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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.1 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 57 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by gharter on 4/30/2024 & rated 90 points: PnP. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, vanilla, herbs, stems, and earth. On the palate, cherry, strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, spice, herbs and stems. Good balance to a medium finish. Soft tannins in the finish. Finally hitting it's stride. Last bottle and the best of the 3. (304 views) | | | Tasted by theharve on 2/18/2024 & rated 94 points: big wine not yet at peak, no browning, bought from winery and stored at 55 since release. (744 views) | | | Tasted by hiker_guy on 9/25/2023: Enjoyable wine.
Served with fresh coho salmon seasoned with lemon-pepper
Nose was aromatic on the pop and pour. Seemed very open. Very nice.
Palate was fresh, complex, some secondary spice notes that added to the complexity. Long finish that brought me back for another sip.
Would buy again. (1183 views) | | | Tasted by mac-eye on 9/18/2023 & rated 93 points: Very good. Light color is deceiving. Excellent balance. (1022 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 7/14/2023: -- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. --
-- from 375mL --
NOSE: ripe red fruits, but not-at-all suggestive of a wine that's overdone/too ripe; strawberry Twizzlers; just barely starting to smell obviously aged; expressive.
BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; {forgot to note weight}
TASTE: red-fruited, with a touch of cola; medium-light oak; medium to medium+ acidity. Drink Now and over the near term from 375mL. (1257 views) | | | Tasted by HFLED on 7/7/2023 & rated 92 points: Showing some browning on the edges, but otherwise looking light garnet and translucent. Very nice notes of dark cherry, violets, cedar, and a deep forest floor. Almost had a bdx element to it. Medium acidity, tannins present but just Barely there.
In a great spot a pop n pour, but 90 minutes in the bottle left this feeling disjointed. Time to drink up. (1147 views) | | | Tasted by Acohen on 5/14/2023 & rated 90 points: Nice dark cherry with earth and spices (1119 views) | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 1/27/2023 & rated 89 points: One of my least favorite Rhys wines I had so far. Not bad, but it taste like a nondescript good quality CA Pinot. Nothing stands out, good or bad. (1517 views) | | | Tasted by mclanew on 12/30/2022 & rated 91 points: Popped and poured. Strawberry, herbs, a little spice. Quite restrained, whole cluster, medium bodied. Quite pleasant, attractive but lacks the depth and persistence to age further. (1129 views) | | | Tasted by JCR50 on 10/16/2022 & rated 90 points: Tried this wine at a restaurant and really like the subtle tannins, structure and berry fruit. Purchased this at an auction site and it had the same underlying bones yet a hint of must on it. Making me wonder about the storage, or if it’s reached it’s peak I have one more to evaluate. (1264 views) | | | Tasted by gharter on 10/2/2022 & rated 89 points: Family Farm has never been one of my favorites, but his wine could change that. Time has been good to this. PnP, needed a little time to coax the best of it. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, vanilla, herbs, stems, and earth. On the palate, cherry, strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, spice, herbs and stems. Good balance to a medium finish. Soft tannins in the finish. (1279 views) | | | Tasted by Aravind Asok on 2/27/2022: Pop and pour yesterday. Notes similar to last time, without the woody bitterness on the finish. In short excellent. On the counter unrefrigerated overnight. Today, this shows a little thin and wispy. and not that exciting. Why do these Rhys wines always seem to burn bright and then fade so fast? (1706 views) | | | Tasted by t_moderne on 1/9/2022 & rated 88 points: Pop and pour from a 375ml bottle.
Enjoyed on its own and then with food (linguini alla Amitriciana and fried haddock, in case you were wondering.)
Garnet ruby color. Slight cloudy.
Nose offers wet earth, black raspberries and blackberries alo g with a touch of brown spices (cinnamon bark).
Earthy berries on the intro. Suffi ient acidity.
Good but not quite inviting.
13.5%abv. (1554 views) | | | Tasted by Cow Town on 12/29/2021 flawed bottle: Corked, sadly. Drank alongside three other 2014s (Alpine, Bearwallow, and Home, which were all very nice). (1393 views) | | | Tasted by Pinotfanbg on 11/24/2021 & rated 92 points: Pretty fruit, savory, nice structure and balance. Ready to drink. Very good and doing well in this 375 ml format. (1371 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 11/22/2021: -- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 1.5 hrs. --
-- from 375mL --
Aromas of warm, ripe red fruits dominate the fairly open/expressive Nose. On the palate, this wine seems to be well-relaxed, and likely in its prime window, featuring baked red fruits and a hint of funk, with medium to medium+ acidity and completely resolved tannins. Drink Now and over the near term. (1657 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 8/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Similar tasting notes to previous bottle. (1509 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 5/12/2021 & rated 93 points: Much more open compared with the bottle from 2 months ago. Lovely raspberry, earth and spice notes on the nose and lively palate with delicious acidity on the moderate long finish. (1563 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 3/18/2021 & rated 91 points: Drinking rather young! Tasty strawberry, earth and spice notes on the nose and palate with lively acidity on the moderate finish. (1417 views) | | | Tasted by mreinhard74@gmail.com on 2/17/2021 & rated 92 points: Has improved with more time in the bottle. Burgundian. Integrated fruit with a touch of cola. (1454 views) | | | Tasted by gharter on 12/3/2020 & rated 88 points: Starts with subdued aromas of strawberry, vanilla, stems, and earth. Has flavors of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, spice and stems. Slightly acidic, good mouthfeel. Slight bitterness in a very short finish. Not bad, but just not as good as most Rhys Pinots. (1530 views) | | | Tasted by Rieslingfan on 7/1/2020: This is turning a corner, and entering a nice place. The fruit has mellowed, and there are herbal and earthy nuances that are starting to add a layer of complexity. I think another 2-3 years could find this in a very good spot. Good to have one tonight, and happy to have more for the future. (2106 views) | | | Tasted by Twopawsup on 6/24/2020 & rated 91 points: Pale ruby color with slow legs. Burnt toast, cinnamon, and cedar on the palate. Black cherry, white pepper and leather on the palate. Long silky finish. (1464 views) | | | Tasted by mreinhard74@gmail.com on 5/4/2020 & rated 90 points: High acid and a bit more one dimesional than I normally expect from Rhys. Not bad, just not up to their reputation and amazing other wines (1540 views) | | | Tasted by Golf_Wine on 10/20/2019 & rated 85 points: Good typical Rhys PN nose. Cherry liquor, raw meat/iron, some alcohol, marzipan, new leather, nutmeg, pine sap, fennel, a sharp nose almost chemical in its rigid sharpness, not wavering. Little to no fruit/berries.
Drinking; bright red fruits and berries, almost opposite of the nose. Light feminine, floral, violets, a bit of heat, hollow mid palate, with an slight oaky, leather finish. Gums reacting like it the wine is tart and astringent. It's a bit like barrel tasting in that the wine is not near being together. Overall too much alcohol, oak, leather. Hopefully like most of my Rhys this will come around but will leave alone for a few years.
Update day 2. Nose have calmed down and getting crushed raspberries, strawberries. Drinking a bit better, black tea bitter finish. Not coming together yet though. Will wait maybe 2 years before opening the next bottle. (2279 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.Family Farm Vineyardhttp://img243.imageshack.us/img243/9909/rhysvineyardspinotnoirez9.jpg
Rhys Vineyards Family Farm pinot noir photographed in November 2006.
Family Farm Vineyard
Fruit set at Family Farm in the regrafted suitcase selections.
2016 fruit set at Family Farm Vineyard in the regrafted suitcase selections.
Along with Alpine vineyard, the development of Family Farm vineyard started in the year 2000. As we began to understand the site better, we realized that we could increase quality with a selection of smaller-berried, heritage and suitcase Pinot Noir cuttings. Regrafting these grapevines was not an easy choice since it meant that the vines would not be fully productive for 2 or more years. Nevertheless, between the years 2007 and 2010 we regrafted over half of the 6 acre vineyard. Fortunately, after this short-term pain was over it became clear that these choices lead to a definite increase in quality. Today Family Farm is mature with stout vines and the wine is showing increasing depth with an almost old-vine like breadth in the midpalate.
Family Farm Vineyard Pinot Noir retrospective
In preparation for this release, we thought it might be a good time to open a vertical of Family Farm Pinot Noir starting with the first vintage that included some of the new grafts. This vertical showed the character of a couple of extreme vintages as well as a steady increase in quality culminating in the 2013 and unreleased 2014 vintages.
Tasting notes:
2010- While the fruit is maturing this wine still has some youthful structural elements that need time to resolve. The whipsaw of cool and hot weather in 2010 lead to a challenging harvest, but we were able to get Family Farm when it was ready. This shows firm red fruit and more structure than the 2011, and will reward further cellaring.
2011- This example of California’s coolest recent vintage was ready to go. It is an earlier drinking lighter styled example of Family Farm’s black cherry and loam theme.
2012- This vintage showed a big step up in quality. The regrafted sections are fully contributing at this point and the wine shows more depth, intensity and balance than we’ve seen in past vintages.
2013- This is the best vintage of Family Farm to date. It drinks extremely well now and will age beautifully. The mid palate breadth is terrific and offers loads of delicious black cherry and earthy complexity.USAAmerican 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 |
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