Cellar Favorite: 2013
Rhys Vineyards Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard

BY BILLY NORRIS | APRIL 27, 2026

I would imagine I am not the only one whose cellar could
probably stand to be a bit more organized. Barcode systems, neck tags, bin
numbers, that’s all fine and good, but after a few house moves and countless
restockings, my racking system has become a bit—shall we say—arbitrary. The
upside to that relative chaos is that occasionally, I can reach in and grab
something that ends up far overdelivering. That’s exactly what happened this
week when I dipped into my supposed “Rhône” section and unwittingly fished out
this bottle of 2013 Rhys Vineyards Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard.

Alpine is one of Rhys’ estate properties in the Santa Cruz
Mountains, a steep site planted in the early 2000s at an elevation of about
1,300 feet with an eye toward making great Pinot Noir (though Chardonnay
performs exceptionally well here, too). Pinot Noir from Alpine tends to be
deeply mineral and savory, often with formidable tannin structure and a sense
of inner tension that takes ample sideways time in the cellar to resolve.
However, the 2013 is a bit of a different animal.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1777298796317-CF_Apr272026.jpg">Jeff Brinkman, longtime winemaker at Rhys, points to 2012
and 2013 as watershed years in their vineyards’ history, a time in which “the
vineyards really started to click.” As vines across the Rhys sites began to
come of age, they began to express their respective terroirs more clearly. Two
thousand thirteen was a drought year that managed to remain temperate through
the summer and early fall, leading to a notably long harvest window at Alpine
that stretched through the entire month of September. 

The 2013 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard was vinified with 60%
whole clusters (exceptionally high for Rhys, especially Alpine) and aged in 50%
new oak (also on the high side by house standards). That treatment shaped a
wine that is a bit of a stylistic outlier for this house, but that’s in no way
a bad thing. It’s surprisingly forward at this stage in its evolution. The 2013
boasts cashmere-like textural polish and a sense of poise, balance and
approachability that is just so inviting. What it lacks in the mineral drive
and tannic spine Alpine typically shows, it more than makes up for with a plush
mouthfeel and a saturation of saline-inflected pomegranate fruit. Shades of
pine, black tea and exotic spice emerge with air. Seeing as how there is very
little, if any, aromatic development at this stage, I’d imagine the 2013 will
cruise nicely for at least another five to seven years. 94/Drink
2026-2033.

© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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