2019 Rhys Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2019 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard trades places with its Horseshoe neighbor in this vintage, beginning with a reticent, dark-fruited nose of fresh herbs, black tea, black pepper and allspice that steadily gains momentum. It is superbly elegant and restrained on the palate, with a pleasing undercurrent of sumptuous dark fruits and finessed but persistent tannins. The length and persistence of the finish are spectacular and, in this vintage, is what narrowly edges out the Horseshoe bottling. I find it endlessly fascinating to compare the two as they are consistently neck-in-neck and impressive shapeshifters in the glass.

I loved the 2019 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard, a spicy, perfumed, more ethereal Pinot Noir from a great vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Revealing a translucent ruby hue as well as notes of ripe cherries, strawberries, sappy flowers, spice, and sappy underbrush, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, silky yet building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's one of the most balanced, complete wines in the lineup and will keep for 10-15 years.