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2016 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased at retail

Lightly depressed cork

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased at retail

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

95The Wine Advocate

....notes of cinnamon, orange rind, nutmeg, cherries and raspberries. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and multidimensional, with rich structuring tannins, succulent acids and lovely purity and precision, concluding with a fragrant, transparent finish.

95Vinous / IWC

...seamless in the way it floats on the palate. Bright and intensely perfumed, the Alpine is marked by its deeply-pitched aromatics and overall finesse, all of which give it a feeling of total sophistication.

93Burghound.com

...perfumed, cool and intensely floral, particularly rose petal, red cherry and Asian-style tea scented nose elegantly introduces super-sleek, intense and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess fine depth on the firm and youthfully austere finish that goes on and on, indeed just when it appears to have ended it reappears. Lovely juice.

REGION

United States, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA includes high elevation territory in the counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. The AVA follows the coast line from San Francisco to Monterey with elevations from 400 feet to 3,000 feet above sea level. There are 1,500 vineyard acres and the AVA was established in 1981. Despite the challenging terrain in these rugged mountains and hills, highly esteemed wineries have been located here since the early 20th century, when Paul Masson, a Frenchman by birth, started making sparkling wine in the area. By the 1970s vineyards were growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Numerous microclimates within the AVA offer viticulturists diverse growing conditions, and many varietals are grown successfully.

TYPE

Red Wine, Pinot Noir

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.