Marybeth and I visited Rhys Vineyard a couple of days before Thanksgiving. Josh hosted us and three other couples. It was a great tasting and tour which lasted several hours, yet seemed much shorter. Josh was a generous host, opening several wines, including barrel samples he had transferred to bottles. No ’07 or ’08 Pinots; they were shut down.
Disclaimer: my notes were a bit sketchy, and in retrospect, seem to be a mix of Josh’s comments and my own observations and tasting notes.
2010 Horseshoe Chardonnay
White flowers, citrus, slight oak on the nose. Nice texture, medium bodied. A little minty. Great grip. Marybeth found it creamy, yet it reportedly only went 1/3 of the way through malolactic fermentation.
2010 Alpine Chardonnay
More citrus; crisp. Denser finish. Fresh. Moderate alcohol? Once again, partial malo (50% ?).
Skyline '10 Pinot
Dense spicy nose of red raspberry cake, fresh fruit. On palate, a bit of a lightweight initially; put on weight in the glass with time, developing some earthy tones. Fine subtle tannins. Ethereal; great minerality. I believe Josh said they lost much of the crop to botrytis. 60 cases
Growing in shale, a little mudstone & limestone, the vines had tiny trunks for their age (twigs!). 12.2% alc; 1/3 new oak? 100% whole cluster.
2010 Swan Terrace Pinot
Really liked this one. Fresh raspberry and floral nose and palate. Very feminine but more body at this point than the Skyline. Perfumey; fine tannins. I think I heard this is a 10% subselection of alpine vinelyard; less exposed, so higher yields. Only single clone wine? Great already.
2010 Alpine Pinot: enjoyed it, but can’t find my notes. I remember thinking the Alpine and Horseshoe will make old bones (decades?).
2010 Bearwallow
2nd year Rhys has farmed this vineyard.
Elegant, pretty. More restrained on the nose than the Swan or Skyline. Interesting tinny scent; Marybeth said multivitamin.
07 Horseshoe Chardonnay (unreleased) 1st vintage (test), one barrel.
Less complex. Riper and more waxy than subsequent vintages. More evolved and perhaps a bit oxidized with hazelnut and chestnut aromas and flavors.
07 Horseshoe Pinot (100 cs.) More stony & austere. Nice nose & structure
06 Alpine Hillside Pinot
Steepest middle block 40 degree slope, rocky
Powerful: amplified Alpine. More spicy rich fruit. 100% new oak & whole cluster. I think Josh said they now uses less new oak; nevertheless, it was well integrated.
Admittedly, my sparse notes don’t do the wines justice. All of them showed remarkable structure, complexity and minerality. They balance ripeness with freshness, concentration with elegance. World class wines, great hospitality, and gorgeous grounds in the Santa Cruz Mountains. ![[welldone.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/fc9709a841aa9379fd892a9cf0b535b05f473b86.gif "[welldone.gif]"){kind=small}