Joe,
We are planning on those three releases. Additionally we are contemplating another Alesia release (the remaining 2011s) and a 2013 Futures release toward the end of the year.
Is the Alesia release a separate release or is it part of the Rhys allocation releases? Are mailing list members going to be penalized if they skip the Alesia release or is it just that Alesia purchasers will have a better standing as it adds to their aggregate purchases. Just trying to budget wine allocations this year as I plan to go deep on the 2012’s.
From this point forward Alesia will be managed separately from the Rhys allocation system. There is no obligation to buy but Rhys customers will be given priority.
Lastly, will pick up dates for the Alesia and Rhys Spring release be on the same day?
Yes, we will have both wines available for pickup and tasting on the same day.
It’s probably too late to switch. However, in this instance, it would have been preferable to have the Rhys offering before the Alesia offering. Without knowing what the Rhys allocations will be, it is difficult to determine how much Alesia to purchase.
Joel,
We haven’t decided which wines we will pour yet. Usually we decide this based on how the wines are showing at the time. Right now the only wine I am sure we will pour is the 2012 Family Farm.
We are also considering moving the pickup day to late March early April in order to allow enough time to assemble the 2012 sampler packs that we offered as Futures. How does that sound?
Steve,
I think it is very likely that we will have some Alesia to offer waitlisters. We are going to let the Rhys customers buy as much as they would like and then open up the offer to include the waitlist.
Any chance this is from Alder Springs as well? I loved Pax’ version before he went all AFWE on me. I love some Rhys Syrah - Alder Springs would be icing on the cake!
2011 Rhys Alesia Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard- USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (4/10/2013)
40% whole cluster. Man, I dug this wine. It just seemed to hit me right. Bacon fat, purple flower aromatics, just full of fragrance. Depth of flavor, too. Then, with air, I got iron and pepper in the nose, with tannin and rocks in the finish. This is very similar to Copain Brosseau syrah, very close. I starred this wine in my notes. Putting aside any bias about this being non-estate fruit and CA syrah…if you like Copain Brosseau, meaning blue fruits and minerality in your CA syrah, buy it. I surely will.
Well, I had it once but that was my true reaction to it, the way it came across. It will be more than a year between tasting and release so we I bet it evolves even further since my note.
I tasted all the 2011 Rhys when I was there in April. All of my notes are over in CT for some extra perspective. I think the destemming aspect of some of the cuvees will create some interesting discussion amongst the Rhys devoted.
This is unfortunate and I’m sorry it happened, but I really have enjoyed following the Bearwallow wines from the start and will gladly max out on whatever '11s are offered to me.
Kevin, I appreciate the extent of your participation in threads like this. Thank you.
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