2015 Rhys, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley.
The new Rhys Anderson Valley 2015 Pinot is a dark and lively young wine that shows the vintage’s concentration and impressive mouth feel, but with nice cool climate vibrancy and definition, this is an exceptional wine for the price, though you’ll need to get on their mailing list to get this one, otherwise look for it on restaurant lists. I was thrilled with the latest set of Rhys releases, I was in particularly drawn to their new wines from Anderson Valley, with this cuvee being a standout and an excellent starting point to get into their style, but I also must say that each Rhys wine showed fantastically well, other highlights were the single vineyard Bearwallow Vineyard, Anderson Valley 2013, their home or signature Alpine Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains 2013 and the Horseshoe Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains 2012. Rhys in recent years has become a top Pinot house in California with a fanatical fan base that beg, cheat and steal to get these wines, they are darkly rich, textured and lengthy wine that show luxurious and lavish layers, Rhys is in the same league as Pisoni, Seasmoke, Pahlmeyer’s Wayerer, Littorai, Rochioli and Peter Michael. Why I picked the entry level Anderson Valley to focus on? Well, I seriously enjoyed it just as much as the top end stuff and though it’s youthful charm and energy gave it an exciting edge and it was a touch brighter and more floral in it’s delivery with vivid pure fruit and less chewy, sometimes a touch less is more, and that was my opinion, even though the single vineyard wines will most certainly live up to their famed potential, and I must note that 2013 is a vintage that needs time to show their best, if you have them be patient! The 2015 Rhys Anderson Valley Pinot starts with a mix of red and blue fruits, earthy spice and lovely rose petal notes that leads to a fine palate of medium weight and gorgeous mouth feel with a core of black cherry, wild berries, racy currants and plum fruits as well as a hint of smoke, blood orange, tea spices, vanilla/cinnamon and brambly herbs. In the glass this is as Pinot as it gets with vigorous detail and lingers with a mix of blueberry and strawberry leaving a pretty fruit and mineral impression on the finish, it’s a wine that can be enjoyed right away and in the future, drink from 2018 to 2026.
($45 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
