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Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard 2018 750ml

size
750ml
country
United States
region
California
appellation
Santa Cruz County
subappellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
WA
96
VM
95
JD
94
Additional vintages
2019 2018 2012
WA
96
Rated 96 by Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard is darker in color and more aromatically dazzling out of the gate than its Horseshoe counterpart. It offers a captivating, herbal nose of black fruits, garrigue, tree bark and sweet tobacco. The palate is powerful and assertive, springing off the tongue and coating the mouth with elegant dark fruits, fine, persistent tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. The finish is intense yet full of finesse, providing a wonderful juxtaposition to the upfront attack of the palate and intensity of the nose. It is an endlessly fascinating wine on its own, and even more so with the Horseshoe next to it. Given the energy and textural vivacity on display, this should remain in the cellar for another few years to capitalize on this immense potential. ... More details
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Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard 2018 750ml

SKU 898113
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$1023.18
/case
$170.53
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
WA
96
VM
95
JD
94
WA
96
Rated 96 by Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard is darker in color and more aromatically dazzling out of the gate than its Horseshoe counterpart. It offers a captivating, herbal nose of black fruits, garrigue, tree bark and sweet tobacco. The palate is powerful and assertive, springing off the tongue and coating the mouth with elegant dark fruits, fine, persistent tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. The finish is intense yet full of finesse, providing a wonderful juxtaposition to the upfront attack of the palate and intensity of the nose. It is an endlessly fascinating wine on its own, and even more so with the Horseshoe next to it. Given the energy and textural vivacity on display, this should remain in the cellar for another few years to capitalize on this immense potential.
VM
95
Rated 95 by Vinous Media
The 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard opens with striking, floral-infused aromatics that give the wine presence and structure. Savory and finely cut, with superb delineation, and tons of depth, the Alpine is positively stellar today. Layers of fruit enshroud the tannins, making them barely perceptible. The 2018 is a stunning Pinot from Alpine, a site originally planted with 17 heritage clones.
JD
94
Rated 94 by Jeb Dunnuck
Redcurrants, flowers, chalky minerality, spice, and loamy soil notes all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard, which is medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. It shows more and more minerality with time in the glass and is a classic expression of this steep, southwest-facing vineyard. It has plenty of upfront charm and accessibility yet still has ample underlying tannins. My money is on it benefiting from 2-3 years of bottle age and evolving nicely for a solid decade.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
United States
region
California
appellation
Santa Cruz County
subappellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
Additional vintages
2019 2018 2012
Overview
The 2018 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard is darker in color and more aromatically dazzling out of the gate than its Horseshoe counterpart. It offers a captivating, herbal nose of black fruits, garrigue, tree bark and sweet tobacco. The palate is powerful and assertive, springing off the tongue and coating the mouth with elegant dark fruits, fine, persistent tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. The finish is intense yet full of finesse, providing a wonderful juxtaposition to the upfront attack of the palate and intensity of the nose. It is an endlessly fascinating wine on its own, and even more so with the Horseshoe next to it. Given the energy and textural vivacity on display, this should remain in the cellar for another few years to capitalize on this immense potential.
green grapes

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the planet's most widely grown and enjoyed grape varietals, and thanks to the popularity of the key wines it is associated with – Burgundy and Champagne – it has successfully spread from its native home in France to much of the wine producing world. Pinot Noir means 'black pine' in French, and this refers to the extremely dark, inky color of the fruit, and the fact that it grows in conical bunches, resembling a large pine cone. It has long been revered for its wide range of refreshing, summery flavors, and the fact that it produces red wines of a beautiful garnet color and light body. More recently, sparkling wines made exclusively with Pinot Noir have been extremely popular, and the orchard notes found in the fizzy 'blanc des noirs' wines mark out just how versatile this grape varietal really is. Despite being notoriously difficult to grow, it isn't hard to see why this grape is now found in vineyards all over the world, as it is synonymous with romance and decadence, quality and fantastic flavor
barrel

Region: California

When it comes to New World wine regions, it is widely agreed that many of the finest wines are grown and produced in California. The long stretches of coastline and the valleys and mountainsides which come off them are ideal areas for vine cultivation, and for over a century now, wineries have found a perfect home in the hot, dry state, with many of the wines produced here going on to reach world class status. The state is greatly helped by the brisk oceanic winds which cool the otherwise hot and dry vineyards, which hold mineral rich soils covering vast areas and featuring many established wineries. The state is split into four main regions, the largest by far being the central valley which stretches over three hundred miles in length.
fields

Country: United States

The first European settlers to consider growing grapevines in the United States must have been delighted when they discovered the now famous wine regions within California, Oregon and elsewhere. Not even in the Old World are there such fertile valleys, made ideal for vine cultivation by the blazing sunshine, long, hot summers and oceanic breezes. As such, it comes as little surprise that today more than eighty-nine percent of United States wines are grown in the valleys and on the mountainsides of California, where arguably some of the finest produce in the world is found. However, American wine does not begin and end with California, and due to the vast size of the country and the incredible range of terrains and climates found within the United States, there is probably no other country on earth which produces such a massive diversity of wines. From ice wines in the northern states, to sparkling wines, aromatized wines, fortified wines, reds, whites, rosés and more, the United States has endless surprises in store for lovers of New World wines.
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Customer Reviews

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More Details
Winery Rhys
green grapes

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the planet's most widely grown and enjoyed grape varietals, and thanks to the popularity of the key wines it is associated with – Burgundy and Champagne – it has successfully spread from its native home in France to much of the wine producing world. Pinot Noir means 'black pine' in French, and this refers to the extremely dark, inky color of the fruit, and the fact that it grows in conical bunches, resembling a large pine cone. It has long been revered for its wide range of refreshing, summery flavors, and the fact that it produces red wines of a beautiful garnet color and light body. More recently, sparkling wines made exclusively with Pinot Noir have been extremely popular, and the orchard notes found in the fizzy 'blanc des noirs' wines mark out just how versatile this grape varietal really is. Despite being notoriously difficult to grow, it isn't hard to see why this grape is now found in vineyards all over the world, as it is synonymous with romance and decadence, quality and fantastic flavor
barrel

Region: California

When it comes to New World wine regions, it is widely agreed that many of the finest wines are grown and produced in California. The long stretches of coastline and the valleys and mountainsides which come off them are ideal areas for vine cultivation, and for over a century now, wineries have found a perfect home in the hot, dry state, with many of the wines produced here going on to reach world class status. The state is greatly helped by the brisk oceanic winds which cool the otherwise hot and dry vineyards, which hold mineral rich soils covering vast areas and featuring many established wineries. The state is split into four main regions, the largest by far being the central valley which stretches over three hundred miles in length.
fields

Country: United States

The first European settlers to consider growing grapevines in the United States must have been delighted when they discovered the now famous wine regions within California, Oregon and elsewhere. Not even in the Old World are there such fertile valleys, made ideal for vine cultivation by the blazing sunshine, long, hot summers and oceanic breezes. As such, it comes as little surprise that today more than eighty-nine percent of United States wines are grown in the valleys and on the mountainsides of California, where arguably some of the finest produce in the world is found. However, American wine does not begin and end with California, and due to the vast size of the country and the incredible range of terrains and climates found within the United States, there is probably no other country on earth which produces such a massive diversity of wines. From ice wines in the northern states, to sparkling wines, aromatized wines, fortified wines, reds, whites, rosés and more, the United States has endless surprises in store for lovers of New World wines.