A group of us gathered at Atlas for another exploration of Rhys wines and included the Home Vineyard and Syrahs for the first time. Tonight reinforced my lofty opinions of the Horseshoe Chardonnay and Syrah and Skyline Pinot, each of which I consider to be world class. My notes are on the cursory side, as the terrific company drew much of my attention. Special thanks to Atlas for their outstanding food and service.
Each one of these dinners (this was the third) reinforces that the distinct expressions of each of the vineyards outweighs any house style. They also confirm how much joy wine brings when shared with good people.
Horseshoe Chardonnay
2010 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Ripe Meyer lemon and minerals with great acidic cut with a tart finish. Outstanding and much fresher than the last bottle I had. (93 pts.)
2015 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Rich but balanced by bracing acidity, almost Burgundian, youthful and it should age well but very drinkable now. (93 pts.)
Home Vineyard Pinot Noir
2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay
Lean dark cherry with a bit of stems, pretty harmonious. (91 pts.)
2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay
Dark cherry and menthol, very young and tannic, it still needs a good bit of time but should have the stuffing to make it. (91 pts.)
2010 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay
Red cherry and menthol stems supported by a good bit of fine tannin. Showing more of the stem profile characteristic of Rhys from this era. (92 pts.)
Skyline Vineyard Pinot Noir
The depth and quality of the Skyline Pinots is incredible and distinctive, in some ways more reminiscent of great Oregon Pinot Noirs than of most California versions but ultimately a unique expression of the variety.
2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Much tighter than the 2012 and 2014, it shows flashes of the same pedigree, with more coming out with air, but it needs more time to fulfill its potential. (91 pts.)
2012 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Dark cherry with veins of mint, incredible depth and complexity, beautiful acidity, spectacular. (94 pts.)
2014 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Dark cherry, spice, and a touch of mint, incredibly deep and complex, magnificent and profound. (94 pts.)
2011 Syrah
I have profound regrets that it took me a while to recognize the level of quality of Rhys Syrahs and the Horseshoe Vineyard versions in particular.
2011 Rhys Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Just like a spectacular, old school Côte Rotie from the Côte Brune with pepper and minerals dominating the nose, then olive, pepper, and brambly fruit on the palate, if you want to experience what great Côte Rotie was like on release in the 1990s, this is where to look. (95 pts.)
2011 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Brambly fruit and a touch of pepper, a good and restrained version of California Syrah, but not in the same class as the Horseshoe. (91 pts.)
I’ve also had high hopes for the Rhys syrahs based on a few late 00s Horseshoes. But I too has a 2011 Skyline over the weekend and while the nose had some mild intrigue on the palate there was just nothing to hang your hat on. Either a dumb phase or just not a wine for me.
Honestly my first thought was, “good move to rip those vines out.” Sorry if that sounds harsh.
It just shocks me that the wine that absolutely slayed me was the 2011 Horseshoe syrah. I didn’t expect that. It is exactly as Mike describes. Incredible. A wonderful evening. I appreciate all that helped make it fun.
While the 2011 Horseshoe Syrah is a stunner, I have had mixed results (at best) with other 2011 Rhys red wines. Both the Home and Swan Terrace Pinots have been consistently disappointing. I always have a backup bottle handy when I open a 2011. It’s clearly a vintage thing (except for Swan, which I really do not like), as other years perform just fine for me.
Thanks, Mike.
I really enjoy Rhys chardonnay, but do find some variability in their earlier vintages. Opened a 2009 Horseshoe chard last week that was somewhat tired, minimizing the minerality and acidic cut that you reference. Some bottles can be terrific.
We also drank the 2009 Horseshoe Syrah recently. Did not particularly remind me of Cote Rotie, but it was a delicious bottle that was really singing. I’ll have to try a 2011 soon.
Agree that Skyline pinot noir can be super special. The 2012 on release was stupendous. I’d have guessed that it would’ve shut down somewhat, but perhaps it’s one of those special wines that will ALWAYS show well.
Regards,
Peter
Lovely notes, Mike, looks like the Atlanta posse was in top form again. I will probably beg my way into a taste of the 11 Horseshoe Syrah in a month or so, good to have the data point!
Can you maybe link us to the notes on the other dinners, where I presume you guys took a look at Alpine, Bearwallow, etc.?
I also had a 2011 Alpine pinot last weekend. It was better than the Skyline Syrah, which didn’t take much, but just. So I’m in David’s camp re: 2011 Rhys reds. I still have a Home, a Horseshoe pinot and a couple of Skyline pinots (and sadly, another Skyline syrah) from 2011 so I guess I’ll just cross my fingers.
That said, my notes indicate I had a 2011 Home last Spring and liked it quite a bit. Ah, the confounding nature of Rhys!
To me that 2011 Horseshoe syrah reminded me of some great wines from Gilles Barge and Yves Gangloff that I had tasted in the past. Very animale but integrated and vibrant. I was blown away.
Many thanks, kind sir. I was mulling over opening my lone bottle of 10 Bearwallow this Sunday, but maybe I’ll crack one of my three 2014s instead on the strength of your note (I had it two years ago and felt it needed about 2-3 more years in bottle).
Aria—ahhh. That was the location of my very first meeting with the Atlanta crew, I think back in 2006 or so. It was a memorable evening and dinner!
Which flight–or bottle—do you think matched best with the courses at Atlas?
Dig the notes, thanks Mike. As to what a few others have mentioned, for my Rhys 2011s, I have long since drank them all except for a final bottle of 'Shoe Chard, which I will get to this year. I just don’t see the 2011s being for the long run IMO. Further, some of you liked the 2011 Shoe Syrah a lot, and I respect the palates of Don and Mike. For me, when I did my final bottle and logged my TN into CT, I was fine with the wine but it didn’t make me pause. For me, it’s a function of the vintage, as I roundly find the Rhys range to be some of the best wines in my entire cellar.
Reminds me it’s probably time to see if there is interest in the LA/OC to do another big Rhys event here at the house. We have done 3 to date and it’s time for another. Spring is probably a good time, before it warms up.
Mike,
Really nice notes on what sounds like a great night. I stopped buying Rhys years back and when I read notes like this I realize maybe I shouldn’t have.
Always nice to read notes about Rhys, very informative, Mike.
At this point I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to scale back on CA PN with the exception of Rhys. Superb wines, even if the prices are above my comfort zone these days.
I like the Skyline Syrah and apparently liked the 2011 I had on Tuesday much more than John liked his recent bottle, but I don’t lament Kevin’s decision to replace the Syrah at Skyline with Pinot Noir even a little bit for two reasons. First, I prefer the Horseshoe Syrah to the Skyline. Second, I think Skyline Pinot is truly exceptional, perhaps my favorite Pinot made anywhere in the U.S., and the Skyline doesn’t reach that level for me.
Thanks for the data points Mike - really helpful. Is the consensus really that bad on the 11’s that they need to be consumed soon? I have quite a few bottles and have found the pinots in general need a decade before they start to really unfold.
For 2011, both Syrahs are still on the young side. I haven’t had any of the 2011 Rhys Pinots since June 2014, so I need to revisit them. I’ll probably try a Bearwallow in the next couple of weeks because I have quite a few left.