Rhys Vineyards (founded by Kevin Harvey) farms high-elevation, low-yield Santa Cruz Mountain sites; Alpine Vineyard sits on shallow chalky Purisima soils at 1200–1490' producing site-driven Pinots since early 2000s.
Silky, medium-bodied Pinot with red cherry, raspberry, potpourri and floral notes, layers of forest floor, smoked earth and spice, fine-grained tannins, bright acidity and a long, saline-tinged finish. Pair with roast duck, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto, lamb chops, pork belly; Asian: miso-glazed black cod, teriyaki chicken, pork belly bao, soba with mushrooms, shiitake stir-fry.
94 Jeb Dunnuck The 2017 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard comes from a mostly southwest-facing vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains (planted to a heritage selection of clones) and was brought up in a mix of new and used French oak. It offers a complex, nuanced style that carries lots of spiced red fruits, forest floor, smoked earth, potpourri, and a touch of sassafras and sagebrush. Complex, medium-bodied, silky, and beautifully balanced on the palate, it checks in behind the 2015 and 2016 but is nevertheless a beautiful, elegant, seamless Pinot Noir.
93 Burghound This too is markedly reserved and requires aggressive swirling to liberate the elegant and pure aromas of essence of red raspberry and beautifully spice and floral-scented nose. The middle weight flavors are not as concentrated or powerful as those of the Alpine Hillside yet they are much finer, indeed the word lilting comes to mind, while the dusty, focused and serious finish delivers excellent persistence. This is a wine of finesse and refinement and about the only reproach is that more depth needs to develop with time in bottle. If elegance is what you search for in fine pinot, look no further. Outstanding.
92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2017 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple and scented of woodsmoke, dried herbs, moss-covered bark, peppered meats, black cherries and blackberries with potpourri, nutmeg and blue fruit hints. The palate is light to medium-bodied with a silky texture and earthy fruits, supported with finely grained tannins and juicy acidity, finishing long and spicy.
92 Vinous The 2017 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard is soft, open-knit and absolutely delicious. Crushed flowers, mint, blood orange, crushed red berries, chalk and white pepper are all very nicely lifted. The 2017 is airy and gracious, with lovely aromatic lift and tons of personality. The 2017 is especially suave. It is another pretty wine, very much in the lighter style of the year.
