External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 108 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Jbird73 on 5/9/2024 & rated 91 points: I like it but it was better the first day it was opened vs. now day 2.
More on the bright red fruit profile and fairly aromatic as well. Finish isn't short but it definitely isn't long either.
At the time I bought this for the price it was it drinks well. (20 views) | | | Tasted by alitman on 3/1/2024 & rated 91 points: 30 minute decante for first glass. The wine really opened up after 2 hours in glass/decanter which these notes are based from.
The nose is red fruit(strawberry and cherry), rose petals, and allspice. The mouth is a red fruit with cherry lift, cola, white pepper, and old-world saline/mineral on the finish. Still plenty of acid left medium long to long finish with a nice balance. As recent TN notes the wine is in a nice drinking window. (826 views) | | | Tasted by llonergan on 12/27/2023 & rated 95 points: Had 1/3 bottle opened and sat in glass for 2 hrs - tasted at 30 mons and was slightly savory thrn relaxed into a long medium intensity berries but not sweet finish. Really drinking well now. (943 views) | | | Tasted by Beezc on 10/27/2023 & rated 92 points: Drinking well. No sign of fading. (1233 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 9/3/2023: Currently drinking well. (1452 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 6/12/2023 & rated 92 points: Tasty but more structured and not as open as the last bottle. (1722 views) | | | Tasted by Empirate on 4/24/2023 & rated 94 points: 1st of 4. Decanted x 2 h, paired with veggie stir fry. Wow embarrassingly high quality for Monday. Why not, though?
Sl clearing rim and I imagined a beginning of orange hue. Generous nose of ripe and mature red fruit with a touch of bramble. Palate follows as expected with great balance, moderate tannic structure and medium finish.
93-94 with likely upside next 3-10 years. (1658 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 4/16/2023 & rated 91 points: Opened nicely, but then fell backwards a bit into its Structure. The nose is (then) still hiding but the length is long. Needs perhaps a few more years.
Try next in 2026, at age 12. The retreat of the structure will hopefully lead to a more appealing wine. (1573 views) | | | Tasted by Martin Redmond on 3/31/2023 & rated 91 points: Pale ruby with a very fresh and round red fruit, earthy, spice savory character. Long finish. (1575 views) | | | Tasted by Golf_Wine on 3/1/2023 & rated 92 points: Very good bottle, plenty of life. Opened up after 30 min (1670 views) | | | Tasted by SCosgrove on 1/21/2023 & rated 70 points: OMG, hope this is the only one that is corked. Couldn't drink and have too many bottles for this to happen. Hopefully a fluke (1429 views) | | | Tasted by Rieslingfan on 12/30/2022: This wine continues on a strange and often unappealing path. Tonight’s bottle was lightweight and tart, as if it had been diluted with 10% tap water. (1701 views) | | | Tasted by gharter on 11/28/2022 & rated 92 points: PnP, would have benefitted with a short decant as it took about 30 minutes to open well. Nice aromatics with strawberries, spice, black cherries. Similar flavors with some earth added. More complex and showing better than previous years. good acidity in a medium finish. (1648 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 4/30/2022 flawed bottle: Obviously corked immediately upon opening (2810 views) | | | Tasted by mhauser on 4/2/2022: Good but not very deep. (2558 views) | | | Tasted by t_moderne on 2/27/2022 & rated 87 points: Opened, poured into a decanter and then tasted (Grassl Cru stem).
Tasted alone and then with food (chicken meatballs and casarecce pasta with lentil tomato sauce, in case you were wondering).
Ruby color. Slightly cloudy.
Nose is a bit closed - maybe some red berry and an herbal and spice note. A little touch of oak.
Not much here - very light here. A slight touch of menthol and red berries. Some dried strawberry.
Then follows tartness.
Disappointing.
Perhaps I don't like Bearwallow Vineyard fruit.
Second day after saving half under vacuvin, it has picked up some weight and dark fruited flavor. Nose shows berry and herbal and dried flowers.
Still the tartness and bitterness is there on the mid-palate and finish.
After tasting the 2nd day, I raised an 85 to an 87.
13.4% abv.
Quality branded cork with vintage and vineyard. (2569 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 1/13/2022 & rated 92 points: PnP. Medium dark red. Dramatic nose of blackberry,plum, raspberry. Lovely smooth palate impression with any tannins submerged in the fruit. Not particularly complex and very different from the Rhys St. Cruz Mtn. pinots but very enjoyable. (2685 views) | | | Tasted by rkww on 12/25/2021 & rated 93 points: Christmas at the Lodge: Boasting midpalate concentration more reminiscent of Côte de Nuits than Anderson Valley, the Rhys 2014 Bearwallow Vineyard ought to thrill Burgundy purists. But... it probably won't. Seven years past vintage, it still has more tannic heft and more concentrated fruit than most folks expect from Pinot Noir. And let's face it, Burgundy purists are impossible to please anyway. But for everybody else, let go of your expectations and just enjoy all the cherry, cola, spice, and earth on offer in this nicely balanced New World pleasure bomb. Give it a 1-4 hour decant, pair it with braised boeuf, duck, or lamb, and enjoy through the early 2030s. (2709 views) | | | Tasted by missionpk on 11/18/2021: Enjoyed this a lot. A very pleasant wine. (2282 views) | | | Tasted by TahoeSki on 11/13/2021 & rated 94 points: Really opened up after 3 hour decant. Expect has many years left. Greatly enjoyed. No formal notes. Winebid bottle. (2041 views) | | | Tasted by Jahull03 on 11/5/2021: Wide open, ready to go, and very satisfying. More complex than I recall with any prior bearwallow experience, and I’m wondering if the difference is the age? Medium-round fruit, medium body, good balance with acidity and a touch of earth. Not much in the way of cherry cola which I sometimes get in Anderson Valley. Did I hit this at a sweet spot for my palate? Think so… very good bottle (2037 views) | | | Tasted by mclanew on 7/18/2021 & rated 94 points: Popped and poured. The enveloping nose comes out and hits you with red cherry, plums, sous boys, and a touch of woodsmoke and spice. The wine is pure, focused and nicely balanced but with significant concentration which can see it through the long haul. (2784 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 7/13/2021: -- decanted approx. 90 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 90 min. --
-- 375 mL --
NOSE: red-fruited: warm red fruits, slightly baked; bitter orange peel; medium+ expressiveness; not obviously tertiary, funky, or stemmy.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: open; red-fruited and straightforward; kind of RRV-esque; acidity is medium to medium+; not tight; not funky; lacks drive/energy; Drink Now. Gut impression score: 88. (2345 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 6/27/2021 & rated 93 points: Delicious slightly sour dark cherry with spice and forest floor notes on the nose and savory palate with refreshing acidity on the long finish. Drinking beautifully! (2505 views) | | | Tasted by Rambling wino on 5/21/2021: Holding up moderately well for a warm vintage.
Plum and ripe briar, tar and black pepper spice. Some alcohol pointing through, so not overtly floral. Some savoriness tha balances the ripeness of fruit character.
Palette is spicy and supple, lots of bright fruited spice woth supple and mature tannin. Lipsmacking acidity thet keeps it fresh. (2345 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Rhys Producer websitePinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.Bearwallow Vineyard On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson North CoastThe North Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California, covering more than three million acres, includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties. (see The Wine Institute for more information)Anderson Valleyhttp://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-appellation-map/
Anderson Valley stretches from Yorkville Highlands (located in a highland meadow straddling the upper Rancheria Creek and upper Dry Creek watersheds) through Boonville (located on Anderson Creek) and Philo (located on Indian Creek) to Navarro (located on Soda Creek). Rancheria, Anderson, Indian and Soda creeks are tributaries to the Navarro River, which flows north and west through the coastal range to the Pacific Ocean; Dry Creek flows south into the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. The main stem of the Navarro River begins less than a mile south of Philo at the confluence of Anderson Creek and Rancheria Creek. The mouth of the Navarro is 10 miles (16 km) south of Mendocino, California. Encompassing 315 square miles (816 km²), the Navarro River watershed is the largest coastal basin in Mendocino County.
Such unique geography results in a wide diurnal range, with daily high and low temperatures occasionally diverging 40 or 50 degrees. This enables Pinot Noir growers to keep acid development in line with sugar and flavor formation through long, warm Indian summers. It also makes for superb Gewurztraminer and Riesling, giving rise to the valley’s annual Alsatian Varietals and Pinot Noir festivals.
The climate in the Anderson Valley appellation is tempered by cool marine air. Steep hills and mountains surround rolling to nearly level alluvial terraces. The dominant natural vegetation is a mixed forest of Coast Redwood, various native oak varieties, and Douglas-fir. Elevation ranges from sea level to 2,500 feet (760 m). The average annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 80 inches (900 to 2000 mm). The average annual temperature is about 53 °F (12 °C), and the average frost-free season ranges from 220 to 365 days. Towards the coast the summers are cool and moist with frequent fog, while the interior Anderson Valley proper features a warm to hot summer climate similar to nearby interior regions, with daytime highs occasionally in excess of 100 °F (38 °C).
Visitors to the Valley should come prepared for cool evenings and warm days. Locals dress in layers year round. |
|
