2011 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
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I loved the 2011 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard, and this is a wonderfully complete, classic and classy Pinot Noir that has everything. Loaded with notions of sweet cherries, currants, mulling spices, wood smoke and forest floor, this beauty hits the palate with no hard edges, a silky, layered, multidimensional texture and a great finish that still has some tannic grip. Like all of the 2011s, it's more evolved than the 2012 and already drinking nicely. Nevertheless, it should evolve gracefully going forward and I'd drink this beautiful Pinot Noir anytime over the coming decade.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2011 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard bursts from glass with racy red berries, flowers, smoke, licorice, incense and orange peel. Exotic, beguiling and beautifully layered, the 2011 boasts stunning depth, yet weightless elegance and tons of pure personality. The racy, explosive finish is a marvel to behold. An utterly dazzling Pinot, the 2011 should drink well for years. It is one of the few California Pinots I would bet on to age gracefully for more than a decade. This dazzling Pinot Noir has pedigree and structure to burn. In a word: superb! Home was the first parcel to ripen in 2011, and as such, the team felt the stems were ripe enough to use a mostly whole clusters, 93% to be exact.
(made entirely with whole clusters): Deep red. Explosive, spice-accented aromas of candied red fruits, potpourri and incense, with a blood orange nuance adding complexity. Deeply pitched black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors are slow to unfold but show impressive concentration and focus. Finishes smoky, with sneaky sweetness, the fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. This one needs a little time to open up but looks very promising.