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2017 Rhys Skyline Vineyard Pinot Noir

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine storage unit; Purchased direct from winery; Consignor is original owner

2 available
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Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

96Jeb Dunnuck

...terrific stuff...awesome notes of spice red and black fruits, sappy herbs, iodine, lavender, and crushed rocks, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, good concentration, building tannins, and a great finish.

93The Wine Advocate

...opens with savory notions of green olive, prosciutto, licorice and dust with notes of citrus peel, wild blackberries, tobacco and cinnamon. Light to medium-bodied, it has a great core of savory, floral-tinged fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness and finishing very long and very spicy.

93Vinous / IWC

...marked by a decidedly ripe profile. Succulent wild cherry, kirsch, hard candy, mint, leather, spice and sweet tobacco are given an extra kick of savory complexit...offers quite a bit of aromatic and flavor complexity in the mid-weight style.

92Burghound.com

Distinctly cool, ultra-pure and wonderfully fresh and high-toned aromas speak of both red and dark pinot fruit along with a beautiful array of floral and spice nuances. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension on the well-detailed yet rich flavors that are quite sophisticated and particularly so on the dusty, serious and focused finale that is borderline drying.

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.

VINTAGE

2017 Rhys Skyline Vineyard Pinot Noir