I've opend a bottle and it's red. It reminds me of pinot too - the cork says Rhys....
interesting...
(6 posts) (3 voices)
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Posted 3 years ago #
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There you go Carl, it's a 2006:
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose wears a heavy, musky pinot fruit and it's edged first with a fine layer of vanilla then a slightly thicker layer of a faint pyrazine-type scent - at this intensity I find it interesting rather than off-putting. Swirl harder and a finer red cherry aroma attempts to escape the rim, time adds a little smokiness that mainly melds with the pyrazine to give a stem aroma. In the mouth this is faintly plush and very silky - you have to seriously chew to get a hint of tannic grain - in fact to find any tannin at all. There is a little vanilla cream that runs through the centre of the wine and into the finish, a long finish with a long-lasting mineral core. Occasionally I have the impression of a little warmth on swallowing but can't be bothered to check the alcohol content - if it's high it just means I must drink less! Whilst that finish is pleasantly mouth-watering, I feel this just needs a slight acid-lift to make me crave the next sip. I look to my normal benchmarks, but frankly I don't have a burgundy village or cru that I can compare this to. Very tasty but I'd like it a little more refreshing.
I'll make a full post in my diary tomorrow...
Posted 3 years ago # -
Bill mentioned it showed Rhys on the cork, but maybe that does not mean it has a Rhys label, since they took the Rhys Family Farm juice in 2006 and made the Alesia San Mateo. So as long as the Rhys cork is not a problem, I would say that the Alesia San Mateo is a good guess from Mark Johnson. I remember the distinctly stemmy nose on the Alesia San Mateo, which seemed less apparently on the Rhys from higher in the hills. And the higher elevation (and end) Rhys like the Alpine and the Swan Terrace all show some good acidity, so I would not be guessing those. I have tasted the 2007 most carefully, but here is my note on the 2006 Rhys Alpine Swan Terrace (which does not seem to match Bill's note):
2006 Rhys Alpine Swan Terrace Pinot Noir (13.9% alcohol) Grown across the hill from the “regular” Alpine on a very steep slope, this lacks a little bit of the depth of the 2007, but is showing quite well due to the floral red fruit nose and the intense red cherries on the mid-palate. The spiciness of this wine emerges strongly on the back end, with the impressive finish lasting close to 30 seconds. This will be an interesting one to check on in 2007.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Applause!
I'm very impressed...
I asked Kevin and he said this has about 70% stems.
I won't get to the second (different) bottle before Saturday or Sunday - you'll be keeping your A-game I expect ;-)
Full post should be 'up' in my diary in an hour or so - it seems fresh enough now and the pyrazine thing has moderated but then it's direct from the fridge and too cold, no lack of depth though!
Posted 3 years ago #
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