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2013 Rhys San Mateo County Pinot Noir

2013 Rhys San Mateo County Pinot Noir

92JG
92RP
91VN

92

John Gilman

Review Date: 11/2020
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The 2013 San Mateo County bottling of pinot noir from Rhys Vineyards is composed of fruit from a less-gifted section of the Family Farm Vineyard, coupled with a bit of younger vine fruit tossed in from the Alpine and Horseshoe Vineyards. At seven years of age it is starting to really drink well out of half, offering up a bright and impressively classy nose of black cherries, grilled meats, dark soil, a touch of currant leaf, coffee bean, still a bit of sweet stem tones, woodsmoke and a nice touch of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core, fine balance and grip, still a bit of backend tannin and a long, vibrant and nicely soil-driven finish. This was a touch fruit-driven out of the blocks, but it is aging beautifully and far more defined by its terroir than previously; I clearly underestimated it back in 2015!

Price: $54.99

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Professional Reviews

92

Wine Advocate

Review Date: 07/2015
Much more fruit loaded and rounded than the Santa Cruz Mountains release, the 2013 Pinot Noir San Mateo County comes mostly from the Family Farm vineyard, with a touch from Horseshoe. It gives up lots of strawberry, Bing cherry, spice, and floral nuances to go with beautiful fruit and texture on the palate. (JD)

91

Vinous

Review Date: 07/2015
The 2013 Pinot Noir San Mateo County is bright and decidedly citrus-laced in its profile. Bright red cherry, orange peel, white pepper and savory herbs. The 50% whole clusters add lift, but are also impeccably balanced throughout. With time in the glass, distinctly sweet, kirsch-inflected notes are pushed forward. Delicate and lithe in the glass, the 2013 San Mateo will drink well pretty much upon release. The 2013 is mostly Family Farm with a touch of Horseshoe. (AG)

BH

Burghound

Review Date: 04/2015
A cool, restrained and elegant if all but mute nose only grudgingly reveals pretty and notably airy aromas of red currant and cherry scents. There is good vibrancy to the delicious and caressing middle weight flavors that are lush and generous yet manage to retain good focus on the clean, dry and polished finale. This is not super complex at present but I very much like the delivery. Note further that while this could easily be enjoyed now I would be inclined to allow it 3 to 5 years of cellaring first with the goal of allowing more depth to develop.

Notes

Allen Meadows for Burghound on the producer: "The estate wines of Rhys Vineyards are made from organic and biodynamically farmed fruit. Owner Kevin Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman continue to fashion truly remarkable wines, indeed they are consistently among the best examples that California has to offer. At each of their vineyards sites, over 75% of the land is left in a completely natural state. In addition to the native wildlife, they plant herbs, flowers, vegetables and grain crops while free ranging chickens and sheep also help naturally fertilize the vineyards. This is all part of their philosophy that creating a living soil creates better wine. Their winemaking process, from harvest to bottling, is based on a gravity system and the wines are never pumped, fined, or filtered." (04/2016)

Product Details

Origin: California, United States

Type/Varietal: Pinot Noir

Alcohol Content: 12.9%

SKU: #1267461