This one appears to be just a tiny bit of an outlier among the Jan. 27 offerings.
I see fawning notes from Galloni and Raynolds, two critics that don’t quite align with my palate. Josh calls it “one of the most impressive pinots I’ve tasted from the New World, or Burgundy for that matter, in quite a while”. But I know Josh has a greater tolerance for ripe, even candied fruit than I do. He uses descriptors like “coca-cola” and “liqueur”-ish and “palate-staining” with “black raspberry and spicecake flavors that become sweeter and deeper with air”. Hmmmm.
On the other hand, Meadows and Gilman (who I’m much more aligned with) aren’t quite as impressed. Meadows likes it, of course, but notes “a subtle hint of warmth” on the finish. Gilman likes it a bit less, characterizing it as “pretty ripe” with some “backend heat” and relates that “of all the Rhys bottlings this year, this was one of my least favorites, as it seemed to have sacrificed just a bit of precision to the ripeness”.
I’m still finding my way around California and Rhys is the first list I’m on (Massachusetts shipping limitations in the past have kept me from trying very hard). But I picked up some Santa Barbara pinots a year ago that were featured in one of the IPOB gatherings and which Josh liked very much, but found them ridiculously candied and tutti-frutti (not sur maturite, just the quality of the fruit).
I’m fairly certain I want a bottle or two of the Horseshoe, but less certain I want my full allocation, so all advice is greatly appreciated!
Richard, are you asking or saying? Can’t quite tell. Have had this wine a couple of times, last up at Rhys at their fall pickup. My brief note from that reads: very dark with dark, dark fruit, very structured, great balance, do not open for at least 5 years. I definitely did not detect any ripeness/sweetness. If I had to make a link to something Burgundy, I’d say it’s in the style of a Rossignol Volnay in a good year - fairly meaty, dark, burly, structured, needs time, and should eventually be deliciously good. Not a dainty wine, not a ripe, fruity wine, nothing candied or syrupy, and one for the cellar.
I love Rhys and the focus on making CA wines in a Burgundian (for lack of a better word) style. But I’ve never found any Rhys particularly AFWE. They are fleshy wines that generally have ripe, concentrated fruit.
That said, they are excellently situated for my AFWE palate, including the 2012 Horseshoe.
I’m inclined to take the full allocation, but really hoping to hear from folks like you who have tasted as the Horseshoe does appear to be a tiny bit of an outlier. At 13.5%, it clocks in a point higher in ABV than the other pinots (Bearwallow 12.5%, Swan 12.6%, Alpine 12.8%) and rated lower by my ‘palate aligned’ critics with specific references to a noticeable alcohol component on the finish. I’ve gone wrong listening to Josh and Antonio before, but rarely with Meadows and Gilman. So thought I’d ask you folks! (And thanks much for your input, Alan!)
Ryan, I perhaps shouldn’t have used “AFWE” as I do agree with you in my limited experience. I’ve managed to pick up some '06, '08, and '09 Rhys at retail, but thusfar have only opened the '09 Skyline. Long story short, I loved it and the very next day put my name on the Rhys wait-list! Glad to hear you like it, which is exactly what I’m hoping to hear!
I found another of my notes from April last year: distinctly different nose (edit, I didn’t write down how it was different) beautiful medium dark fruit, seemingly more masculine (than the other 12 pinots) but still very elegant, very good but delicate structure.
I would trust the April note over the October 2014 note, as I believe the April wine had been opened for a longer time, and probably represents what’s in the bottle a little better. All I know is that I’m taking my full allocation of all the Pinots in this release.
Richard,
I am hardly unbiased but thought I would give you my thoughts anyway!
The '12 Horseshoe Pinot is the ripest of our lineup in '12 so if anyone is surveying all of the wines it will stand out for this. With that said, I do not feel that is over-ripe. If I were to describe it to a Burglover, I would say that is ripe like '05s but less ripe than '90s or '09s (much less in the latter case).
On the alcohol, I am probably the most alcohol sensitive person I know and I haven’t noticed it in this wine. Since bottling this wine has steadily shed a lot of baby fat and I think John and Allen would like it more today than when they last tasted it but it still might not be their favorite.
I hope that helps!
Btw, I’m absolutely thrilled to be on the list and looking forward to my first ever out-of-state shipment (thanks for getting that paperwork done so quickly)! And how fitting that it’s Rhys, which has been very difficult (and expensive) for me to find at retail. I expect you’ll soon represent the majority of my domestic holdings, pushing past Ridge, Kalin, Edmunds St. John, and only a handful of other wonderful California producers!
I had it at pickup day and I consider Alan’s description spot on (other than the Rossignol Volnay part, I don’t know that wine and don’t have an opinion). It has more density and extract than some Rhys wines, but it’s not sweet or heavy at all.
In my brief tasting I thought it was among their best of the vintage and was notably light in weight given its concentration and complexity. I was surprised by the reviewers’ comments that you mentioned. I’m looking forward to tasting it again to confirm or refute my initial impression.
I agree with Jay, except for the part about the reviews because I hadn’t read them. The 2012 Horseshoe and Bearwallow were the biggest surprises for me at that dinner, and for different reasons. I will be buying both, and it will be my first Bearwallow purchase.
Every year I say “this is the best Bearwallow yet”. Of course it started from a relatively low point but I really liked the 2012 at our dinner last year.
To the OP, I wouldn’t call Rhys an AFWE wine, they are a little too big for that. To me, they seem to be more alilgned with Nuits Saint George: masculine and brawny, stemmy, but combine with sweet riper California fruit. They are more like the Bully that beats up their AFWE classmates and takes their school lunch money.
My understanding is that Horseshoe has the structure to require a long time to come around, and yet is was delicious that night. Previously, I came to the decision to stop buying Horseshoe, or any wine that needs a long time to drink well, but changed my mind for that wine.
The only Bearwallow I had previously tasted was the first vintage, and it was what I didn’t care for in California Pinot. The newer releases were on a whole other level and I enjoyed them.
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