TN: 2009 Rhys Pinot Noir Swan Terrace

[Peter_Chiu]

Things…are getting more interesting ( and please read my message and undertand it in a positive way )

I do not know much about wine-makings as I only know how to drink them and enjoy them.

Please educate me…more !!!

[Jeff_Brinkman]

@Frank Murray III

I tasted this wine almost a year ago at the winery and found it stony, with blue (dominant) and red fruit and rose petal. Clayton, you don’t make any mention about whole cluster, nor did I find it a yar aog, but it is worth noting that this wine is 90%, if I recall correctly.

100% Frank, but who’s counting

We’ve found that whole cluster in conjunction with the Swan selection planted in shallow soils often shows a tremendous amount of rose petal and baking spices, even in the fermenter.

[D_Wirsig]

Arghhh… Accidentally opened this last night… Thought I grabbed the Santa Cruz blend and didn’t realize until pulling the cork out and say “Swan” on the cork. Too late!

Well, it was really good, but too young. Blue fruit, floral, with some spices and streaks of minerality. Nice tart acids, nice weight and very fine tannin.

Love Rhys, but I wish the print was bigger!

[Brad_S_w_a_l_l_o_w]

@D. Wirsig

Accidentally opened this last night… Thought I grabbed the Santa Cruz blend and didn’t realize until pulling the cork out and say “Swan” on the cork.

Funny – I posted a note last Thursday about a similar gaffe I had with a 2008 Skyline. There must be something subliminal going on with these Rhys svds.

[Kevin_Harvey]

@D. Wirsig

Arghhh… Accidentally opened this last night… Thought I grabbed the Santa Cruz blend and didn’t realize until pulling the cork out and say “Swan” on the cork. Too late!

Well, it was really good, but too young. Blue fruit, floral, with some spices and streaks of minerality. Nice tart acids, nice weight and very fine tannin.

Love Rhys, but I wish the print was bigger!

D.,
We are working on a re-design now. I have made this mistake way too many times myself and as recently as last night. We have to make it more legible!

[scamhi]

I have brought up this topic before. The vineyard designations are nearly impossible for me to read especially in the low light cellar. Please make them larger

[Kevin_Harvey]

Suzanne,
We will definitely make the print larger starting with the 2011s.

[scamhi]

thanks Kevin

[D_Wirsig]

@Kevin Harvey

We are working on a re-design now. I have made this mistake way too many times myself and as recently as last night. We have to make it more legible!

Bravo, Kevin!

[G_Bienstock]

My first bottle of 2 purchased on release.

Santa Cruz Mountains and Willamette Valley are my 2 favorite US AVA’s for Pinot Noir. Last week I tasted at 6 Willamette Valley wineries with bottles from 2010-2023 and feel my PN palate was well calibrated.

The 09 Swan is firmly tertiary at this point with a little red fruit peeking out. It reminds me of the quality level of 2001 Dominique Laurent Charmes Chambertin VV tasted last month with Arv et al. Wonderful dense texture and lots of earthy umami on the long finish. Grand Cru quality, I will hold the other bottle for another couple of years.