2021-2022 Rhys "Skyline Vineyard" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir Vertical

“A nearly opaque red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard opens to aromas of kirsch, violets, crushed stones, and licorice. It has an incredibly balanced structure and is harmonious throughout, with ripe tannins, mineral-toned tension, and great length and depth. A remarkable wine, it's going to offer plenty of enjoyment over the coming 15-20 years. (AF)” (06/2024)

“The 2021 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is a stellar example of the heights Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains can attain. The immersive nose combines soft, dark aromas of mulberry and blackberry compote with fragrant baking spices and forest floor. The palate squeezes out layer after layer of intense fruit, quenching, invigorating acidity and powdery, gripping tannins. The finish is marvelous, confidently combining all its elements into a multidimensional array of ripe, weightless intensity. Within the incredible trifecta of Horseshoe, Alpine and Skyline, choosing a favorite is no easy task, but the latter bests the other two by a hair. This absolutely must be cellared for 5-8 years and will age for the better part of three decades. (ML) 97+” (04/2024)

“The 2021 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is one of the most potent, structured wines in this range. Black fruit, graphite, lavender, dried herbs and menthol are all dialed up to the maximum in this explosive, heady Pinot. This somber, brooding Pinot demands cellaring. There's tremendous vertical thrust here. A combination of shale, limestone and sandstone soils yields a wonderfully complex, dynamic Pinot. (AG)” (09/2023)

“The 2021 Skyline Vineyard pinot noir from Kevin Harvey and Jeff Brinkman and the rest of the team at Rhys is an outstanding young wine. This is pretty ripe by Skyline standards, coming in at 13.9 percent alcohol in this vintage, but offers lovely aromatic precision in its bouquet of black plums, black cherries, woodsmoke, gamebird, sweet stem tones, raw cocoa, a beautiful foundation of soil and a gentle framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a sappy core of fruit, superb mineral drive and grip, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long and very, very promising finish. This is going to be great wine in due course, but will require some extended cellaring to properly blossom. 94+” (04/2023)

“A fierce density of dark, plummy fruit shows on the nose of this bottling, which also offers loamy soil elements. The palate is leathery in texture, with long tannins framing the berry, cracked pepper and melted licorice flavors. *Cellar Selection* (MK)” (12/2023)

“A notably ripe yet notably fresh and expressive nose displays liqueur-like notes of various dark berries that are sprinkled with plenty of floral, especially violet, and spice nuances. There is fine punch, richness and power to the concentrated medium weight plus flavors that brim with sappy dry extract on the lingering finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. Thanks to the abundant dry extract this could actually be enjoyed young but I would advise holding it for up to a decade. I would further note that as is often the case, this is best in the range in 2021.” (10/2023)

“Fermented with 60% whole clusters, the 2022 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard sits near the apex of an impressive array of Pinot Noirs due to its elevated grace, nuance and alluring exoticism. The nose is composed, deft, pure, enticing and multifaceted, offering another degree of transparency from its esteemed counterparts. While much of the Rhys lineup exhibits textures that can rightfully be called ethereal, Skyline brings this quality into the foreground with magnificent precision and quiet yet lavish refinement. The finish is stunning and endlessly multifaceted, with dominoes of fruit falling alongside perfectly structured, swelling tannins that never approach graininess, juxtaposing the considerably more tenacious but equally magnificent Swan Terrace bottling. If its performance in the glass can be mapped onto its lifespan in the cellar, this should be a knockout for well over two decades. (ML)” (08/2024)

“The 2022 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard is one of the most complete wines in the range this year. Its dynamic energy, complexity and overall dimension are off the charts. An explosion of heady dark fruits appears first, followed by mocha, lavender, dried flowers, mint and exotic spice. The interplay of intense fruit and more vibrant mineral inflections makes the Skyline feel so alive. I find it constantly changing in the glass, always a sign of pedigree. (AG)” (10/2024)

“The 2022 Pinot Noir “Skyline Vineyard” bottling from the team at Rhys is another lovely wine. It offers up a deep, black fruity and very refined bouquet of dark berries, black plums, woodsmoke, a complex base of soil, espresso, gamebird, a touch of stems, brown spices and a dollop of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and sappy at the core, with fine-grained tannins, lovely soil undertow and grip and a long, well balanced and nascently complex finish. This is going to be an excellent wine once it has had some time in the cellar to soften up its tannins.” (06/2024)