2019 Rhys "Mt. Pajaro Vineyard" Chardonnay & "Mt. Pajaro Vineyard" Pinot Noir Horizontal

“The 2019 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard is magical. Slate, crushed rocks, white pepper and a very light touch of reduction give the 2019 its utterly captivating bouquet. Bright and vibrant, but with gorgeous mid-palate depth, the Mt. Pajaro Chardonnay is simply fabulous. This is Rhys’s first high-density Chardonnay planting, and probably won’t be the last. (AG)” (08/2021)

“Lots of ripe black cherry, currants, forest floor, and damp earth notes emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard, a rich, medium to full-bodied Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir that has beautiful overall balance, ripe, polished tannins, and a fabulous finish. It's a gem of a wine...” (07/2021)

“Lovely and coniferous on the nose, the 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard opens with black cherry, blueberry, redwood duff and evergreen aromas. The palate perfectly summarizes the Corralitos region's medium-bodied, seamless red-fruited profile and lifted saline energy. The elegant finish is already beginning to integrate, showing a solid tannic grip but emphasizing refreshing acidity. The Rhys team is confident that this site will produce Pinot Noir on par with its flagship Horseshoe and Alpine sites with time, and this vintage provides some foreshadowing of that future. (ML)” (04/2024)

“Pretty and complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, plum and jasmine tea are complemented by the spicy, intense and relatively big-bodied flavors that flash excellent power on the dusty, youthfully austere and focused finale. This is already sporting good depth, but the firm tannic spine makes clear that this too is going to require at least some patience. Worth checking out.” (10/2021)

“The 2019 vintage of Mount Pajaro Vineyard pinot noir from Rhys is a very fine example of the vintage, coming in at 13.5 percent octane and delivering a young, vibrant and promising bouquet of dark berries, pomegranate, stony soil tones, a dollop of youthful stem tones, coffee bean, woodsmoke, a touch of graphite and a suave framing of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and beautifully transparent in profile, with well-integrated tannins, fine balance and grip and a long, nascently complex finish. This is the new kid on the block amidst the other Rhys pinot noir bottlings, but it is quickly playing catch up and is certainly at home amongst these other great cuvées.” (06/2021)

“The 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard emerges from a site in the southern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains and therefore has a completely different personality than the rest of the other SCM wines in the range. Here the flavors are darker while the tannins are more incisive. Black cherry, plum, licorice, cloves and gravel infuse this brooding, muscular Pinot with tons of complexity. (AG)” (05/2022)

“Lots of ripe black cherry, currants, forest floor, and damp earth notes emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard, a rich, medium to full-bodied Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir that has beautiful overall balance, ripe, polished tannins, and a fabulous finish. It's a gem of a wine that can be drunk any time over the coming 10-15 years.” (07/2021)

“Lovely and coniferous on the nose, the 2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard opens with black cherry, blueberry, redwood duff and evergreen aromas. The palate perfectly summarizes the Corralitos region's medium-bodied, seamless red-fruited profile and lifted saline energy. The elegant finish is already beginning to integrate, showing a solid tannic grip but emphasizing refreshing acidity. (ML)” (04/2024)

“Pretty and complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, plum and jasmine tea are complemented by the spicy, intense and relatively big-bodied flavors that flash excellent power on the dusty, youthfully austere and focused finale. This is already sporting good depth, but the firm tannic spine makes clear that this too is going to require at least some patience. Worth checking out. *Outstanding*” (10/2021)

“The 2019 vintage of Mount Pajaro Vineyard pinot noir from Rhys is a very fine example of the vintage, coming in at 13.5 percent octane and delivering a young, vibrant and promising bouquet of dark berries, pomegranate, stony soil tones, a dollop of youthful stem tones, coffee bean, woodsmoke, a touch of graphite and a suave framing of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and beautifully transparent in profile, with well-integrated tannins, fine balance and grip and a long, nascently complex finish. This is the new kid on the block amidst the other Rhys pinot noir bottlings, but it is quickly playing catch up and is certainly at home amongst these other great cuvées.” (06/2021)