Anyone in on this offering? Advice? Just starting to try them out.
I was on their list for years, I have actually been more impressed with their Chards than the Pinot’s…both are great, but their Chards are world-class…
Agreed. I also loved their Syrahs
Yes i bought a few bottles of each of the Pinot noirs. My experience has been that these wines age beautifully.
1 Like
I bought a mix of wines, both white and red. The reds in part benefit from some years of bottle age, I’d say at least a decade, though obviously I’m still dialing in my understanding of the wines.
On the fence. I like their Pinots and especially their chards, but the prices are pushing my limits. I loved their Hillside wines, but they are beyond what I want to pay ($150 per). Now, their chards are pushing $90 and the pinots are similar. I already have years in my cellar. The only question is when do they price me out? Getting close.
Curious - for those that are getting priced out…
How many of you spend $150+ on Napa cabs?
Cheers
1 Like
Not me, but, then again, I prefer Bdx… I occasionally spend that much on Bdx., but when I do I am expecting solid excellence.
Count me as another who, over time, developed the opinion that Rhys is at their best with their Chards and Syrahs.
1 Like
I love Rhys, used to buy from them for years but they have priced me out. I do not buy Napa cabs but I do buy bdx. For me I can find better value in Oregon. I am also a bigger fan of the Syrah and Chardonnay.
I changed my strategy and now buy future 375mls of Alpine and Horseshoe pinots and occassionally will buy some chards.
Do you mostly drink (Anz)alone?
2 Likes
For the times I dont Drink “alone,” I purchased a few 750s of Alpine Pinot and Chard after reading Antonio Galloni’s reviews released yesterday and emailed to the mailing list. The reviews sound like Rhys produced some exceptional wines in 2021.
For those that didnt receive it or read it, here are the reviews in Rhys’ email from Vinous Media:
2021 Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir
Density and power are the calling cards in the 2021 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard. This embryonic Pinot is going to need time to really blossom, but it is so impressive today. Kirsch, tobacco, cinnamon, dried herbs and spice open with coaxing. As is so often the case, the Alpine has an aromatic profile that recalls one of the great vineyards in Vosne-Romanée. I love its exotic beauty. 98pts.
2021 Alpine Vineyard Chardonnay
The 2021 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard is so strikingly different from the Horseshoe. It offers tremendous concentration and pure power, a sort of seamless intensity that builds and then carries through to its substantial, resonant finish. Citrus confit, dried flowers, mint and chamomile linger. What a wine. 98pts.
2021 Bearwallow Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is a powerful, somber wine in its first impression. Black fruit, spice, tobacco, charcoal embers and graphite infuse the 2021 with tons of gravitas. A Pinot of imposing depth and structure, the Bearwallow is incredibly impressive in the early going. Extended aeration brings out the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume, along with a more refined dimension that is not apparent initially. The Anderson Valley Pinots have always played second fiddle to the Santa Cruz Mountains bottlings within this range, but that is starting to change. 96pts.
2021 Porcupine Hill Pinot Noir
The 2021 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill is one of the most impressive Anderson Valley Pinots I have tasted from Rhys. It emerges from a newer section of ultra high-density vines. Iron, white pepper, dried herbs, rose petal and dark red-toned fruit all run through this potent, backward Pinot. I would be in no rush to open the 2021, as it is quite the powerhouse. Next to the Bearwallow, the Porcupine Hill is darker and also broader in feel. 97pts.
2021 Bearwallow Vineyard Chardonnay
The 2021 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard is bright, focused and intensely saline. Readers will want to cellar the 2021 for at least a few years, as it is a very serious white. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, slate and chalk all lend brilliance to this deceptively mid-weight, focused Chardonnay. The 2021 really sizzles. 94pts.
2021 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2021 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard is a potent, wild wine. Strong savory and floral notes open first, but on the palate the wine is rather reticent. That should not be an issue in another few years’ time, but the 2021 is very closed down. This is another wine that is going to need a few years to come together. Today, acids and tannins dominate, signatures of soils that especially rocky. 94+pts.
2021 Mt. Pajaro Vineyard Chenin Blanc
The 2021 Chenin Blanc Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is fabulous. It offers a compelling mix of varietal and site character. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, chalk, citrus and bright saline notes abound. A wine of crystalline purity and tension, the 2021 bristles with character. I loved it. 94pts.
2 Likes
Been buying for a few years and definitely feel the pinch… But I haven’t opened a bad bottle yet (bad being I regret paying the price) but I’m still drinking out of earlier inventory so I haven’t hit the higher pricing either. I still bought some from this offer but scaled back in quantity. Also I’m giving the chenin blanc a shot for the first time this year - the lower price was definitely a driver.
Not directly related but I’ve taken flyers on their sparkling wine and it’s punched well above it’s weight, for my tastes at least