- Practicing Biodynamic
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Bearwallow Vineyard (Anderson Valley AVA)
- The vines are a Rhys Selection Massale Pinot Noir. The elevation is 300′-600′
- Wolfey-Bearwallow Series – 10”-25” topsoil over deep fractured shale
- Hand-harvested
- Native yeast fermentation
- Grapes go through 5 day cold soak and then fermentation begins. The wine is foot trodden twice a day during fermentation
- Aged 18 months in in 5% new French oak, 15 of those months the wine is aged on the lees
- 12.5% ABV
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2021
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
Anderson Valley
Variety:
Pinot Noir
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Practicing Biodynamic
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-RHY-40-21 | 12/750ml |
Resources
Press & Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
96
Date
2024-06-28
"A gorgeous perfume emerges from the 2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard, which was all destemmed with no new wood and offers very pretty notes of raspberry coulis, sappy earth, and crushed flowers. Supple, approachable, and rounded on the palate, it has a silky texture with great freshness, a plush texture, and a weightless feel. Medium-bodied and very pretty, it's drinking well now and will also improve with time in cellar."
Vinous
Score
96
Date
2023-09-01
"The 2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is a powerful, somber wine in its first impression. Black fruit, spice, tobacco, charcoal embers and graphite infuse the 2021 with tons of gravitas. A Pinot of imposing depth and structure, the Bearwallow is incredibly impressive in the early going. Extended aeration brings out the wine's inner sweetness and perfume, along with a more refined dimension that is not apparent initially. The Anderson Valley Pinots have always played second fiddle to the Santa Cruz Mountains bottlings within this range, but that is starting to change."
Wine Enthusiast
Score
95
Date
2023-12-01
"Take in a deep breath of this wine and savor that fresh pop of wild strawberry and red cherry intertwined with black-tea spices. Flavors open further to juicy cranberries, raspberries straight from the bush, damp forest floor, tree bark and unsweetened cacao dust. The palate is knit together by firm, structural tannins around which the flavors revolve. Generous acidity keeps the wine energized from start to lingering finish."
Decanter
Score
94
Date
2024-08-07
"An incredible array of aromatics pivots from freshly crushed wild red berries, streaks of stony minerals and handfuls of freshly torn mint leaves. The Bearwallow Vineyard lies in the"
Wine Advocate
Score
93
Date
2024-04-18
"The 2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is deep and brooding on the nose, with aromas of baked red fruits, compacted soil nose, coffee beans and leather. The palate is supple and generous, underpinned by gripping acidity and elegant tannins. As usual, this offering is a relatively accessible one from Rhys, although it should age and develop beautifully next to its peers."
Wine Spectator
Score
91
Date
2024-05-31
"Juicy and rounded in feel, this is pretty open-knit too, giving the core of raspberry and damson plum notes a generous feel, while light red tea, savory and mesquite hints fill in through the finish."
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2018
Vinous
Score
94
Date
2020-01-01
"The 2018 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is dark, fleshy and super-expressive. Dark cherry, spice, menthol and new leather all infuse the 2018 with striking depth as well as nuance. This is such a gorgeous and inviting Anderson Valley Pinot. Rose petal, spice, blood orange and bright red cherry fruit give this vibrant Pinot tons of appeal. This is such a beautiful wine."
2018
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
93
Date
2020-09-09
"Always one of the lighter colored wines in the lineup, the 2018 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard comes from an estate vineyard in the Anderson Valley. Classic notes of dried cherries, cranberries, loamy earth, and savory herbs all give way to a bright, medium-bodied, elegant Pinot Noir that has a solid sense of minerality, present tannins, and a good finish. I never find the same level of class or elegance from this cuvše compared to the Santa Cruz Mountain releases, yet it's a character-filled, satisfying Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming decade."
2018
Wine Advocate
Score
93
Date
2024-04-18
"The 2018 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is progressing nicely past its initial phase, with potpourri, cocoa powder, dried clove and strawberry leaf aromas. The palate is silky and elegant with slightly softened acidity and tannins that, while still very much present, show early signs of integration. Considering the immense structure and slow-moving nature of the Santa Cruz Mountains wines, this is relatively wide open should readers wish to dip a toe into this fantastic vintage from Rhys."
Vinous
Score
94
Date
2019-06-01
Wine Advocate
Score
94
Date
2020-02-06
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
92
Date
2019-10-31