TN: 2006 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)

WINE TALK
1

Thrown in a decanter right before drinking. I think I actually liked this more the first night but was very good both nights.

  • 2006 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (12/24/2009)
    This got better and better with air over more than an hour. Great mineral quality on top of a black cherry nose. Terrific natural and not tart acidity with a strong mineral component behind a very balanced silky palate of black cherry only showing moderate complexity and a good dose of tannin.
    Bigger more broadly fruited on the second night with the finish getting much bigger. This needs a few years to be its best but is terrific.

Posted from CellarTracker

2

Baby killer!! My few bottles of this are hidden deep in my offsite - to be visited many years from now.

One question: did you think there was enough balance between the fruit and structure for this to go the distance?? 15, 20, 25 years? Thanks for the early look!

3

Thanks for the look at this … not as good as a taste but [basic-smile.gif]

This is the one 06 I have been starring at but haven’t popped yet. I thought the Swan Terrace was stunning. Near the top for my favorite wine of 09. Big for me as pinot pre age 7 is not generally exciting.

I think I need to crack the Hillside. I still remember David Dain’s comment, “This is likely my wine of the year, possibly the best domestic pinot I’ve tasted and better than most…make that virtually all burgundy I’ve tasted.”

Big words.

Jason

4

I shared the Skyline with you Jason! [wink.gif]

I was wanting something good to open for a fellow Pinot lover X-Mas eve and have been wanting to try one of these. A great wine begging for more time to me. And to think the 07’s are even better. [swoon.gif]

5

[thankyou.gif] And it was greatly appreciated. A real treat.

Glad to hear about the 07s. They are going to hurt my wallet.

Jason

6

Not that the wine isn’t excellent, but he should taste more Burgundy then.

7

You silly man, you have no idea :wink:

A) of course I should taste more burgundy, who shouldn’t? I didn’t say that because I dislike burgs.
B) curious as to your experience with Rhys in general and this wine in particular
C) I have a feeling you might be surprised by the amount of burgundy I taste (5 bottles in the past week)…I have such a good life :slight_smile:
D) It won’t surprise you to know I find about 20% of the burgundy I drink exciting, the rest merely good, the truly transcendant wines are rare, just like any region.

But while 20% is a good number for any wine region, the real issue is what my palate prefers. Its not for lack of tasting/trying that I say this is better than other wines, for me this is a really really great wine. Tasting more of something else isn’t going to change that.

Cheers,

Dain

8

Keith,

DDS tastes A TON o’ Burgundy.
He has a good background…

TTT

9

Well, not as much as I would like too, or as much as you Paul. It is all because of luck, location and dear friends that share…It is nice to live a few blocks from one of the largest know deposits of Leroy in the New World :wink:

But as I see the point, in my view and experience it is quite plausible for the best new world pinot I’ve tasted to also be better than virturally all burgs too.
For some that might be too much but wouldn’t one expect the best burg you’ve tasted to also be better than most if not all new world pinots? In my view and experience that is also true. When you are at the pinnacle you are by definition beating out 99+% right?
It’s not like I blasphemed and said my favorite all time pinot based wine was not made in Burgundy :wink:*, I should be very happy to accept a glass of any burgundy someone wants me to try to prove it is better than the Rhys referenced here…no problem, I’m a gamer.

For some I suppose it is impossible for even the best New World pinot to be better than many Old World and that is fine, but it says as much about ones palate as it does the wine.

dds

*for the record my WOML was not made in Burgundy, or California…and it was not made from pinot!!! [shock.gif]