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 Vintage2017 Label 1 of 30 
TypeRed
ProducerRhys (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardSkyline Vineyard
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionSanta Cruz Mountains
AppellationSanta Cruz Mountains

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2022 and 2031 (based on 8 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 93.9 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by yeti575rider on 3/17/2024 & rated 92 points: Took to Lenox Sophia (BYOB). Excellent restaurant and one of the few higher end places in Boston where you can bring your own wine. Initial wine of evening so was pretty much a pop and pour. This would have benefited from at least a quick decant I believe so I should have asked - noticed another table did have a decanter later. Actually the more complex of the 2 wines - seems like it would have had more whole cluster but don't actually know if that's the case. Fruit a bit more subdued. Noticeably herbal with some spice notes. Would have preferred a bit more acidity to get a bit more cut but overall an interesting wine. I'll score the same as the follow-on but more for the complexity here. I enjoyed the Tawse a bit more and would choose a glass of that over this if I could have had one more glass at end of meal. (516 views)
 Tasted by Mike Dildine on 10/16/2022 & rated 95 points: Really nice. Entering a long and delightful drinking window. (1465 views)
 Tasted by WineGold on 5/5/2021 & rated 95 points: Translucent garnet. Immediatley, the nose shows lilacs, blood organge, and savory notes. It is layered and multifaceted. The palate is just as interesting as the nose. Strawberry, white flowers, white pepper, with a touch of earth and stems. At 12.9% ABV, there is a nice energy and lift here. This is a wine with flourish and complexity. It’s one of the more interesting Rhys Pinots I’ve tried, out of many, but also our first from the Skyline vineyard. (2226 views)
 Tasted by Frank Murray III on 7/26/2019: July 2019 Rhys Visit--Taste The 2017s and some new stuff (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): Tasted at the winery. 12.9% ABV, 100% whole cluster, 25% new wood. Gorgeous aromas of spice, lifting out of the glass much like the 2017 Porkie did for me, too. Plush, juicy, yet with density with a lot of lovely red/blue under all the density. Some herb comes into the finish, along with the same cherry, added by red apple and even a little meaty/savory thing. This has structure, length, density and really everything Skyline can be. (2552 views)
 Tasted by brigcampbell on 7/26/2019: Wow, this is drinking beautifully right at the pop n pour. Cherry and ripe raspberry with a citrus note. There's also a light smokey thing hanging around with pine sap. Less tannins than the Rhys Pinot noir. (2503 views)

Professional 'Channels'
By Allen Meadows
Burghound, Jan-20, Issue #77
(Rhys Vineyards Pinot Noir - Skyline Vineyard Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s (10/31/2019)
(Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard) Login and sign up and see review text.
By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains (Oct 2019) (10/1/2019)
(Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard Central Coast Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jul/Aug 2019, Issue #82, New Releases and Old Favorites From America’s Old School and Neo-Classicists
(Pinot Noir “Skyline Vineyard”- Rhys Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains)) Login and sign up and see review text.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Burghound and JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and View From the Cellar. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Rhys

Producer website

Pinot 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.

Skyline Vineyard

On weinlagen-info

USA

American 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.

California

2021 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

Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia

Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.

In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west.

 
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