2006 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/4/2009)
Pale ruby color. Just a lovely nose, in need of more bottle age to really open, but slightly earthy, slightly gamey with some floral notes and most of all cherries. Very pretty and intriguing. The palate was cherries, powdered cherries and just a bit candied. Quite smooth and I think a couple more years in the cellar brings out some complexities. Fun to drink now though. 50+4+13+16+7=90 (90 pts.)
Spot-on note, Loren. Definitely fun to drink now. I’m trying to keep my hands off, although a second bottle may go down in the next couple months. Tasty stuff.
All of my Rhys/Alesia wines now go strait to the storage locker for a at least a few years of sleep. It’s fun to read these notes, but I just can’t buy enough of these right now for infacide.
My last bottle of the 2006 Alesia Sonoma Coast showed what I interpreted to be a lot, lot, lot of stems…spicy/piney notes which unfortunately dominated the fruit. Consistent through two days. My previous bottle last April was completely different, much more balanced, with the distinct cherry that Loren noted. Actually my experience from April mirror’s Loren’s description.
Perhaps bottle variation, or has anyone else found prominent stems lately? Fortunately, I’ve got another six left to sort this out.
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