TN: 2010 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard

• 2010 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/11/2020)
  12.8% abv. Dark ruby, very expressive aromatics. Ripe plum, white pepper, a bit of saddle leather and olive, lifted with an appealing floral element. Very deep, rich and intense. This is great Syrah, at the early stage of a long and rewarding drinking window. (96 pts.)

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Posted from CellarTracker

Didn’t all of the Skyline Syrah get grafted over to Pinot a few years ago?

Yes. 2013 was the last Skyline Syrah. Total travesty.

Great wine.

Got a couple of the 2011s I forgot. Have to crack one open soon.

I appreciate the check-in. I have only 3 bottles of this bottling, '08 and '09 (no '10). I wish I had bought more Syrah while I was buying from Rhys. I’m trying to wait longer to open the few bottles I have. Actually, the same goes for the Pinot Noirs of the same era, but that’s a different topic. These are turning out to be special wines that reward patience.

My first Rhys. Well, actually my second, but the first 2010 Skyline was severely flawed. This one is flat out excellent.

I’m sitting here on day two finishing up the bottle, enjoying it even more than day one. This is pretty classic syrah, with notes of brine, black olive, leather, seared meat and some smoke. Medium to full body on the palate, conveys an expression of ripe fruits but they have that ripe-gamey thing going on where there is some tang to it, almost a citrus acid component. Low ABV, cannot really perceive any new oak treatment. What’s not to like, this is an excellent wine across the board. I should note, started with a concerning reductive quality and a bit of stewed tomato, but that all blew off after an hour, and the wine has been showing better and better. I’d decant an hour before serving.

(93 pts.)

PS. Thanks to Kenny G for sending me this wine!

One of the best wines in the Rhys stable. Too bad they quit on it.

I like the Rhys syrahs, and think it’s consistently the best new world Syrah (and Rhys is the only domestic producer I buy regularly), but I’m surprised you like it! Having had a couple bottles of the 2012 recently, it reminds me of a somewhat modernist take on Cornas. It’s quite far from the rosdkill of Levet - quit a bit of jam on the finish.

Have you had the 2010? I did not find this bottle jammy at all.

I haven’t had the 10, no.

For me, Syrah is their best grape. I loved a recent 2010 Horseshoe Syrah

Cheers,
Warren

Because I don’t send jammy shit!! . I remember some vines were grafted over, a shame it is these. The bottle I had before sending 2 more to the Cuban Muscle was so savory, I had to leave it to the expert. The bottle I had was full of olive and peppercorn, a real treat.

To be clear, I meant by the standards of old school northern Rhône. No one is confusing it with SQN. I buy Rhys myself.

I’ve had Rhys Syrah of various vintages in several northern Rhône flights and it has generally been easy for me and others to spot it as the ringer. And I assure you, it’s not because I’m good at blinds (as various people on this forum could attest)!

I’m not disappointed they took them out. The 2008 Skyline Pinot Noir I had last month was glorious to drink–this is the kind of grace and depth that Skyline can do. They still have Horseshoe if you want Rhys Syrah.

I know this was a tough call for the Rhys team, but Horseshoe Syrah is excellent, and more Skyline Pinot is a really good thing. As great as Skyline Syrah is (I still have a few bottles remaining), I think Rhys made a good decision.

Can we all just pause for a minute to recognize the improbability of Alfert praising a domestic syrah? I was almost sure his fellow twig and dirt cult would be along shortly to scold this indiscretion!

Robert enjoys Rhys Syrah, Bedrock Zins and Ridge (even if he whines about American Oak). Robert has taste!

He even likes Ovid as I recall.

-Al

That’s slander, Big AL!!!