2017 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard

The 2018 Pinot Noirs are without question the finest wines I have ever tasted from Rhys. One after the other, the 2018s are just off the charts brilliant, as saw in two separate tastings this past summer. The long, benign growing season with healthy rain and no shock events gave proprietor Kevin Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman ideal conditions to really capture the essence of site. And that’s what these wines are all about. The essence of place. Two thousand eighteen is the perfect vintage to explore the vineyards in the Rhys range, as the wines are so precise, so defined. In some ways, the 2018s have suaveness to them that recalls the 2012s, but the 2018s have darker fruit and more energy. The Pinots spent 18-21 days on the skins, including a few days of cold soak. Some of the wines, notably the Home, Skyline and Swan Terrace are done with essentially 100% whole clusters. Alpine sees about 25% stems, while Bearwallow, Porcupine Hill and Horseshoe are done with fully destemmed fruit.

Readers will note the second release of the Rhys Ultra Brut, which is being made with the consulting help of Rodolphe Péters. The sparkling program will ultimately comprise four wines: a vintage Blanc de Blanc from Mt. Pajaro, a vintage Pinot Noir/Chardonnay and a Rosé from Bearwallow, and the Brut Reserve. Lastly, a whole range of wines is on the way from Aeris, Harvey’s label focused on Italian varieties. This report covers many wines from Rhys and sister labels Alesia and Aeris, but there is one wine Rhys fans should absolutely not miss, and that is the Horseshoe Pinot from ungrafted wines. It’s one of the greatest California wines I have ever tasted. Readers who want to learn more might enjoy my recent interview with Harvey and Brinkman, which is available on the Vinous YouTube channel.

This is a positively stellar set of wines from proprietor Kevin Harvey and longtime winemaker Jeff Brinkman. Harvey describes 2016 as having a warm spring before reverting to a more normal weather pattern beginning in July. Yields at Rhys were low, but not as dramatically low as in 2015. In tasting, the wines are silky, perfumed and highly nuanced. Readers should note that all the appellation-level wines are now being sold under the Alesia by Rhys label. Rhys fans will also want to check out the Aeris label of Italian-variety wines made in Italy and California, which are reviewed here separately. The Nebbiolos I have tasted from Aeris in particular are hugely promising.