years in the cellar, this seems at peak. Lots of intense stem, herb, spice and earthen complexity with still fresh black cherry. Perhaps slightly less concentrated in this vintage would be my only nit.
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4/25/2021 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
I still don't get what is so special about Rhys that allows it to common the prices, but this was drinking pretty well tonight. Slow ox'ed for about 5 hours. Mellow and supple on the attack with dark fruits in the foreground. With time, it gained complexity and nuance with notes of black cherry, black plum, pine needles, orange rind, sous bois, and moss. Still tastes Californian but finishes clean. Nice wine.
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2/24/2021 - UMRich Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very elegant pinot, drinking beautifully
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2/5/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
recommend long decant, a little tight for the first four hours
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1/2/2021 - Kevnzworld wrote: 94 Points
PNP. Carneros Inn. But needed a decant Best in hour two.
Good fruit without jamminess and oak
Floral Plum , minerals ,
Forest floor on the nose
Subtle balanced elegant.
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12/14/2020 - fisk15 wrote: 87 Points
Earthy and leafy, not much fruit left. Cellared since release and should have consumed years ago. More interesting than delicious.
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12/12/2020 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured. Sour cherry, dusty earth and stem infused spice on the nose. The palate is still moderately clenched and wields lovely if somewhat muted cherry and saline flavor. Drying finish, not sure if this will soften and improve with age.
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11/26/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 97 Points
12.25% abv. Medium burgundy red, expressive aromatics. On the palate, raspberry compote, cherry and lots of complex Christmas spice. Excellent depth and length in a highly energetic, weightless package. Extremely poised and well balanced. Shows little signs of age, but hard to imagine it will get much better than this. One of the best Pinots I've tasted in a long time. Worth the wait!
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10/26/2020 - Diane (LI) wrote:
The nose is most intriguing. Loamy, spicy, and herbaceous. Raspberries show up on the palate along with the aromatics. A deliciously long finish on this beautifully balanced wine. I waited 9 years to open this second bottle.
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5/15/2020 - brigcampbell wrote:
Come on and Zoom, Zoom, Zooma Zoom: Blind: guess Rhy and Skyline - walk off!
I don't know but when I taste a Rhy with this profile, it's just calls itself out. This is a very good wine in a great spot right now but no need to drink up. She's a beauty.
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5/14/2020 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Blind Tasting via Zoom (Over Zoom): Tasted blind. Holy crap, this is gorgeous. Balance and depth are immediately noticeable, as the wine is seamless across my palate. Soil/loam, red fruits with blueberry, both that exhibit a purity of ripeness and depth that is sublime. Outstanding, and yet another testament to me as to how good the 2008 Rhys wines are aging. I am thrilled to have one of these left in my cellar. Just wow.
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4/4/2020 - xwine wrote:
A terrific SC pinot, Rhys delivers big time with this. Starts off a bit shy, but showing quite a bit of spice in the nose. Over the course of about two hours, this slowly but surely unfolded, layer by layer, developing nice cherry fruit, minerals, and briefly a bare hint of menthol or camphor (which normally I would not like, but it was barely evident, just enough to add some complexity). Firmly structured, with an iron element which keeps this laser focused. This was really shining by the time we were done (with a small pour left for tasting tomorrow). I love Skyline Vineyard! Complex and compelling. In a word: stunning. No rush on this, and I will let the remaining bottle rest for at least a few years. Riedel Burgundy stems.
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3/29/2020 - DollarMenunaire Likes this wine:
Yeah, this is on point. Santa Cruz Mountains distinction with a French sensibility. It may not become better per se, but probably more of what it is from a terroir standpoint.
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12/29/2019 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 96 Points
I believe this wine is drinking very well right now and may not get better with age. This is an example of why Rhys wines are worth the wait...delicious!
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11/2/2019 - B Paul wrote:
Opened and had a couple of glasses over a 3-4 hour period. Very good and firmly in the drink window for my tastes. Recorked the bottle and saved some for next night. On night two it had fallen off and was not nearly as enjoyable.
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9/17/2019 - alanr wrote: 94 Points
Dark raspberry with some black cherry, touch more brooding and grippy than the Swan and Horseshoe, this has so much beautiful complexity, and needs years to really show. Leave this one alone, it should be amazing with time.
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9/17/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rhys Dinner (Golden Triangle, Los Gatos): My favorite out of all the Rhys Pinots that night. Gorgeous nose of strawberries, baking spices, and dark cherries. Great structure with berries, cedar, and mineral notes on the palate. Long finish. A phenomenal wine, I'd love to see how this evolves in the next 5-10 years! 95+
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3/19/2019 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 91 Points
Atlanta Does Rhys Yet Again (Atlas Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Much tighter than the 2012 and 2014, it shows flashes of the same pedigree, with more coming out with air, but it needs more time to fulfill its potential.
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3/14/2019 - cookie7 Likes this wine:
Pop and pour. This was drinking very young - it has many years to go. Very enjoyable now with plenty of upside. Fruit tended toward the darker side of the spectrum.
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12/5/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Red and black berries throughout with a strong floral start and both sweet and savory spice, finishing with roast meat hints. Everything is in fairly impressive balance with elegant tannins start-to-finish as well. Charming textures with an impressive weightlessness and good+ length. 92 points now, with possible upside from here.
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11/12/2017 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lighter pinot with a subtle nose and little acidity. It paired well with a pork dish but not sure it would hold up to a fattier, richer dish. It's drinking well but don't see this getting any better with extended aging.
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11/6/2016 - DougLee wrote:
Way too young and unformed.
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2/21/2016 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Nose: The nose is a bit reticent at first, but it does show off a savory and nuanced take filled with violets, raspberries, baking spices, perfumes, chalky minerals, with some underlying herbal notes.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is still youthful, but the feel is elegant and refined too with violets, baking spices, raspberries, dark red cherries, chalky minerals, roses, and incense on the back end.
Overall: While this is clearly young, it shows the class and poise that I expected. While it feels like it's starting to come into harmony, it has a long way to go with even more upside, I feel.
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8/4/2015 - elamasters wrote: 86 Points
Just not much going on with this bottle tonight. The color is surprisingly advanced, but the nose is very muted and not expressive at all. Palate is similarly dull, but no obvious flaws. It is either over the hill or just in a dumb phase.
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4/9/2015 - Mr T wrote:
pretty good but never really kicked in even after slow ox all day....the richenss was there but never the wow...too bad
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3/26/2015 - salil wrote: 88 Points
CT blind tasting group at David's: My favourite of the flight, showing a lovely scent of bright red and dark berried fruit accented by fresh herbs, earth, and faint stemmy notes. The palate doesn't deliver what the nose promises though in terms of complexity - it's nicely balanced with better integrated acidity than the other Rhys wines, but feels a touch simple on the palate in contrast to the aromatics.
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3/26/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 93 Points
TTTG Blind: Herbal, savory ripe fruit on the nose. Very rich flavors; berry salad and herbs, with a long sour cherry finish. Medium tannin and acid. Easily my Pinot of the night.
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2/22/2015 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Drinking well but also seems to be holding something back. Will wait a couple of years before opening my other bottle.
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11/10/2014 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Served blind, finished 3rd out of 5 Rhys wines from 06-10. This comes across as the youngest wine in the flight, with a lighter weight texture and mouth feel. It has some subdued stems and christmas spice notes but it didn't delivery the soaring DRC like nose that the 09 and 10 Skyline have shown in the past. Supple lightweight texture that should hold up for many years to come.
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10/22/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not ready at all, tight and tannic still upon opening. It got a lot better with a few hours opened, but I'd wait 2-3 years min. Fresh fruit and juicy on the attack, long finish and very good balance. The nose has a lot going on and I imagine the palate will follow when it has a chance to cut through it's baby fat.
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10/11/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Rhys Tasting With The Gang (My House): Tasted alongside the 2007. My notes in comparing the two say that the 2008 was more approachable, with the word juicy underlined. The strawberry fruit is distinctly more red, also perhaps a bit richer. Also a light chalk note to this wine, the tannin here feeling a little different than the 2007, more open textured.
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10/6/2014 - 1981er wrote: 94 Points
Initially didn't find all the florals I see described in notes, but great spices, pure and elegant cherry/ red fruit/ slight earth nose. Very elegant nose. Medium body, nice mouth watering acidity and very fine but present tannins. 24 hrs later, and holy #%$#! Explosive florals of the stem/ stalky persuasion. Caught one or two faint whiffs of game/ meat. Super cold springtime floral, minerally nose with Christmas spices. Same on palate with a stony streak, still structured, chewy tannin. Best nose was when I'd let it just sit there with no movement. Could smell it for hours. Clearly not ready, but probably the best Rhys wine I've had. Can't imagine what this will be like at peak, incredible. Skyline and Swan are my faves from Rhys, although I haven't cracked any of my Home bottles yet. Definitely best after 12-24 hrs air.
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9/11/2014 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
2008 Rhys (The Medlar, London): Hugely distinctive nose. So vibrant and fragrant and rounded and lifted. Very floral. An enticingly seductively five star nose. Super sexy in an elegant, fragrant and alluring sense. Floral and fragrant palate too. Tightens up with air — elegant still, but a sense of slightly faded grandeur. Needs a bit of time to loosen, but oh, that nose.... ****(1/2)
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8/9/2014 - LongViewCellars wrote: 92 Points
Pinot Dinner at Chablis 8/9/14. Mixed reaction. Some felt that it was slightly corked, some felt it needed time. Ok showing, but expected more. 92
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6/30/2014 - kantmakem Likes this wine: 93 Points
A real crowd-pleaser. Drank at my graduation dinner at Tanta, Chicago. Floral bouquet and bright fruit taste. Good amount of acidity that worked well with the pork belly.
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12/30/2013 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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11/10/2013 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely darker garnet with deep concentrated red fruit in a bigger style than expected, great intensity, balance and a long finish
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12/14/2012 - Counselor Chris wrote:
This was dense and pretty closed, but gave hints of stem, herb and forest floor, and a sense of elegance and restraint overall. I think the makings are there for something great, but I think I burned this one too early.
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11/23/2012 - jpinsb wrote: 91 Points
Bigger than expected for a Santa Cruz wine, but well balanced with earth that kep the fruit from dominating.
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11/7/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Very expressive nose and black fruits. Very elegant with a touch of earthiness for added depth. Very nice.
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9/21/2012 - Brady D wrote:
Double decanted two hours before serving. Brought to a friend's job-changing celebration dinner.
Medium ruby color. Generous nose of red fruit, pebbles, with a slight floral (rather than stem) element. Very poised on the palate. Darker fruit than the nose showed. Concentrated without seeming extracted. Nice acidity. Silky. Long. Engaging, entrancing even. Just fantastic. Easily my favorite Rhys so far. Easily my favorite new world Pinot so far. I have a few more, which makes me very happy. But how can it improve? Ah, nevermind, I am sure it will. A
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9/9/2012 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour and followed over two days. Nose shows a floral side, leaning towards a stemmy side. Good acidity. The mouth shows fresh berries an a hint of vanilla. Somewhat tart. Shows an earthy side. Restrained.
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4/15/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 95 Points
Rhys (Peking Duck House): Clearly the most impressive wine on the table in purely aromatic terms, and perhaps overall. This was by far the most supple wine on the table and probably the lightest in body as well, with a gentler touch than the rest. If it seems less grippy it makes up for it in elegance and transparency.
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4/13/2011 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Beautiful aromatics that jump from the glass. The palate is more understated with dark fruit. It is polished and elegant.
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4/3/2011 - sehill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and poured, this required some airing to show its best. The aromatics shows black cherry that mingles with the stone, earth and stem notes. The color is a dark ruby that is appropriate for the wines age. The medium palate comes into focus with some air time to reveal excellent balance between the fruit and stone characteristics. The refined tannins make an appearance on the finish and abundant enough to give the wine structure and firmness. This should improve with additional bottle age.
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3/17/2011 - clayfu wrote:
I've always been curious about the hype on Rhys so I ordered an assorted case of the Spring release thx to the BH scores, popped this one first to give it a shot. Gave it roughly 5.5 hours in the decanter. I did have a sip before I decanted it and I didn't think there was a huge difference, no "new" notes popped up.
My experience with skyline is limited to the 06 which I thought was a very big and ripe wine (also on release). It has a very distinct ripe red fruit forward palate with a bit of sweet sap, very primary at the moment. There is a a very precise level of minerality running through the back palate that combined with the high toned ripe fruit creates a cooling mouthfeel. I can only hope the fruit will pull back a little as the ripeness almost overtakes the nice cooling minerality and the palate still seems "big" to me. I think it's drinking well right now, I can only guess (since my experience with Rhys is limited) that the acid will pick up and the fruit will slim down as time goes on. I hope it sheds the baby fat cause while it is far more balanced than the 06 was, it's still riper than I expected with all the comparisons to burgundy that's floated around.
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5/21/2010 - xwine wrote:
Rhys Tour and Tasting (Various Rhys vineyards): This is all about spice and rocks on the nose -- simply lovely, and very unique. The palate is tight, structured and firm, and the minerals and rocks really express themselves in this wine. A terrific finish, with a distinct iron element. The purity of site expression in this wine is stunning. The structure seems to demand a number of years in the cellar before opening a bottle.
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5/21/2010 - jakuda wrote:
Tour and Tasting at Rhys Vineyards (All over): Lively aromas of cranberries with some nutmeg and floral elements. Flinty. In the mouth there is a lot of structure, with very fine, chalky and coating tannins. Acids are firm. Super precise. Quite surprising in a very good way.
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