2017 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The Home vineyard was planted in 1995 and the Pinot Noir here has always been made using 100% whole cluster. This vintage, fruit was picked before the heat spike. Pale to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard is youthfully shy, opening slowly to notes of gunflint, toast and earth with dried herbs, sage brush, wild blackberries, black cherries and tobacco leaf with pepper and licorice notes. Light to medium-bodied, it's earthy in the mouth with firmly textured tannins and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard is bright and nicely lifted, with a distinctly red-toned fruit profile and mid-weight structure. The 100% whole clusters are not especially evident in the wine's flavor profile, but the 2017 comes across as a bit light and lacking in body. It will be interesting to see what happens with time in bottle, as the wine does have quite a bit of energy.
From the northern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2017 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard reveals a translucent ruby hue to go with complex notes of raspberries, sassafras, forest floor, spice, and exotic flowers. This round, medium to full-bodied, seamless effort has building tannins, a terrific sense of balance, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming 8-10 years.