Rhys 2019 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains

Rhys’s 2019 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains) carries the weight of place with rare confidence. The nose opens with ripe red and black cherry, then folds into wild herb, rose petal, and forest-floor aromas—a subtle, grounded invitation. There’s a whole-cluster lift, but it reads more like intention than flourish. 

The palate echoes that clarity. Succulent fruit—and nuance—emerge first, then savory herbs and loamy earth draw you in deeper. The finish shows structure without rigidity: fine-grained tannins and bright acidity that leave mineral residue, not hangover. 

Rhys isn’t just bottling a varietal; he’s bottling a memory of each terroir. Founder Kevin Harvey paired site specificity with minimal intervention—hand-harvested, native-yeast fermentation, lots of whole clusters, aged mostly in neutral French oak—to let the land speak. 

In this vintage, Alpine and Horseshoe parcels add depth, while Mt. Pajaro and Skyline bring tissue and lift. Across that range, Rhys’s Santa Cruz blend sits confidently—not piled up with strategy, but layered in honesty and precision. 

This is Pinot that doesn’t demand the spotlight. It earns space with clarity and integrity—merging structure, place, and columned restraint into something both vivid and poised.