Rhys 2017 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

From the estate's Biodynamic vineyards, this is 100% pinot noir, of which 25% went through whole-cluster fermentation. To preserve the aromatics and minimize oak influence, the wine was fermented in tank, then aged on the lees for 15 months in oak barrels (25% new), then another two months after racking the wine off the lees. This is a light-bodied wine (13.2% ABV) that is at its best with food.

Tasting Notes: Medium to deep ruby. Nose: pipe tobacco, Earl Grey tea, dried rose petals and herbs. On the palate: a touch of campfire smoke, prosciutto and red fruits (cranberry) and dark fruit (blackberry) with enticing notes of dark licorice. The long finish echoes the palate, with the spice notes coming to the fore.

Drinking well now, this wine will hold for another two-ish years before peaking. That's the beauty of mountain fruit - it produces long-lived wines!

The Winery

Rhys (pronounced REESE) Vineyards burst onto the Santa Cruz winemaking scene after I'd left the area in 2004, but I was still within ear shot of the sonic boom they created! In the 15+ years since their launch, they've established six vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, plus one in Anderson Valley's Deep End. Each vineyard is managed following either Organic and/or Biodynamic practices.

In a production facility that is as clean as an operating room, they craft complex Pinot, Chardonnay and Syrah using gravity to manage the flow of juice from point to point. The use of one-ton fermenters (I know, the tune of Guantanamera is now running through my head too!) allows Rhys to microvinify each section of their vineyard, allowing them to blend a wine such as this one, from the best parts of each vineyard. To minimize barrel variation, Rhys selects and purchases oak staves four years before they're made into barrels and shipped to the winery.