The wine is absolutely stellar on the nose (and may well be the most beautiful bottle of wine I have yet tasted from Kevin Harvey and his team that wears the Alesia label), soaring from the glass in a very expressive and complex blend of dark berries, black plums, gamebird, raw cocoa, a touch of anise, very complex, gently autumnal soil tones, black tea, baking spices and just a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish, light on its feet and nicely soil-driven, with modest tannins, lovely focus and grip and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is made from younger vines in some of the very best parcels owned by Rhys Vineyards, and though it does not have the inner core of those top bottlings, it has all of the personality and complexity!

Medium to deep ruby, the 2017 Alesia Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains has a spicy nose of pipe tobacco, Earl Grey tea leaves and dried rose petals with dried herbs, woodsmoke, prosciutto and licorice over warm cranberries and blackberries. Light to medium-bodied, it has a good core of earthy fruit with a very soft frame and juicy acidity, finishing long and spicy. (EB)