2018-2019 Rhys "Alesia" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir Vertical

“The 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Alesia is rock-solid and certainly has plenty of classy Rhys character. Lots of black cherries, mulberries, dried spices, savory herbs, and forest floor notes all dominate the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant texture, silky tannins, and a great finish. This is classic Santa Cruz Mountains, delivering complex, Burgundian aromatics, ample minerality, integrated structure, and a great finish. It's terrific today yet will certainly evolve for 7-8 years.” (09/2020)

“The 2018 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot from Alesia is a touch lower in octane than the Anderson Valley bottling this year, coming in at 13.2 percent. The wine is really, really deep and refined on the nose in 2018, offering up a complex blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, espresso, fresh thyme, a fine base of minerality, bonfire, bitter chocolate and a touch of new wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and sports outstanding mid-palate depth and transparency, with fine-grained tannins, superb balance and grip and a long, complex and utterly refined finish. This year, the Santa Cruz Mountains have a leg up in the Alesia pinot noir sweepstakes!” (05/2020)

“The 2018 Alesia Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains is immediately wide open on the nose, with pretty aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, red licorice and wild herbs. The palate is svelte and solid, braced with quenching and delicious acidity. On the finish, a mild, understated tannin structure gains sturdiness with air while remaining seamless and inviting. The style here hints at what one finds in the single-vineyard wines at Rhys but remains relatively ready for consumption. (ML)” (04/2024)

“Made from a selection of grapes from various estate vineyards. Smells of dusty road, cranberry and raspberries. Very pretty raspberry fruit flavours mix with a hint of cedar and forest floor as orange-peel notes and dried herbs creep into the finish. Lithe and well balanced. 17.5/20 points (AY)” (10/2020)

“Similarly, the 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir from Alesia has set the bar higher for subsequent vintages of this label than has ever been set before. The wine comes in at 13.2 percent octane and offers up a cool, soil-driven and very classy bouquet of sweet dark berries, cassis, raw cocoa, a beautiful array of spice tones (that hint at fresh nutmeg, cardamom and allspice), a marvelous base of stony soil, woodsmoke and a touch of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a very elegant profile, a lovely core of black fruit, excellent transparency and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, poised and beautifully balanced finish. This is great juice! (JG) 93+” (05/2021)

“The 2019 Alesia Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains is a beaming, focused demonstration of Rhys's winemaking style. Aromas of Bing cherry, petrichor and rose petals eagerly waft from the glass. The palate is textural and focused, with an intense, high-toned structure and a long, layered finish. While this is a sturdier showing from Alesia, it nevertheless provides a wonderful platform on which to glimpse the Rhys style without the cellaring necessary for the single-vineyard releases. Twenty years into its existence, Rhys has more than solidified its place at the apex of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production in California. This project's vision, scope and attention to detail are palpable across every aspect of its planning and execution and, most of all, in the finished wines. Through a combination of immaculately planned and farmed high-density vineyards and obsessive exactitude in the cellar, Rhys creates wines of structure, tenacity and length unparalleled in California. (ML)” (04/2024)

“The 2019 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Alesia, which comes all from the Santa Cruz Mountains, is well worth checking out for readers looking to understand the style of this estate. Spiced red and black fruits, savory herbs, and loamy earth are just some of the nuances in this charming, medium-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir.” (07/2021)