Alpine Vineyard, Pinot Noir, 2021

Name: Alpine Vineyard, Pinot Noir
Brand: Rhys Vineyards
Price: 573.53 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2013 2018 2019 2021 2022

justerini & brooks tasting note

Never the first to reveal itself, Alpine, which was totally destemmed in 2021 offers up a tightly wound and hauntingly taut Pinot Noir whose crisply gripping structure contains notes of wild red berries, salt, brine, olive, birch sap and crushed rocks. This is a dart of a wine, full of energy and torque, which very slowly opens in the glass, revealing another fine layer with every passing minute. As you sit and appreciate the shape of this wine, you start to appreciate just how much complexity is contained in the glass. This is a wine that demands a bit of time – five years at the very least, so as to give it a chance to show off all its nuanced dimension.

critic reviews

96/100Matthew Luczy,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Aromatically explosive on the first pour, the 2021 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard opens with aromas of green pepper, watercress, dried leather and petrichor. The palate springs into action with a weightless, floating and enveloping texture. Bolstered tannins and firm acidity coat the palate, producing a cascading, assertive, spherical finish. Along with the horseshoe bottling, this is a benchmark for not only Rhys but for California as a whole. As always, this requires cellaring to get past its outer walls, but patience should provide immense pleasure and complexity.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2046

date of review 04/2024

98/100Antonio Galloni,Vinous

Density and power are the calling cards in the 2021 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard. This embryonic Pinot is going to need time to really blossom, but it is so impressive today. Kirsch, tobacco, cinnamon, dried herbs and spice open with coaxing. As is so often the case, the Alpine has an aromatic profile that recalls one of the great vineyards in Vosne-Romanée. I love its exotic beauty.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2036

date of review 11/2023