Rhys 2019 Pinot Noir, Alpine Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains

Rhys’s 2019 Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir is tension draped in elegance. Aromatically, it opens with red currant, rose petal, and just a hint of spice—all restrained, inviting rather than insisting. The forest floor and herbal whisper speak of altitude and shade, not extraction. 

On the palate, that restraint builds. There’s a swirl of raspberry and black cherry framed by savory underbrush and a mineral thread—a signature from the Purisima shale soils and lofty elevation. The mouthfeel is silky, yet buoyed by layered structure and polished tannins. 

The vineyard itself is part of the story. Planted between 1,200 and 1,490 feet amid shale-riddled slopes, Alpine is a small parcel farmed biodynamically, harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts. Clonal complexity—from heritage to suitcase varieties—adds nuance across 16 clones, all reflecting a site where purity supersedes scale. 

It’s a wine that earns time. Vinous gave it 96 points for its near-indescribable finesse and energy. Jeb Dunnuck echoed that, calling it balanced, silky, and among the most complete of the vintage—wines built to evolve, quietly. 

Rhys doesn’t chase applause. This Pinot speaks through its place—rock, altitude, precision, patience. It doesn’t need to show off. It invites you to notice.