Winemaker Notes
This wine shows the powerful side of Alpine Vineyard. The primary and intense ripe black fruit is currently hiding the complexity that will emerge with bottle age.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The top current release of Pinot Noir is undoubtedly the Rhys 2006 Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside (200 cases). An impressive array of black raspberries, blueberries, violets, and crushed rocks soar from the glass of this dark ruby-colored wine. Structured, with moderate tannin, crisp, zesty acidity, and gorgeous purity, this is a sensational Pinot Noir that should evolve for at least a decade or more.
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Wine Spectator
Serves up a tasty mix of cherry and blackberry fruit that's sleek and refined. Spicy floral scents, dried berry and fine-grained tannins offer a minerally edge. Long, elegant and complex.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.