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2016 Rhys Horseshoe Hillside Pinot Noir

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

May 26, 2024 - $145

Estimate

RATINGS

99Jeb Dunnuck

A thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, crushed rocks, chocolate, and Asian spices all flow to a rich, powerful wine that doesn’t pull any punches with regard to depth of fruit or structure.

97The Wine Advocate

...complex aromas of peony, raw cocoa, sweet wild berries and grilled meat, complemented by ineffably savory, umami-like bass notes.

96Vinous / IWC

The Hillside is built on textural resonance and breadth, with the fruit very nicely amped up. Pliant and vivid in the glass, the Horseshoe Hillside has a very bright future.

93Burghound.com

...good freshness and richness to the delicious and highly seductive medium-bodied flavors that possess good verve on the moderately firm and lengthy finish.

PRODUCER

Rhys

Rhys Vineyards is a Santa Cruz maker of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The estate is owned by Kevin Harvey, who has vineyards in several sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rhys Vineyards also makes a few wines under the Alesia label that come from grapes purchased in the Sonoma Coast and in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It is the Rhys Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, however, that have made the small estate into something of a cult producer of California wines with Burgundian appeal. Both the Pinots and Chardonnays regularly earn high ratings from reviewers. The wines are generally available through mailing lists.

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.