2022 Rhys - Pinot Noir Mt Pajaro Vineyard
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The 2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is made from one of the estate vineyards not in the appellation's northern end like all the others, but in the southern region, some 30 miles from Alpine Vineyard, east of Corralitos. Aged in 25% new oak, the aromatics are well-developed and lovely, with pronounced characteristics of fig, raspberry, mocha, and forest floor. Full and firm tannins give it a generous mouthfeel of subtle richness and refinement, without heaviness, and it’s concentrated yet ultimately complex. This will be a long-lived wine; enjoy from 2027-2037. Rhys has two estates in California, one in Anderson Valley called Bearwallow and an estate winery and six estate vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its Santa Cruz winery, where organic and dry farming are typical, is set across the fault line from Ridge Monte Bello and Mount Eden. The first commercial release was 2004. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and sparkling wines are all made by winemaker Jeff Brinkman and sold direct, with these ocean-influenced wines considered among the finest in the state.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
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Showing more and more complexity with each passing vintage, the 2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard opens with an intense but bright nose of beaming saline-tinged red fruits, accented by turned earth and exotic spice aromas. The palate begins on an understated note, quickly transitioning to a pure, vibrant and playfully agile texture after some time in the glass. It concludes with a remarkably rich and concentrated finish that slowly unfolds yet retains the high-toned energy and fine-grained tannins that are this site's signature. As with a few of the Rhys 2022s, this was my favorite iteration of the Mt. Pajaro Pinot Noir thus far.
The 2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is the one Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot in this range made from a site that is not in the vicinity of the winery. It opens with a blast of heady, red-toned fruit. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, orange confit, mint and espresso develop later. Today, the 2022 is a bit of an extrovert. Time in bottle should help soften some of that youthful exuberance. Even so, I expect the 2022 will remain pretty overt relative to prior vintages. - Antonio Galloni