2010 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard

The 2010 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is impeccable, but it is also very, very tight. It clearly needs time to absorb the full impact of the stems, but there is no denying the wine’s overall beauty. Hints of sweet tobacco, red berries, wild flowers, anise and herbs wrap around the finish. It is a fabulous wine of contrasts, at times ethereal and weightless, while at others showing more austerity. There is plenty of potential, though. I very much like the energy here, but patience is the key. I also tasted the 2009, which is much more overtly powerful and seductive, but equally compelling, albeit in a totally different style. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Proprietor Kevin Harvey and his team, led by winemaker Jeff Brinkman, have received quite a bit of attention of late. They deserve every bit of it, if not more. Harvey has spared no expense in building a state of the art facility, which includes 100 one-ton fermenters that allow for multiple small lot fermentations. In the vineyard, Harvey has taken the type of risks only someone with a background in early stage technology investing could stomach. The result is a series of breathtaking wines, Pinots especially, that are among the finest being made in the United States. I am quite sure Harvey’s goals are much more ambitious than that, though. It will be interesting to see how things play out at Rhys over the coming years, but there is no question these are exciting, compelling wines of the highest level. My experience with the Rhys Pinots is that they develop very slowly in bottle, so readers need to exercise a bit more patience than is typically required with California Pinot Noir. Like most estates in 2010, Rhys grappled with the September heat spikes, which took place during the harvest. The Home and Family Farm were brought in before the spikes, as was 80% of Alpine, Horseshoe and Bearwallow. Rhys had a harder time with Skyline, which came in after the spikes. Ultimately, only 25% of that fruit made it into the fermentation tanks. Tel. (866) 511-1520; www.rhysvineyards.com

Bright violet color. Sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes strawberry, blood orange, white flowers and Asian spices, with a bright mineral accent gaining power with air. Nervy and precise, with strikingly pure red fruit and floral flavors and distinct minerality. This lithe, focused pinot finishes with a persistent floral character.