March 22, 2024 - The first Rhys Home Vineyard bottle I’ve really “gotten” - and this one was worth it. Definitely heavy on the whole cluster but with 11 years’ age, that’s an unambiguous positive. Big flavor in a medium to light body, perfect balance. Wonderful with roast chicken.
September 8, 2023 - Color: medium ruby with some brown
Nose: fleshy dark fruit, dark cherry and blackberry. Bay leaf, silicone, old book, something like faint caramel, candied violet
Palate: intense, medium-high acidity, medium tannins mostly felt on the tongue, good balance on a body I'd call medium-full. Confirms the nose aromatically
Finish: medium
Dark but not quite brooding, kept food friendly by a great acid backbone, nice tannins, this is a big Pinot. I had it with salmon but that was not the right idea, this would have been better with chicken persillade or similarly flavored white meat. Had it from bottle at room temp, best about an hour and a half after opening. Not a hint of Brett, to which I am very sensitive. Lucky bottle it seems
August 9, 2023 - Decanted for sediment. 2nd of three bought at auction, soaked cork, signs of past seepage. Still drinkable, enjoyable even, didn’t come across flawed although I assume more advanced than well kept bottles. Makes me rethink my Dec ‘21 note, this came from the same lot - perhaps that bottle had some heat damage as well.
June 12, 2023 - Not sure if flawed, mildly brett or just an off bottle. The aroma and flavor seems slightly muted, not as pronounced as the last bottle. Not terrible, but not what I expected either.
May 26, 2023 - Ditto last note, slight brett.
May 1, 2023 - Old world in style this had a pronounced brett note that did not blow off. Not the level of quality i am
Used to with Rhys. Off bottle?
January 19, 2023 - As tasty as the last bottle!
January 16, 2023 - -- decanted for about 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2.5 hrs on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 --
NOSE: expressive; high-toned; earthy; red fruits (cherry and strawberry); wet stones mineral aspect; tightened-up over 2.5 hrs. on Day 1. On Day 3, the brett had intensified, presenting a very medicinal band-aid overtone to the Nose.
BODY: dark garnet color of medium depth; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: medium-light to medium concentration of fruit flavor; red-fruited, with some leather (it's brett); no tannins; medium acidity; Drink Now and over the near term. Day 3: medicinal note is strong -- canker sore medicine I remember from my kid days -- and Band-aid brett. Ultimately marking this as Flawed, but my Day 1 score is below:
50, 5, 12, 15, 7 = 89
December 22, 2022 - Bright berries, briary fruit, maybe a hint of brett.
December 12, 2022 - Tasty earthy cherry, forest floor, and Brett notes on the nose and palate with moderate long savory finish.