2019 Rhys "Horseshoe Vineyard - Ungrafted Vines" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

“A special bottling from the highest-density, lowest-yielding parts of Horseshoe, the 2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines is a magnificent, monumental wine. Perfumed and poised, it’s a staggeringly beautiful representation of what makes this site in the Santa Cruz Mountains so undeniably singular. The 2019 unfurls like a peacock’s tail, delivering myriad layers of sweet florals, Amarena cherry, dried herbs, iodine and an echo of citrus peel that lingers epically long. The finest, most filigree tannins coat the palate, providing an ultra-refined framework for the 2019 to just sing, sing, sing, deepening with every passing minute in the glass. Just sublime. (BN)” (09/2025)

“Only the second release of this rare bottling, the 2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines is incredibly harmonious, providing a translucent, crystalline expression of this incredible site. The nose is graceful, polished and irresistible, conjuring numerous aromas, including crushed red berries, dehydrated strawberry, prosciutto and rose petals. The palate is the essence of sophistication, seamlessly combining spherical richness with an ethereal, floating, memorable finish of weightless tannins and perfectly measured acidity. This is already dangerously good, but I am giddy at the thought of it with substantial bottle age. (ML)” (04/2024)

“An elegant, restrained and relatively high-toned nose timidly offers up its aromas of essence of red cherry, orange pekoe tea, lavender and a beautiful array of spice nuances. There is again excellent volume to the plush, round and muscular larger-bodied flavors that conclude in a dusty, compact, austere and brooding finish. This is almost old school in style and if you're one of the lucky few to acquire a few bottles, I would strongly advise not even thinking about opening a bottle for at least a decade. Original and outstanding with a texture that is really unlike anything else in the range.” (10/2021)

“It is fascinating to taste the Horseshoe “Ungrafted Vines” bottling alongside of the Hillside cuvée from this vineyard, as the ungrafted version is a touch lighter in color (though still a lovely, dark ruby). The bouquet is deep, complex and seems more expressive out of the blocks than the Hillside, offering up a complex blend of black cherries, pomegranate, woodsmoke, raw cocoa, a beautiful base of soil tones, fresh thyme, sweet stem tones and a lovely dollop of cedar. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and very transparent in personality, with a sappy core of black fruit, excellent focus and grip, plenty of youthful stem tones on the backend, fine-grained tannins and a long, nascently complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is a wine that trades even more profoundly on its underlying soil signature than the Horseshoe Hillside, and though it is not quite as deep at the core, it seems likely to be every bit its equal when the two are ready to drink, despite this wine being a touch less intense in personality. Great juice. 95+” (06/2021)

“Coming from vines that were not grafted onto a phylloxera-resistant rootstock, the 2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted offers a similar translucent ruby hue as well as a savory, meaty, gamey nose of mulled cherries, spice, decayed flowers, and forest floor. More round and supple on the palate, it shows a touch more fruit and texture compared to the more firm, gamey Horseshoe Vineyard release. It too should keep for 10-15 years.” (07/2021)