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2017 Rhys Alpine Hillside Pinot Noir

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

June 9, 2024 - $110

Estimate

RATINGS

98Jeb Dunnuck

...awesome notes of spiced black cherries, mulberries, sassafras, sagebrush, mint, and forest floor. Deep, medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and with both power and elegance...

95The Wine Advocate

...very pretty, singularly perfumed nose of rose petal, hoisin, grilled meats and dried tangerine peel with saline, wild blackberries and oodles of red berry fruits...plus earthy accents of tea leaves, tree bark and dried leaves. The light to medium-bodied palate gives up layer after layer of savory fruits and earthy nuances, with a firm frame and juicy acidity, finishing very long and layered.

94+ Vinous / IWC

...gorgeous. Dark, rich and inviting... Succulent dark cherry, plum, coffee, licorice, spice, menthol scorched earth give the 2017 its distinctly dark, brooding character to match its broad, ample feel...very nicely done.

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.