Rhys
Rhys farms extreme high-elevation sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains, producing site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay defined by cool temperatures, rocky soils, and restrained winemaking. Among California's most serious addresses for Burgundian varieties.
History
Rhys Vineyards was founded by Kevin Harvey, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who became fixated on the idea that the Santa Cruz Mountains could produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of genuine distinction, provided the sites were right and the farming uncompromising. Harvey began acquiring land in the early 2000s, planting high-elevation vineyards across the range with a specificity that was unusual for California at the time. The project was conceived from the outset as a single-vineyard program, with each site vinified separately so that differences in geology and exposure could be read clearly in the glass. Jeff Brinkman has served as winemaker and has been central to shaping the house style. Rhys operates without wide distribution, releasing wines primarily through a mailing list, which has given it a cult following among collectors focused on California cool-climate work.
Vineyards
All of Rhys's estate vineyards sit at significant elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with several sites above 2,000 feet. The range creates a sharp thermal break from the Pacific, and the high sites experience cool afternoons, significant diurnal shifts, and fog influence that slows ripening considerably. Soils across the holdings are predominantly shallow, rocky, and low in fertility, derived from sandstone and shale parent material, which constrains vine vigor and forces deep root development. The Horseshoe Vineyard and its associated Horseshoe Hillside block sit on steep, well-drained slopes; Alpine Vineyard is among the higher and cooler sites in the portfolio; Porcupine Hill, Swan Terrace, and Skyline Vineyard each occupy distinct aspects within the range. Mt. Pajaro is the source for one of the estate Chardonnays. Farming across the estate is certified organic and follows biodynamic practices, with cover crops, no synthetic inputs, and hand harvesting throughout.
Winemaking
Rhys vinifies each vineyard block separately and keeps intervention minimal. Fermentations rely on native yeasts and proceed in open-top vessels with manual punch-downs. The wines are aged in French oak, with a relatively modest proportion of new wood; the intent is to keep the oak from overriding the site character, which in the coolest vintages can be quite delicate. Aging runs for an extended period before bottling, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered. The Pinot Noirs tend toward the lighter, more translucent end of the California spectrum, with firm acidity and a structural profile that rewards several years of cellaring. The Chardonnays follow a similar philosophy: whole-cluster pressing, native fermentation, extended lees aging, and low new-oak exposure. Across both varieties, the goal is a wine that looks more like a place than a production style.
Wines
2023 Chardonnay (Anderson Valley)
2023 Chenin Blanc Bearwallow Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Family Farm
2023 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)
2023 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
2023 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
2023 Chenin Blanc Clarke Ranch
2023 Chenin Blanc Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2023 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard
2023 Chardonnay Clarke Ranch
2023 Pinot Noir Clarke Ranch
2023 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2023 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard
2023 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace
2023 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard
2023 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill
2023 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside
2022 Chenin Blanc Horseshoe Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Family Farm
2022 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace
2022 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard
2022 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
2022 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard
2022 Syrah Bearwallow Vineyard
2022 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill
2022 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside
2022 Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside
2022 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)
2021 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
2021 Chenin Blanc Horseshoe Vineyard
2021 Syrah Bearwallow Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Family Farm
2021 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard
2021 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside
2021 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard
2021 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside
2020 Pinot Noir Alesia (Anderson Valley)
2020 Pinot Noir Alesia (Santa Cruz Mountains)
2020 Chardonnay Alesia (Santa Cruz Mountains)
2020 Chardonnay Alesia (Anderson Valley)
2020 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
2020 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill
2020 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2020 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2020 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard
2020 Chardonnay (Anderson Valley)
2020 Syrah Bearwallow Vineyard
2019 Ros Estate
2019 Estate Ros (Late Disgorged)
2019 Syrah Bearwallow Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Family Farm
2019 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Swan Terrace
2019 Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside
2019 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Mt. Pajaro Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Own Rooted
2019 Pinot Noir Porcupine Hill
2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside
2019 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Ungrafted Vines