Purple in color. The nose is great with black cherries, slight cola and a bit of roasted herbs. On the palate, this has a great texture. Black cherry fruit. Very clean. Still not yet at maturity, it may still have some upside. Good balance with nice acidity. Would work great with steakfish or fowl. Rhys started commercially in 2004 and there wines have gotten better over time, but even the earlier ones seem to age quite well.
With vineyards in both Santa Cruz and Mendocino counties, Rhys can pull from a variety of sources to make a variety of Pinot Noir. With Bearwallow, their vineyard in the Anderson Valley, there is a delicate and quite lovely feel to this – something as smooth as silk. The softness texturally belies its layered complexity. Yes there is the requisite black cherry, boysenberry, loganberry and light strawberry, but there is also black tea leaf, light resin and sandalwood.
This was an interesting Pinot Noir from northern California. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries, sour cherries, smoke, anise and slight menthol. Very nice. On the palate, this has a big, but very nice texture. Viscous with good acidity. On the palate, this drinks well with sour cherries, anise, sandalwood and just the faint whiff of char. Very tasty. A long finish. Those who like bigger, fresh (clean) Pinot Noir should love this wine. Drink over the next ten years. It would go well with Salmon but also roasted chicken.
Purple/ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has sour cherries and cherry candy. Medium bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, the sour cherries and cherry candy come thru in layers. There is a deep complexity to this wine. Just about at peak. Long finish. This should drink well for another five to eight years. It will work well with Salmon or Tuna.
Since these wines first came out, it has always been an open question how well they would age. At age 11, this one is doing great. Drinking quite young but quite well. Deep ruby in color. The nose is great with cherries, slight spice, black cherries, and very slight cola note. On the palate, this is young but delicious. Shows depth but tight. Plenty of cherries and black cherry fruit. Great balance. Drink now or should hold for another ten or fifteen years, depending what you like in a Pinot. Will work with a wide variety of food.
