February 8, 2024 - Sooner or later you have to open one. I had been staring at the 2014 Hillsides for a while, and entering its tenth year from the vintage seemed like a good time to check in. Better that I had put it in a decanter for a couple of hours, as it stated simple, but two hours later blossomed. When I got to my second glass the earthy depths created a foundation for the still fresh, dark red fruit. The savory, earthy elements were even more apparent on the palate, alongside brighter fruit and balanced tannins. Very enjoyable to drink after some air, but also seems poised for more a lot more development over the next 5-10 years.
January 27, 2024 - Blind, sappy concentrated almost confected fruit that I thought was a Russian River Pinot. After knowing the producer I picked up just a hint of herbal character that was nice lift to the concentrated fruit. Good, but would be disappointed at this price point.
September 2, 2023 - came from a pristine OWC. Strong bellpepper (underripe tones?). I find a lot of Rhys wines have great fruit but seem under-ripe
November 24, 2022 - 13.1% abv. Medium-dark burgundy, very aromatic. On the palate, raspberry, black cherry, sage, Christmas spice and saline minerality on the finish. Impeccable depth, balance, length and focus. Drinking fantastic right now and will probably only improve with several more years of bottle age. Beautiful.
December 7, 2021 - Red cherry, cranberry with cedar, savory spice and a clear whole cluster character. Not as pristine or bright as I expected. This is the one bottle I bought at auction (vs directly from Rhys) and even from an auction in Hong Kong, so I can't be 100% confident on the bottle.
October 3, 2021 - Just a sip at a BWE event. Candied nose, big fruit and great flavor but seems young and definitely overpowered.
December 29, 2020 - Best to wait...
November 26, 2020 - Not a detailed note because Thanksgiving! Lovely aromatic nose of pinot berry, violets, undergrowth, salty aromatic fruit on the palate. Utterly delcious.
November 7, 2019 - This rich and elegant Pinot is drinking beautifully right now, with a power and nuance that are beguiling. Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine offers evocative aromas of dried strawberry, cranberry, fresh spices, and warm gravel. Tastes of sour cherry, raspberry, mulberry, leather, and pine needles, with a finish that defines grace - layered, balanced, and never-ending. 13% alcohol. This is quite open-knit now, but it could be even better in a few years.
I tasted this next to a 2014 Rhys Porcupine Hill, which offered more fruit but less nuance. I am continually amazed how Rhys can provide such depth and purity of fruit, while avoiding the extremes of CA Pinot on the modern side (e.g., extracted, jammy, sweet) or the lean side (e.g., thin, simple, bitter). It's wines like this that remind me why I fell in love with Pinot in the first place. In baseball terms, this wine is a strike thrown right down the middle - hard to do, beautiful to see.
October 11, 2019 - Fragrant and complex nose of red and dark berries, baking spices. Quite tannic with flavors of raspberries, dark fruit, mint, and tobacco on the palate. Very long. This is much too young, but sooo promising. Try again in 10 years. 95++