2018 Alesias

The 2018 vintage at Rhys has been generating a lot of excitement recently, both from critics and our customers, and for good reason. It’s a vintage that offers a rare combination of intense concentration, intricate detail, and terrific acidity. Given that we craft the Alesia wines from the same single vineyards that make the Rhys designated wines, they share the same purity and elegance. Our goal with Alesia is to provide the quality of single vineyard Rhys wine in a ready-to-drink format. These 2018 Alesia wines will show great right away and will continue to improve with age.

2018 Alesia Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Even better, the 2018 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Alesia offers a similar vivid color as well as classy citrus and orchard fruits, honeyed minerality, white flowers, and toasted bread. This medium-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced Chardonnay has nicely integrated acidity, a great mid-palate, and a crisp, layered finish. I don’t expect it to have the same longevity as the top Rhys Chardonnay, but wow, what a classy, elegant Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 3-5 years. 94.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains) from Alesia is a dazzling wine that captures all of the energy and vibrancy of the appellation. Citrus, crushed rocks and white flowers all grace the 2018, a Chardonnay that sizzles with energy and tension. This is a terrific showing. 92.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Santa Cruz Mountains bottling of chardonnay from Alesia is truly superb and this is definitely the finest bottling of this cuvée that I have tasted, with the quality really right up there with some of the earlier vintages of Alpine or Horseshoe Vineyards chardonnay from Rhys. Of course, this is younger vine fruit from those same vineyards, so it is not surprising how good this wine is in 2018. It comes in at 12.7 percent alcohol and delivers superb aromatic complexity in its refined blend of apple, pear, passion fruit, beautiful minerality, citrus blossoms, refined vanillin oak and a touch of fresh nutmeg in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and very well-balanced, with bright, zesty acids, lovely focus and grip and a long, complex and utterly refined finish. Alesia never tasted so good! 2020-2030. 92+.

2018 Alesia Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Readers looking for a great example of high-quality Anderson Valley Pinot Noir need look no further than the 2018 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Alesia. Revealing a lighter ruby hue as well as textbook notes of dried red fruits, savory herbs, loamy soil, and new saddle leather, this beauty hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a solid core of sweet fruit, and a great finish. It doesn’t have the structure of the Bearwallow Vineyard release and is ideal for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years. 92.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) is gracious and beautifully lifted. Spice, cedar, tobacco and star anise add pretty aromatic top notes, while beams of saline and mineral notes lend a good bit of vibrancy throughout. I especially like the translucence here. This is a very serious appellation-level wine. 91.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Alesia Anderson Valley bottling of pinot noir is fairly ripe this year, coming in at 13.8 percent alcohol, but also very pure, precise and classy. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a lovely blend of black cherries, pomegranate, raw cocoa, a fine base of soil tones, black tea, woodsmoke and just a hint of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully black fruity in personality, with a generous, broad attack, a fine sense of sappiness at the core, very good soil signature, modest tannins and a long, tangy and complex finish. This is very tasty out of the blocks, but clearly will age long and gracefully as well. Good juice. 2020-2045+. 90+.

Rhys

2018 Rhys Mt. Pajaro Chenin Blanc

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Chenin Blanc Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is fabulous. Pear, dried herb, sage and mint give the Chenin a super appealing savoriness, but what I like most about the Chenin in 2018 is its energy, dimension and translucence. I hope words can do justice to just how beautiful and expressive the 2018 is. In a word: divine. 94.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) I loved the 2017 version of this cuvée, and the 2018 Chenin Blanc Mt. Pajaro Vineyard doesn’t disappoint either. Classy dried citrus, leafy herbs, honeysuckle, and a kiss of minerality all show up on the nose, and it’s medium-bodied and has a textured, layered mouthfeel, good acidity, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done and ideal for enjoying over the coming 2-4 years, although I suspect it will evolve for even longer. 93.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Mt. Pajaro Vineyard Chenin Blanc from Rhys is excellent and a superb follow- up to the high quality 2017 version. The bouquet is deep, ripe and very precise, wafting from the glass in a blend of quince, apple, a bit of lemon peel, gentle notes of lanolin, a fine base of stony soil tones and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and zesty, with a fine core of fruit, excellent backend mineral drive and cut, snappy acids and outstanding focus and grip on the long and complex finish. This is certainly very easy on the eyes right out of the blocks, but this wine is built to age and will be even better with five or six years’ worth of bottle age on it! Superb juice. 2020-2040+. 93.

2018 Rhys Bearwallow Vineyard Chardonnay

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard is endowed with tremendous poise and balance. Light tropical notes, marzipan and lemon oil open up first in a Chardonnay loaded with character. Bright acids play off a creamy expression of fruit. Rich and textured yet also light on its feet, the Bearwallow Chardonnay has a ton to offer. It is another brilliant wine in this lineup from Rhys. 94.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Coming from a site in the Anderson Valley, the 2018 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard shows its normal Burgundian style and has a gorgeous perfume of crushed citrus, lemon curd, white flowers, and salty minerality. Complex and nuanced aromatically, it hits the palate with a racy, steely texture that carries good concentration and mid-palate density, bright acidity, and a saliva-inducing finish. As with the 2017, it needs a solid 3-4 years of bottle age and should drink nicely over the following decade or more. 92+.

2018 Rhys Mt. Pajaro Vineyard Chardonnay

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is a powerful, deep wine with a sense of structure that recalls a red wine. A huge core of fruit give the 2018 a feeling of virile intensity. Readers should expect a potent, savory Chardonnay that will surely be at its finest at the dinner table. 94.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) A classic, mineral-laced white from this team, the 2018 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard has a bright gold hue as well as lots of salty, citrus fruits, notes of honeysuckle and white flowers, medium-bodied richness, and a juicy, balanced, elegant texture. It’s beautifully done and ideal for drinking over the coming 4-6 years. 93.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 is the second vintage of chardonnay I have tasted from the Mt. Pajaro Vineyard. The wine is lovely on both the nose and palate, wafting from the glass in a refined aromatic constellation of apple, pear, stony soil tones, a gentle touch of honeysuckle and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, crisp and full, with outstanding depth at the core, excellent cut and grip and fine length and backend energy on the complex and perfectly balanced finish. This has outstanding intensity of flavor on the palate and very impressive lift on the finish. I really liked the 2017 version, but this is a noticeable step up! 2020-2035+. 92+.

2018 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Chardonnay

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard dazzles from start to finish. Tangerine oil, matchstick, wild flowers, sage, chamomile and pineapple are some of the many notes that grace the 2018. In the glass, the 2018 is focused and taut, with striking richness that is just waiting to emerge. In a word: Superb. 94+.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) While from a site not far from the Horseshoe Vineyard, the 2018 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard is distinctly different. Where the Horseshoe Chardonnay is exotic and more masculine, this is more seamless, elegant, and classic. Chassagne-Montrachet-like notes of orchard fruits, citrus blossom, toasted bread, flowers, and spice as well as some classic Santa Cruz Mountains minerality dominate the bouquet, and it’s medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and has a great finish. It’s already approachable, yet its spine of acidity as well as its mid-palate depth all suggest a solid 10-12 years of prime drinking. 97.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) Rhys’ 2018 Alpine Vineyard Chardonnay is beautifully expressive on both the nose and palate this year- right out of the blocks, though it is certainly built for the long haul! The wine comes in at a refined 12.8 percent alcohol and offers up a lovely, sophisticated bouquet of apple, pear, lemon blossoms, fresh almond, salty minerality, citrus zest, vanillin oak and a touch of acacia blossoms as well in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, balanced and just a touch reductive for cellaring, with a marvelous core, stunning mineral drive and grip, ripe, buried acids and laser-like focus on the long, complex and utterly refined finish. I love the backend lift here! Great juice. 2023-2045+. 94

2018 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) One of the many highlights in this range, the 2018 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is positively stunning. Lemon confit, orchard fruit, matchstick, tangerine oil and a range of saline-infused notes all run through the 2018, a Chardonnay that exudes finesse, elegance and a real sense of energy. It is one of the finest Chardonnays I have tasted from Rhys. 96.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Always a singular, exotic wine, the 2018 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has an incredible bouquet of crushed stone, gunpowder, tart pineapple, caramelized lemons, and musky flowers. As with all these 2018s, it has a bright spine of acidity yet is concentrated and balanced, with a wonderful texture and a great finish. This is world-class, age-worthy Chardonnay. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy through 2032. 97.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Horseshoe Vineyard bottling of chardonnay from Kevin Harvey and his team at Rhys is another cool customer, tipping the scales at a svelte 12.7 percent alcohol in this vintage. The wine was bottled fairly reductively, so it takes a bit of time in the glass to blossom, but eventually soars from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, salty minerality, white flowers, iodine, a bit of almond and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, zesty and full- bodied, with great mineral undertow, a fine core, lovely focus and grip and a long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This will need some bottle age to blossom, as it is more reserved in personality out of the blocks than either the Bearwallow or Mt. Pajaro bottlings. 2024-2045+. 93.

2018 Rhys Bearwallow Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard marries the forward fruit that is so typical of this site with the brisk acids and freshness that are such signatures of this great Pinot vintage. Sweet floral and spice notes lead into a core of red berry fruit as this polished, classically built Pinot reveals its considerable charms. The 2018 has plenty to offer. I wouldn’t be in a rush to open it, but for readers who can’t resist, it is the most approachable of these wines. 94.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Always one of the lighter colored wines in the lineup, the 2018 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard comes from an estate vineyard in the Anderson Valley. Classic notes of dried cherries, cranberries, loamy earth, and savory herbs all give way to a bright, medium-bodied, elegant Pinot Noir that has a solid sense of minerality, present tannins, and a good finish. I never find the same level of class or elegance from this cuvée compared to the Santa Cruz Mountain releases, yet it’s a character-filled, satisfying Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming decade. 93.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 vintage of Bearwallow pinot noir is again pretty ripe for Rhys, but that is the nature of the vintage, coming in at 13.8 percent octane, but still offering lovely purity and bounce. The nose wafts from the glass in a refined and already quite complex constellation of red and black cherries, a touch of raspberry, black tea, a beautifully refined base of soil tones, truly gorgeous spice tones from the whole clusters and a very suave framing of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, balanced and plush on the attack, with an excellent core of fruit, fine soil signature, ripe, seamless tannins and outstanding length and grip on the nascently complex and very well-balanced finish. 2028-2065. 92.

2018 Rhys Porcupine Hill Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill emerges from a block of densely planted vines that lies apart from the rest of the property, on its own ridge. Weightless and ethereal, the 2018 stands out for its aromatic presence and finely sculpted, detailed profile. Interestingly, the fruit is much less overt here than it is in the Bearwallow. There is something elusive in the Porcupine Hill’s ethereal personality that is absolutely compelling. 96.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Kirsch, mulled cherries, leather, flowery incense, and minty herbs are all displayed in the 2018 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill, a medium-bodied, elegant, seamless Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley. Showing classic Anderson Valley savoriness and mineral notes, it has ripe yet present tannins, a focused texture, and a crisp, clean finish. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age but will be a complex, elegant Pinot Noir to enjoy through 2030. 94.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The Porcupine Hill bottling of pinot noir from Rhys hails from the only parcel of the Bearwallow Vineyard that is planted to high density, making this quite unique than the other Bearwallow fruit (above and beyond the differences of terroir of this section). The 2018 Porcupine Hill cuvée comes in at the same octane level as the Bearwallow, 13.8 percent, but it seems just a touch more precise and soil-driven. The bouquet delivers a superb combination of sweet dark berries, black plums, raw cocoa, lovely whole cluster spice tones, a complex base of soil, woodsmoke, cardamom, gently savory elements and a discreet framing of new wood. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and very refined, with a great core of black fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy and youthfully complex finish. This is deeper, tighter-knit and even more defined by its underlying soil tones than the very good Bearwallow bottling. Outstanding juice. 2028-2065. 94.

2018 Rhys Family Farm Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard is soft and caressing, with lovely red berry fruit. Blood orange, spice and cedar nuances add pretty top notes. Soft contours give the Family Farm a good deal of early appeal, but, here, too, the acids are wonderfully bright. The Family Farm doesn’t have the structure or tannins of some of the other wines, but it is immensely appealing. 94.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Coming from a mix of Swan, 115, and Pommard clones, planted in alluvial, clay soils, the 2018 Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard is upfront and ready to go, with a big perfume of spiced red fruits, dried flowers, new leather, and sappy green herb-like aromas and flavors. Fleshy, medium-bodied, and with plenty of fruit, drink this already complex and nuanced 2018 over the coming 7-8 years. 94.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Family Farm Vineyard bottling of pinot noir from Rhys is one of their riper examples of the vintage, coming in at 13.7 percent octane. The wine is beautifully expressive and black fruity on the nose, wafting from the glass in a blend of dark berries, black plums, sarsaparilla, dark soil tones, smoked duck, gentle spice tones (from the whole clusters) and a deft touch of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full, complex and sappy at the core, with fine soil signature, ripe, buried tannins, excellent focus and grip and a long, complex and very nicely balanced finish. This is a touch broader-shouldered in personality than some of the Rhys pinots this year, but it shares the same sappy purity and breed. 2026-2060. 92+.

2018 Rhys Home Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard is bright, punchy and so expressive. Black cherry, plum, leather, cedar, menthol and licorice infuse the 2018 with striking darkness and an element of sepia-toned mystic beauty that is compelling. Ample in feel and broad, with striking energy, the Home Vineyard Pinot is such a complete wine. 96.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard comes from the northern sector of the Santa Cruz Mountains and has a complex, earthy bouquet of black cherry and raspberry fruits as well as notes of forest floor, new leather, and spice. More floral and sassafras notes develop with air, and this medium to full-bodied beauty has an incredibly seamless texture and a great finish. It has plenty of structure, but it’s buried under the fruit at this point. This pure, fleshy, beautiful Pinot Noir will shed some baby fat over the coming 3-5 years and drink brilliantly for a decade. 95.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Home Vineyard cuvée of pinot noir from Rhys is beautifully expressive on both the nose and palate this year. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a refined mix of black raspberries, black cherries, bitter chocolate, incipient notes of cola, dark soil tones, notes of sweet stems from the whole clusters, exotic spice tones and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and perfectly balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, great soil undertow, fine-grained tannins and a long, vibrant and very classy finish. This is stellar. 2028- 2065. 93+.

2018 Rhys Mt. Pajaro Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is a dark, dense beauty. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice, leather and menthol all flesh out in a somber, potent wine built on serious concentration. This decidedly virile Pinot needs time to come around. Today, it is somewhat of a brute, but it is nevertheless a remarkable wine from young vines that were only planted in 2011. It will be interesting to see if the Mt. Pajaro Pinot acquires more finesse as the vines get older, as the other Rhys Pinots have. 95.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Also upfront and already expressive, the 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard comes from a slightly higher elevation site (1,000 feet) in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a mix of heritage clones and massale selection. Darker currants, raspberries, scorched earth, spice, and earthy, foresty notes dominate the bouquet, and this medium to full-bodied, elegant 2018 has beautiful tannins, a solid sense of minerality, and a great finish. Drink it any time over the coming 10-12+ years. 94.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) Last year’s 2017 was the first release of pinot noir from the Mount Pajaro Vineyard that I have tasted from Kevin Harvey and his talented team at Rhys Vineyards and it was very good. The follow-up 2018 version is every bit as fine, offering up a black fruity and classy nose of cassis, black tea, a fine base of dark soil tones, a bit of smoked meats, lovely fresh herb tones (mostly thyme and mustard seed), cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused, soil-driven and nicely spicy (from the whole clusters), with a fine core of fruit, suave, buried tannins, tangy acids and excellent length and grip on the complex and very well-balanced finish. This comes in at 13.8 percent octane this year, but seems cooler in personality. Once again, this strikes me as the most Gevrey-Chambertin-like of the Rhys pinot noir bottlings. Fine juice. 2026-2060+. 93.

2018 Rhys Skyline Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is magnificent. Dark, powerful and brooding, the 2018 possesses tremendous fruit depth, with swaths of tannin that add a real feeling of drive. Black pepper, exotic spice, mocha, game, sage, menthol and licorice give the 2018 a Syrah-like sense of darkness that is impossible to miss. The Skyline is one of the wines that sees a healthy amount of whole clusters, an approach that works beautifully here. 97.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) From a steep vineyard located just off the Skyline Road, in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2018 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is pure class, offering a complex, layered bouquet of redcurrants, black raspberries, orange blossom, forest floor, exotic flowers, and spice. Showing more minerality as well as a touch of iodine character, on the palate, this puppy is rich, full-bodied, and powerful, with lots of underlying structure. It’s one of the bigger, richer examples of this cuvée I can remember, yet it says flawlessly balanced and has an expansive mouthfeel along with a gorgeous finish. 98.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Pinot Noir “Skyline Vineyard” bottling from Rhys Vineyards is a beautiful wine in the making. The wine is cool and collected, coming at 12.9 percent and reveling in its gorgeous minerality on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is pure, complex and black fruity in personality, wafting from the glass in a mix of cassis, sweet dark berries, espresso, bonfire, a touch of gamebird, stunning soil signature, cedar, sweet stems and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full and focused, with a stellar core of fruit, great mineral drive and grip, refined tannins and excellent length and complexity on the perfectly balanced and oh, so promising finish. This has great intensity of flavor and yet is effortlessly light on its feet this year. Great juice! 2030-2065+. 95.

2018 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard opens with striking, floral-infused aromatics that give the wine presence and structure. Savory and finely cut, with superb delineation, and tons of depth, the Alpine is positively stellar today. Layers of fruit enshroud the tannins, making them barely perceptible. The 2018 is a stunning Pinot from Alpine, a site originally planted with 17 heritage clones. 95+.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) Redcurrants, flowers, chalky minerality, spice, and loamy soil notes all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard, which is medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. It shows more and more minerality with time in the glass and is a classic expression of this steep, southwest-facing vineyard. It has plenty of upfront charm and accessibility yet still has ample underlying tannins. My money is on it benefiting from 2-3 years of bottle age and evolving nicely for a solid decade. 94.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Alpine Vineyard bottling is perhaps the lowest octane pinot noir in the Rhys lineup this year, tipping the scales at a svelte 12.6 percent. The bouquet is extremely precise and flat out gorgeous, wafting from the glass in a mix of sweet dark berries, black cherries, raw cocoa, beautiful minerality, woodsmoke, a touch of incipient cola notes, sweet stem notes of fresh nutmeg and Ceylon cinnamon and a discreet foundation of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and pulled taut across its structural skeleton, with a lovely core of black fruit, great transparency and grip, suave buried tannins and a long, tangy and very complex finish. I love the backend energy and lift here! 2028-2065+. 95.

2018 Rhys Swan Terrace Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace emerges from a steep, east-facing parcel within Alpine planted with a number of different versions of the Swan clone Pinot. It is one of the most ethereal, perfumed wines in the range. Crushed rose petal, blood orange, sweet red berries, pine and mint give the Swan Terrace its signature aromatic profile. This is such a nuanced and totally distinctive wine. 96+.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace comes from a tiny 1.5-acre terrace in the Alpine Vineyard and is all Swan clone of Pinot Noir. It offers more stemmy notes of red and black fruits, smoked herbs, and forest floor and mushroom nuances. As with all of these 2018s, the level of nuance and complexity is incredible, and this develops and changes with air and has that classic Pinot Noir mix of sweet fruit and earthy, underbrush, and sous bois character that keeps you coming back to the glass. Medium to full-bodied, silky, and elegant on the palate, it has solid underlying structure and is going to drink fabulously well for 15 years or more. 97.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The tiny subsection of the Alpine Vineyard, Swan Terrace, is one of the stars of the 2018 lineup of pinot noirs from Rhys. The wine is deep, pure and shows perfect ripeness (coming in at 13.1 percent octane) in its black fruity aromatic constellation of black plums, sweet dark berries, a superb base of minerality, woodsmoke, black tea, raw cocoa, cedar and lovely spice tones from the whole clusters in the upper register. On the palate the wine is very pure, full-bodied and very promising, with excellent mid-palate depth, bright acids, fine-grained tannins and excellent nascent complexity on the very long and soil-driven finish. This is perfectly balanced, but will still want plenty of bottle age to let it completely blossom and show all of its myriad layers of complexity in total harmony. 2028-2065. 95.

2018 Rhys Alpine Hillside Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Alpine Hillside is a dark, unctuous wine. Black cherry, plum, licorice, menthol and gravel infuse the 2018 with tremendous depth and concentration. Powerful and resonant in the glass, the Alpine Hillside is a Pinot built on creaminess and density, with a touch of whole cluster savoriness that balances things out nicely. The tannins need time so soften, but there is a lot to like. 97.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) The tiny production 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard Hillside comes from a tiny 2.25-acre parcel in the Alpine Vineyard and is from a massale selection of heritage clones. Aged in a mix of new and used French oak, it has a gorgeous, Burgundian bouquet of red and black fruits, potpourri, sous bois, spice box, and dried flowers. It’s not the biggest or richest wine in the lineup, yet it’s perfectly balanced, has a thrilling texture, ample mid-palate depth, and flawlessly integrated tannins, fruit, and acidity. The Vosne-Romanée of California? This incredible, magical Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir builds with time in the glass and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and blow you away over the following decade or more. Hats off to the team at Rhys for making one of the greatest Pinot Noirs from California I’ve ever tasted! 100.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Alpine Hillside pinot noir from Kevin Harvey and his very talented team is just a whisper riper than the regular Alpine bottling, but still under thirteen percent (12.8 percent octane) and beautifully precise on both the nose and palate. The black fruity bouquet wafts from the glass in a refined blend of blackberries, cassis, raw cocoa, a touch of graphite, beautifully complex dark soil tones (or Gevrey-like black minerality), a touch of coffee bean, sweet stem tones and a bit of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and svelte in personality, with a rock solid core of fruit, great mineral drive and grip, ripe, buried tannins, impeccable balance and a long, tangy and very complex finish. This is still a puppy and will demand a minimum of a decade in the cellar to unfold, but its inherent brilliance is already self- evident! 2030-2080. 96.

2018 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard is dense and brooding. Black cherry, licorice, spice, leather, herbs and mineral accents shape this ample, beautifully resonant Pinot Noir. Diatomaceous Monterey soils estimated to be 11-15 million years old yield a Pinot of notable breadth, texture and complexity. 97.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) There are now three releases from this vineyard, a grafted vine, an ungrafted vine, and a hillside selection. The base 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard is about as textbook a rendition of this site as I could imagine. Its masculine, earthy, meaty bouquet includes lots of ripe red and black fruits, spice, exotic flowers, iodine, and incense. It shows more sweet fruit on the palate and is medium to full-bodied, has nicely integrated acidity, silky tannins, and a great finish. It shows a supple, even charming style on the palate and has plenty of upfront appeal, yet it’s still going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and evolve for over a decade. 95.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Rhys Vineyards Horseshoe cuvée of pinot noir is gorgeous right out of the blocks, offering up a very classy and complex bouquet of sweet dark berries, black plums, raw cocoa, beautiful spice tones from the whole clusters, dark soil tones, chicory, bonfire and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and seamless in its balance, with a marvelous core of fruit, great transparency and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and simply superb finish. This will need a full decade of bottle age to properly stir, but it is going to be outstanding when it is ready to sing. 2028-2065+. 94.

2018 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines emerges from a steep parcel on the property planted with a very dense 17,000 vines per hectare. It is quite simply one of the most stunning, captivating wines I have ever tasted from Rhys. Exquisitely perfumed and deep, thee 2018 is totally mesmerizing in every way. Bright red fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, mint and pine all lift from the glass, but it is the wine’s silkiness that elevates it into the realm of the truly sublime. Sadly, there are just two barrels of this magical Pinot to go around. 99.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines offers a purer bouquet of darker fruits (black cherries, fresh plums, and raspberries) as well as ample violets, baking spice, and earthy nuances. Beautiful on the palate as well, it’s seamless and medium to full-bodied, with building tannins and flawless balance. Enjoy this gorgeous, elegant, yet still powerful Pinot Noir over the coming 15 years or more. It has a touch more richness and depth than the classic cuvée as well as more texture. 96.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The Horseshoe Vineyard has three bottlings of pinot noir to pride itself on in this vintage, as there is also an “Ungrafted Vines” bottling from here in 2018! These vines planted on franc de pied were planted in a high density formation back in 2008, and the team at Rhys has been patiently waiting for them to really get rolling. The 2018 Ungrafted Vines Horseshoe pinot noir comes in slightly riper than the regular bottling (13.5 percent versus 13.3 percent), but shares the same great purity on both the nose and palate. The bouquet offers up a very complex mix of dark berries, cassis, espresso, fresh thyme and bay leaf, lovely spice elements from the whole clusters, a gorgeous base of minerality, graphite and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full- bodied and very soil-driven in personality, with a great core of fruit, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and superb lift and focus on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. In terms of absolute quality, this is not remarkably different from the regular bottling of Horseshoe pinot (which is outstanding in 2018), but the difference is akin to the difference between a great digital recording of music and the same recording done in analog: there is just an extra level of precision here that may fall just beyond the conscious range of perception, but which we pick up on inherently and recognize intuitively as more complete. 2028-2065+. 95.

2018 Rhys Horseshoe Hillside Pinot Noir

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillsides, from the rim of the upper plateau, is a heady, exotic wine. Black cherry, licorice, menthol, cloves and leather build in a potent, sumptuous wine that marries fruit intensity and structure. Readers should plan on being patient with the 2018, as it won’t be ready to drink anytime soon. This is an especially dense, savory style. 98.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) The flagship 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Black Label comes from a tiny section of this vineyard and is another beautiful wine from this team that does everything right. Ripe pomegranate, red currants, iodine, crushed stone, new leather, and wood smoke all emerge from the glass, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a flawless texture, silky tannins, and a great, great finish. The purity and elegance of the 2018 vintage is front and center, it has incredible complexity, perfect balance, and is just a singular, gorgeously complete Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming 15 years or more. 99.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) The 2018 Pinot Noir “Horseshoe Hillside” bottling from Rhys Vineyards is a gorgeous young wine in the making, with a beautiful sense of sappiness this year that I have not encountered in this bottling before. The wine is gently ripe at 13.4 percent and delivers a very complex bouquet of black plums, black cherries, espresso, sweet stems (which will turn into a myriad of spices in due course), dark soil tones, woodsmoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, tangy and nascently complex, with outstanding mid-palate depth, ripe, very well-integrated tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the long, vibrant and very, very promising finish. Like all of the previous Hillside bottlings I have tasted from the estate, this is a nicely structured wine and built for the long haul, so give it time in the cellar to really reach cruising altitude before pulling the cork! Stunning juice in the making. 2030-2080. 95+.

2017 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Syrah

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media (September 2020) The 2017 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard is remarkably elegant. The red fruit character almost recalls Pinot Noir, but a backbone of firm tannins brings the mind immediately back to Syrah. Flowers, black pepper, game and leathery notes all develop with a bit of coaxing. The Syrah is maybe just a bit less varietal than it often is, but that does not detract from its immeasurable beauty. 95+.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (September 2020) I’m always thrilled to see a Syrah from this estate, and the 2017 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard comes from a great vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Beautiful Northern Rhône-like notes of black raspberries, bacon fat, spring flowers, and cracked black pepper all emerge from the glass, and this Côte-Rôtie look-alike is medium-bodied, has solid tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful, complex, yet still nicely concentrated Syrah that’s going to evolve for 10-12 years. 94.

John Gilman, ViewFromtheCellar.com (May/June 2020, #87) Sometimes I feel like syrah is the great, forgotten variety at Rhys Vineyards, as it has had to play second fiddle to pinot noir (and chardonnay?) since day one here and is probably moving further back in the pack as the new Italian project really starts to gain steam. But, I truly love what the Rhys team has done over the years with syrah and some of my most-prized bottles in my cellar are their syrahs, which I am doing my best to keep my hands off of while they climb to cruising altitude. The 2017 Horseshoe syrah is a stunning wine in the making, offering up a pure and classic nose of cassis, black raspberry, pepper, grilled meats, great whole cluster spice elements, stony soil tones, bonfire and a touch of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with a superb core, great soil drive and grip, ripe, buried tannins and a long, complex and extremely promising finish. This is (yet again) another truly great bottle of syrah in the making. 2030-2075. 94.