2014 Rhys Vineyards "Horseshoe Hillside" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir (750ml)

96 points John Gilman

The 2014 is the second vintage of the 'Horseshoe Hillside' reserve bottling from Rhys Vineyards. The wine is once again a brilliant young pinot noir, offering up again stunning precision and nascent complexity on both the nose and palate. The very promising bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of black cherries, dark berries, raw cocoa, a bit of gamebird, lovely, discreet spice tones, a fine signature of soil, still a bit of youthful stem tones and a discreet base of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and transparent, with a superb core, exceptional focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, bright acids and outstanding length and grip on the youthful, but stunning finish. This is an absolutely exceptional young bottle of Pinot Noir and is a fine, fine follow-up to the magical 2013 version.  (8/2016)

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Another straight up gorgeous red is the 2014 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Hillside, and it's possibly the wine of the vintage. Having said that, it's certainly not for those looking for instant gratification. More focused, mineral-laced and masculine than the Alpine Vineyard, with lots of crushed rocks, smoked black fruits, black cherries, leather and peppery herbs, it has fabulous purity and precision on the palate, with tight-grained tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish. It needs 4-6 years of cellaring and will have two decades or more of longevity. (JD) 96+  (10/2016)

96 points Vinous

The 2014 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard Hillside is all sophistication. Whereas the Alpine is dark and powerful, the Horseshoe offers greater finesse, tension and energy while also conveying plenty of structural intensity and overall richness. The searing tannins need time to soften, but all the elements are in the right place. Graphite, smoke, cured meats and dark spice notes add the closing shades of nuance. (AG) (8/2017)