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Rhys

There's a lot to explore in these new releases from proprietor Kevin Harvey and Winemaker Jeff Brinkman. Vintage 2022 presented an unusual set of circumstances quite different from those that affected much of northern California. For example, rainfall was as much as 50% higher than it was in 2021. The summer months of July and August saw below-average temperatures before a significant heat wave arrived over Labor Day.

In tasting, the Pinots offer quite a bit of early accessibility, which is not often the case here. The 2022s clearly don't fully have the dimension and layers of the very best years, but they are impeccably balanced, expressive of site and easy to like. Moreover, the management of tannin and overall phenolic ripeness is spot on. The Anderson Valley Pinots are especially strong, a reflection of those sites being less further along in their ripening when the heat arrived, which meant the fruit was less impacted. The Chardonnays are softer than most years but also not quite as rich, a sort of accidental combination that works well. In most years, the Chardonnays, especially the Santa Cruz Mountains vineyard designates, need a few years in bottle to shine. I don't expect that to be the case with the 2022s. Most importantly, the 2022s offer a notable expression of site, which, in my view, is one of the most important attributes of single vineyard wines. That's especially of note for a year marked by late-season heat.

Winemaking remains pretty classic. Chardonnays were whole cluster pressed to barrel. They spent 12 months in Damy barrels, 15% new, and then 6 months in tank, a classic Burgundian aging regime. The Pinots spent 14 months in barrel prior to racking and blending, followed by another four months in barrel. Whole cluster inclusion was a bit lower than the norm overall. There’s not a lot of overt stem character in the wines, except for some Pinots, like the Home Vineyard, where stem inclusion is manifested more in the wine’s closed personality rather than in its aromatic or flavor profile. The Anderson Valley Pinots and the Horseshoe are done with fully destemmed fruit, while the Skyline, Swan Terrace and Home see the highest percentage of whole clusters. New oak goes up to 25-33% for the vineyard designates, down overall from the 50% or so Rhys favored in the early days.

From Santa Cruz Mountains – The Chameleon (Oct 2024) by Billy Norris

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NV Perpetual Reserve

Release Price: $59

Color: Sparkling White

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Rhys

NV Perpetual Reserve

2019 Estate Rosé (Late Disgorged)

2018 Blanc de Blancs Mt. Pajaro Vineyard

2022 Chardonnay (Anderson Valley)

2022 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard

2022 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)

2022 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard

2022 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard

2022 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard

2022 Chenin Blanc Horseshoe Vineyard

2022 Chenin Blanc Mt. Pajaro Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)

2022 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill

2022 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)

2022 Pinot Noir Family Farm

2022 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace

2022 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard

2021 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard

2022 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside

2022 Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside

2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard

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