I was wondering if anyone on the boards have tasted the Rhys PNs in this offering. Previously some board members have posted pre-release tasting notes. Perhaps the pandemic has interfered with the normal process of tasting the wines prior to release at the winery or at private tastings aided by the winery. When I search on the boards for 2018 Rhys nothing much comes up.
I do have access to various wine critics’ notes, just wondering if anyone on the boards have tasted the wines.
Normally some of us would have had the chance to taste at least a few of the wines at the spring and fall pickup events. As you note, the pandemic precluded those events, so we’re flying blind as well. But the history speaks for itself at this point, at least in my mind. And 2018 was an excellent, very even vintage in terms of weather, so should have the potential for outstanding wines.
Once the pandemic allows, I really want to have a blowout pickup/tasting day!! It will be great to catch up with our customers as it has been way too long since we could.
Robert, if you have any questions about the 2018s that I can help with, please let me know.
Damn I wish I lived in California.
Me too. Maybe we crash the party unannounced?
If you two can make it, we will open something special!
You and I have enough that we could just hold the party.
Seems like a common theme. I thought I lost half a case of 2016 Horseshoe Syrah some time last year, turns out it hasn’t yet shipped! Certainly frustrating due to the lack of communication, but otherwise Rhys customer service is top notch so I give them a pass- plus its free storage.
As for the spring offer, I’ve dramatically slowed Rhys purchases driven primarily due to cellar diversification goals. It already represents a large percentage of my cellar.
Same here. They seem to have a sameness to me, and it doesn’t matter what vineyard they come from either.
To be fair, most of what I have opened has been Bearwallow. The Skylines and Swan Terraces are still awaiting prime time.
And again, the prices feel fair for what I’ve gotten, I just haven’t had the “Oh, Wow” moment as I have with the Chards.
I had a Swan Terrace last year that just knocked me flat, and that was after a number of young bottles that had left me unimpressed. The more I drink these wines, the more it seems that they need a ton of time. 2012 and 2013 San Mateo bottlings are just now coming into their own. The single vineyards are still too young for the most part.
Not that I don’t keep trying. 2014 Bearwallow was just starting to get there a few weeks ago, but I expect much better with 3+ more years.
1 Like
I had the opposite problem, I was able to pick up the same order of 2016 Horseshoe Syrah on two different occasions. Returned it, love the wine, but ethics and karma.
-Al
DRC?
Just kidding.
Naw, Truchot.
-Al
1 Like
I have the luxury of being able to visit the winery at least twice a year, and taste wines they open for the pickup. Plus I’ve done a couple of Rhys themed offlines where we tasted numerous verticals side by side. I always note how distinctive the different vineyards are, even the three mountain vineyards that aren’t that far apart as the crow flies. No doubt there is a Rhys “style”, that’s inevitable when you have the same team making all the wines, but I honestly think the various Rhys wines express their terroir as well as any wines in the world. Just my own experience and opinion.
Sorry wasn’t these guys the ones that got fined for plowing through a nature wetland?
I get tired of people expressing their negativity, which of course they have a right to express. Not only has Rhys spared no effort to produce world class Pinot Noir, but their customer service and responsiveness to any issues is and has been top notch.
It seems that people just can’t resist the opportunity to spread a little crap around.
I am happy that I found out about Rhys early on and started buying with the 2006 vintage, and someday, after the plague subsides, I hope to have the opportunity to visit the winery.
I attended a huge Rhys tasting at Frank Murray’s house before the shutdown, probably 25 or more bottles of Rhys spanning their vintages and bottlings.
My main takeaway was that starting around 10 years from vintage the pinots show much better. Not uniformly or as any sort of guarantee, but just as a general observation.
1 Like
I was simply stating a fact. I was interested in Rhys from all the press/writing I’ve seen. However a simple google search made me second guess the whole second to none attention to detail bit. ![[oops.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/1/1f129ddad071ffe5db6c99817c3cab666035a70a.gif "oops"){kind=small}
There’s a whole thread on it.