TN: 2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

[Sc0tt_F_tzgerald]

I have the 2011 chard and PN and like them both a lot. Hope they continue to make it - a nice less expensive interlude while I was on the flagship to mature!

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@Joseph MR

Hi Brian,
My experience has been similar in that this wine has shown a lot of whole cluster
stem, and earth character on top of the fruit. While the stems were starting to integrate into the wine last year, they imparted a velvety, dry, earthy quality to the Pinot.
Not a sappy, fruit driven wine IMHO. FWIW, the 2007 version showed better last winter, not that there seemed to be any hurry to drink up either version.

Hi Joe,

Nice to hear from you! I’ve no experience with the '07, but – like you – I don’t perceive any rush to drink-up bottles of the '08. Do you think you’ll make Minny around XMastime this year? Ashley and I are planning on being there, so I hope we’ll have the opportunity to see you; it was crushing to miss last year’s event — the first time in 5 or 6 years that we weren’t able to attend — we look forward to resuming our attendance this December!

[Kenny_H]

Well I for one am glad it is still around considering the 2011 Sonoma Coast I’ve tasted. It has everything going for it, a really spectacular pinot for the price.

[P_D_e_r_d_e_y_n]

Well I for one am glad it is still around considering the 2011 Sonoma Coast I’ve tasted. It has everything going for it, a really spectacular pinot for the price.

+1

[Kevin_Harvey]

Update on Alesia, we have continued to make An Alesia Alder Springs Chardonnay and Pinot through 2014 (this year), so after a hiatus in 2009-2010 we have Alesia wines from 2011-2014.
FWIW, we are very happy with 2012 and 2013 Alesia. The wines are nicely balanced and intense with the very pronounced site expression (earthy Pinot and minerally Chard) of that rocky site.
We have not made a decision on continuing Alesia in 2015 but with the new vines at Bearwallow and Mt Pajaro beginning to produce, it is likely that Alesia will go into hibernation again after 2014.

[David_Bu3ker]

Sounds good Kevin.

[Joseph_MR]

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

@Joseph MR

Hi Brian,
My experience has been similar in that this wine has shown a lot of whole cluster
stem, and earth character on top of the fruit. While the stems were starting to integrate into the wine last year, they imparted a velvety, dry, earthy quality to the Pinot.
Not a sappy, fruit driven wine IMHO. FWIW, the 2007 version showed better last winter, not that there seemed to be any hurry to drink up either version.

Hi Joe,

Nice to hear from you! I’ve no experience with the '07, but – like you – I don’t perceive any rush to drink-up bottles of the '08. Do you think you’ll make Minny around XMastime this year? Ashley and I are planning on being there, so I hope we’ll have the opportunity to see you; it was crushing to miss last year’s event — the first time in 5 or 6 years that we weren’t able to attend — we look forward to resuming our attendance this December!

Brian, unfortunately, not this time. I will see Johnny next month, though.
2009 Alpine Vineyard chard and 1999 Ridge Geyserville on deck!

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/11/2015)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –

NOSE: spicy – stemmy? – green peppercorns; dark red fruits; cedar; fireplace; bitter/stemmy-green/floral.

BODY: small amount of fine particulate matter present; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: leathery – probably brett; horsey; lightly smoky; medium brett – enough to mar the wine, imo. Flawed-bretty. NR (flawed)

Posted from CellarTracker

[David_Bu3ker]

Never run into brett in this wine. Been through 5 bottles and a mag.

[Mark_Y]

@David M. Bueker

Never run into brett in this wine. Been through 5 bottles and a mag.

+1. been through 13 bottles of this… no brett…

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

Of the 357 notes in CT for this wine, my bretty bottle is one of only two that were marked as “flawed.”

[Corey_N]

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

Of the 357 notes in CT for this wine, my bretty bottle is one of only two that were marked as “flawed.”

I’ve had a better than average fail rate with Rhys. You are not alone.

[P_D_e_r_d_e_y_n]

@Kevin Harvey

Update on Alesia, we have continued to make An Alesia Alder Springs Chardonnay and Pinot through 2014 (this year).

The Alder Springs Chardonnays have been fantastic. Are there any updates on the additional Alesia wines you mention in this thread Kevin?

[Kevin_Harvey]

Thanks Patrick. I have enjoyed those Alder Springs Chards quite a bit as well.
As un update, we continued to make Alesia Pinot and Chardonnay from Alder Springs in 2012 and 2013 so those wines will be offered over the next two years or so.
Meanwhile given our increased estate production, we did not make Alesia in 2014 and will not again in 2015.
To fill the gap, I am hoping that we can offer a lower priced Chardonnay made from Bearwallow fruit starting with the 2014 vintage but this is still TBD.

[Daniel_McIntosh]

the 2008 Alesia is why I bought into Rhys; in fact I don’t think I’ve a better bottle of Rhys pinot (except a taste of Swan at the end of a bottle that was opened by a friend which was extremely promising for those in my cellar) Considering that Rhys chards make my knees weak I had higher hopes for the Alder Chard: at a similar price point I much prefer Liquid Farm White Hill