Connor Smith

8.9

Overwhelming oak on day 1, really resolved itself ~36 hours later. High acid, pleasant brambliness — 7 years ago

Connor Smith

9.4

There are a lot of California wineries out there that are valuable to the man at the top mostly as a way to impress their friends. There are not many that are primarily a way to satisfy the founder’s hopeless geekery for wine, soil, weather, and getting his hands dirty. 🍇🌞💨⛏

Kevin Harvey made his money in Silicon Valley as an entrepreneur and investor. But his journey to winemaking didn’t begin with a business transaction, but by planting vines in his backyard and vinifying it himself in his garage. He had the itch: he had to get real with it.

Harvey has spent most of the past 20 years developing brand new vineyard sites - often targeting old Christmas tree farms! He is deeply involved with research, planning, getting soil and grape analytics, setting up weather stations, and viticulture - though, with the fruits of his labor (pun intended) being of such remarkable potential, it is perhaps wise to turn the cellar work over to veteran winemaker Jeff Brinkman to realize it.

The result of Harvey’s outstanding grape material and Brinkman’s capable hands in undeniable. In a world full of California winemakers trying to take their shot at Burgundy, Rhys has accomplished what so often gets lost in the pursuit of style: an honest and clear communication from the vines. That’s the true Burgundian spirit.

Harvey has said their goal is to get you “staring into a glass of vineyard”. This Horseshoe Vineyard Pinot Noir, facing west toward the Pacific taking in a daily blanket of foggy marine layer, can only come from one place. In what seems like the blink of an eye, Rhys has become one of the most celebrated wines in America, with good reason. 🇺🇸🍷 — 7 years ago

Connor Smith

9.5

The French Revolution detonated everything about the old order of France, and wine was no exception - far from it. The great vineyards of Burgundy, that had been tended to and ached over by Benedictine and Cistercian monks for centuries, were confiscated and auctioned off to the petite bourgeoisie in Paris and Dijon. The Napoleonic inheritance code, which guaranteed an even split between all children, led to these ancient plots being further divided up with each passing generation.

It wasn't long before there was a multitude of disinterested Parisians who owned a few vines in the Cote d'Or as their birthright. Négociant houses, such as Louis Jadot, popped up to make deals with these small landholders, aggregate their scattered plots, and bring their wine to the world.

Modern Burgundy is still very much a reflection of its transformation during the Revolution, with some of the world’s most famous and valuable land portioned out into tiny parcels. It’s no wonder demand outstripped supply long ago!

(This is adapted from notes for Le Dû’s Wines ‘History of Wine 1453AD-Present’ seminar, where this wine was poured) — 7 years ago