2009 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard
UNITED STATES / CALIFORNIA / SAN FRANCISCO BAY
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International Wine Cellar | Rating: 93
Opaque purple. A heady, floral bouquet evokes dark berry liqueur, cola, olive and candied violet. More densely packed and hefty than the Horseshoe bottling, offering lush blackberry and boysenberry flavors and suggestions of woodsmoke, floral pastilles and bitter chocolate. Aeration brings up an intense spicy quality that carries through a long, smoky, nicely focused finish. (JR)Author: Josh RaynoldsIssue: May/June 2012Wine Spectator | Rating: 88
Tight and firm, this rustic style offers a gripping mix of dried berry and tannins, ending with a gravelly mix of cleansing earthiness. Needs time. Best from 2014 through 2022.Drink Dates: 2014-2022Author: James Laube
Chiseled deep into a Santa Cruz Mountain hillside with such vast and echoing chambers that it's lovingly termed "the rebel base," Rhys Vineyards and its visionary owner are on a mission. It all started for Kevin Harvey, a Silicon Valley software entrepreneur with a Burgundy obsession, in 1995 when he planted a small Pinot Noir vineyard in his backyard, and has transformed into a quest to uncover the mysteries of his un-glorified appellation's geography and achieve world-class Pinot Noir.
From his first garage wine, Harvey was struck with minerality that reminded him more of Burgundy than any domestic Pinot. So, using ambitious, biodynamic farming of tightly-spaced, high elevation, cool climate vineyards planted in specific sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains with shallow, rocky soils, preferably on hillsides, he set out to make the most mineral-driven, terroir-focused domestic Pinot. The results have garnered overwhelming praise from the entire spectrum of critical review. From Robert Parker to Allen Meadows, it's hard to find anyone who isn't impressed with this passionate operation producing perhaps the best New World Pinot anywhere.
From his first garage wine, Harvey was struck with minerality that reminded him more of Burgundy than any domestic Pinot. So, using ambitious, biodynamic farming of tightly-spaced, high elevation, cool climate vineyards planted in specific sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains with shallow, rocky soils, preferably on hillsides, he set out to make the most mineral-driven, terroir-focused domestic Pinot. The results have garnered overwhelming praise from the entire spectrum of critical review. From Robert Parker to Allen Meadows, it's hard to find anyone who isn't impressed with this passionate operation producing perhaps the best New World Pinot anywhere.
Collector Data For This Wine
- 84 bottles owned
- 35 collectors