Wine Spectator Cover Story on California Pinot has no mention of Rhys

[Robert_M_yers]

Are there scores for Kirkland, Layer Cake, and Toad Hollow? I’d be eager to see those reviews.

I see this as Joe does. If you’re gonna list wineries like the aforementioned, then why not fill in the picture with wineries who are investing in this varietal. Was Kutch mentioned? What about Rivers-Marie?

I’m pretty sure Kutch is happy to be left out at this point.

That said I’m with Greg here, far too many wineries in geekdom to mention in WS. The folks reading the mag (I do ) could care less or they would be here.

[Sean_S]

There is a precise grand total of exactly one Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains, California’s greatest terroir for the grape… 2014 Black Ridge, rated 89. I have never heard of them, no surprise even though I am a Santa Cruz Mountain fanatic. Not only no Rhys, but no Mount Eden, Thomas Fogarty, Alfaro, Windy Oaks, Soquel &c.

Overall ratings are pretty low, I assume because so few California Pinots are thick and alcoholic and sweet.

Dan Kravitz

FYI: Black Ridge Vineyards is on the west side Highway 17 overlooking the Lexington reservoir and the old Novitiate vineyards (no longer there). Very close to the McCarthy Estate vineyards and one ridge over from Camel Hill Vineyards. There wine is over ripe and over oaked across the board. 89 is extremely generous. They do have a beautiful estate and tasting room but their wines not so much.

Sean

[Sean_S]

First off, please define ‘major player’? To whom?

Jancis, Gillman, Galloni, Kelley, Dunnuck, many Berskers, their customers and their waiting list to name a few…

Sean

[Craig_G]

There is a precise grand total of exactly one Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains, California’s greatest terroir for the grape… 2014 Black Ridge, rated 89. I have never heard of them, no surprise even though I am a Santa Cruz Mountain fanatic. Not only no Rhys, but no Mount Eden, Thomas Fogarty, Alfaro, Windy Oaks, Soquel &c.

Overall ratings are pretty low, I assume because so few California Pinots are thick and alcoholic and sweet.

Dan Kravitz

FYI: Black Ridge Vineyards is on the west side Highway 17 overlooking the Lexington reservoir and the old Novitiate vineyards (no longer there). Very close to the McCarthy Estate vineyards and one ridge over from Camel Hill Vineyards. There wine is over ripe and over oaked across the board. 89 is extremely generous. They do have a beautiful estate and tasting room but their wines not so much.

Sean

Yeah, I tasted up there and it’s one of the places I recommend against going, even though it’s so close. I don’t know the history but it has the veneer of a vanity winery.

[Chris_Seiber]

They don’t review every wine made, just what they can get to or what is sent to them. It would be impossible to review every wine in CA and they have publishing deadlines so if they haven’t reviewed a particular wine, it finds its way into their database later on and doesn’t get included in their big story. There are probably a lot of wines that people think are really significant that don’t get included in a roundup article. It’s not a big deal IMO.

Also, Laube has stepped back and isn’t reviewing much any more. Kim Marcus is their main guy in CA now. Laube did a big article on Rhys back when they started and he reviewed them at least through 2011.

Today the people who love Rhys are not going to be swayed by an article, and if the article wasn’t fawning enough, it would probably be slammed anyway. Plus, this way all these folks are talking about it so Rhys is getting more publicity than they would have otherwise. Maybe they paid Kim to leave them out?

And there are wineries who specifically ask not to be included or written about. So ask why not just Kevin or Kim?

Hey Greg, cut out the rational thinking here, and get on board — it’s a sinister conspiracy by WS only to review overripe overoaked goop which advertises in the magazine. That’s got to be what is going on.

[Steve_Crawford]

people still read WS? lol

[larry_schaffer]

I just looked at the list of wines reviewed for the issue - and it was a pretty broad stroke of producers in CA. Where there many left out? Of course - but as others have said, if you don’t submit, you won’t be included - and apparently, many did not submit.

The range of scores was interesting - lots of high 80s and low 90s but very little if any at 95 points or higher - and there were some sub 85 ones. Perhaps the inflation levels are decreasing here?

Cheers

[David_Bu3ker]

people still read WS? lol

I had a subscription several years ago. Have not paid in years. It still shows up.

It’s worth glancing through to see what they are hyping. At least then I know why I can’t find the wine anymore!

[Anton_D]

I have a friend who works in another “connoisseur” type industry for a publication. For their annual reports, they send out forms asking manufacturers to list their product line and prices for inclusion in the over-view. Many forget, overlook it, or don’t care and the usual hue and cry when the review issue comes out is how dare that magazine not mention “so and so.”

So, that may be part.

Also, perhaps the prices for Rhys are going up so fast, they don’t want to be held responsible for submitting a price list to WS?

[Nate_Simon]

Could be that Kevin and company did not do the requisite amount of ass-kissing to end up in the article.
Alternatively, could be that WS is shying away from covering them due to the water issues.

[David_Bu3ker]

Could be that Kevin and company did not do the requisite amount of ass-kissing to end up in the article.
Alternatively, could be that WS is shying away from covering them due to the water issues.

The last Rhys to be reviewed in WS was a 2013. So the water story has nothing to do with it.

Overall WS did not like Rhys much (ratings ranged from 92 down to 81), so I bet Kevin just decided they were not worth it.

[Nathan_Smyth]

But I see that Arcadian isn’t on the list either…

End of discussion.

Next topic.

[Wes_Barton]

There is a precise grand total of exactly one Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains, California’s greatest terroir for the grape… 2014 Black Ridge, rated 89. I have never heard of them, no surprise even though I am a Santa Cruz Mountain fanatic. Not only no Rhys, but no Mount Eden, Thomas Fogarty, Alfaro, Windy Oaks, Soquel &c.

Overall ratings are pretty low, I assume because so few California Pinots are thick and alcoholic and sweet.

Dan Kravitz

FYI: Black Ridge Vineyards is on the west side Highway 17 overlooking the Lexington reservoir and the old Novitiate vineyards (no longer there). Very close to the McCarthy Estate vineyards and one ridge over from Camel Hill Vineyards. There wine is over ripe and over oaked across the board. 89 is extremely generous. They do have a beautiful estate and tasting room but their wines not so much.

Sean

Yeah, I tasted up there and it’s one of the places I recommend against going, even though it’s so close. I don’t know the history but it has the veneer of a vanity winery.

They started off good, and promising. Then some bad vineyard management, ownership feud and split, outside winemaking. Haven’t tasted their wines in quite awhile, but it would make sense they moved to pandering to the type of traffic they’d get at that location. The ownership did just change. Wouldn’t get my hopes up, but we’ll see if the wines change.

A tip for producers to watch in the SCM, out of the 100 or so, is look for people who’ve worked their way up at some of the better wineries, then branched out. They understand the region and endeavor to reach the potential of the better sites. And, don’t forget about McHenry.

[Wes_Barton]

I just looked at the list of wines reviewed for the issue - and it was a pretty broad stroke of producers in CA. Where there many left out? Of course - but as others have said, if you don’t submit, you won’t be included - and apparently, many did not submit.

The range of scores was interesting - lots of high 80s and low 90s but very little if any at 95 points or higher - and there were some sub 85 ones. Perhaps the inflation levels are decreasing here?

Cheers

Honestly, that sounds like how the Pinots that long got high WS ratings should have scored. Perhaps it’s the critic change catching a bunch of hack Pinot producers off-guard? If that’s the case it’s kinda funny. Like the producers who knew better than to submit would’ve scored well, and the panderers who thought they had a shoo-in with their confectionary crap got panned… Might need to find a copy…

[K_John_Joseph]

34 posts and no one said

“Obviously Rhys is dead at retail.”

You guys are slipping. Come on now.

[Anton_D]

34 posts and no one said

“Obviously Rhys is dead at retail.”

You guys are slipping. Come on now.

[GregT]

I just looked at the list of wines reviewed for the issue - and it was a pretty broad stroke of producers in CA. Where there many left out? Of course - but as others have said, if you don’t submit, you won’t be included - and apparently, many did not submit.

The range of scores was interesting - lots of high 80s and low 90s but very little if any at 95 points or higher - and there were some sub 85 ones. Perhaps the inflation levels are decreasing here?

Cheers

Honestly, that sounds like how the Pinots that long got high WS ratings should have scored. Perhaps it’s the critic change catching a bunch of hack Pinot producers off-guard? If that’s the case it’s kinda funny. Like the producers who knew better than to submit would’ve scored well, and the panderers who thought they had a shoo-in with their confectionary crap got panned… Might need to find a copy…

That makes sense. Marcus has only recently started reviewing PN for the WS and while I’ve never had any wine with Laube, I have had dinner with Marcus and he has a pretty good palate. He is originally from Sonoma but for years was reviewing wines from Germany, Austria, Portugal, Greece, and France. He may just have a completely different take on the wines.

[Scott_Brunson]

They do exactly the same thing with other grape varieties. Wine Spectator is not remotely relavent.

fify

[David_Bu3ker]

Wine Spectator is dead at retail?

[David_Bu3ker]

BTW, I strongly disagree that it is not relevant.

Wine Berserkers is a small, closed world. Wine Spectator serves a much larger audience. The wine industry would die a swift death of our tastes dictated the market.