2018 Rhys "Swan Terrace" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

“The 2018 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace comes from a tiny 1.5-acre terrace in the Alpine Vineyard and is all Swan clone of Pinot Noir. It offers more stemmy notes of red and black fruits, smoked herbs, and forest floor and mushroom nuances. As with all of these 2018s, the level of nuance and complexity is incredible, and this develops and changes with air and has that classic Pinot Noir mix of sweet fruit and earthy, underbrush, and sous bois character that keeps you coming back to the glass. Medium to full-bodied, silky, and elegant on the palate, it has solid underlying structure and is going to drink fabulously well for 15 years or more.” (09/2020)

“Sourced from a single, lower-elevation, east-facing block at Alpine Vineyard, the 2018 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace takes coaxing and patience to reveal its remarkable complexity. The nose is brooding and dark, with aromas of black plum, cherry liqueur, licorice and turned earth emerging slowly but steadily. The palate is muscular and rigid, with a core of succulent, sweet black fruits and crushed stones continuously gaining dimension. A precise, laser-focused acidity leads to the chewy and cake-like finish, beginning somewhat inward before expanding and integrating. (ML) 96+” (04/2024)

“The 2018 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace emerges from a steep, east-facing parcel within Alpine planted with a number of different versions of the Swan clone Pinot. It is one of the most ethereal, perfumed wines in the range. Crushed rose petal, blood orange, sweet red berries, pine and mint give the Swan Terrace its signature aromatic profile. This is such a nuanced and totally distinctive wine. (AG) 96+” (09/2020)

“The tiny subsection of the Alpine Vineyard, Swan Terrace, is one of the stars of the 2018 lineup of Pinot Noirs from Rhys. The wine is deep, pure and shows perfect ripeness (coming in at 13.1% octane) in its black fruity aromatic constellation of black plums, sweet dark berries, a superb base of minerality, woodsmoke, black tea, raw cocoa, cedar and lovely spice tones from the whole clusters in the upper register. On the palate the wine is very pure, full-bodied and very promising, with excellent mid-palate depth, bright acids, fine-grained tannins and excellent nascent complexity on the very long and soil-driven finish. This is perfectly balanced, but will still want plenty of bottle age to let it completely blossom and show all of its myriad layers of complexity in total harmony.” (05/2020)

“This is even more elegant, indeed it's aromatically gorgeous with its wonderful panoply of spice, floral and fruit aromas that derive from both side of the spectrum. There is outstanding delineation and intensity to the sleek, sophisticated and driving finish. This isn't quite as structured as the biggest wines in the range but it's impeccably well-balanced and should age effortlessly. Superb. *Outstanding*” (10/2020)