2016 Rhys "Horseshoe Vineyard" Chardonnay & "Horseshoe Vineyard" Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir Horizontal

“Even better than it was from barrel, the 2016 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard is a flat-out stunner. Crazy, beautiful, deeply spiced aromatics literally explode from the glass. Broad and ample on the palate, with tremendous intensity, the Horseshoe has a lot to offer. Orange peel, mint and spice overtones add an exotic flair. This is an utterly captivating Pinot Noir from Rhys. (AG)” (08/2018)

“The 2016 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard offers a more savory, mineral style as well as terrific depth of fruit. Lots of currant and black cherry fruits, ample rocky, earthy minerality, medium to full body, and a seamless texture all emerge from the glass. This classic Horseshoe Vineyard release has building structure that’s going to benefit from a few years in the cellar.” (02/2019)

“The 2016 Horseshoe Vineyard Pinot Noir is absolutely stellar. The wine is a cool customer, coming in at 12.5% octane and offering up a beautifully complex and classy bouquet of black cherries, dark berries, cola, beautiful spice tones, excellent minerality, a touch of cedar and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and already quite complex, with a sappy core, fine focus and grip, seamless tannins and a very long, focused and energetic finish. The mineral drive of all of these Santa Cruz Mountain pinots from Rhys is very impressive this year. (JG) 94+” (07/2018)

“The 2016 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard takes some time to unwind in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of strawberries, red cherries, rich spices, forest floor and subtle grilled meat. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, taut and youthfully firm, its bright core of concentrated fruit framed by chalky, fine-grained tannins. This is one of the most tightly coiled wines in the range and will require 5 or 6 years of patience. But when it shows all its cards, its precision and energy will be striking. (WK)” (05/2018)

“A relatively high-toned nose reflects notes of red raspberry, spice, floral and soft wisps of menthol. Once again there is a beguilingly sleek and seductive texture to the delicious middle weight flavors that possess good mid-palate volume, all wrapped in a dusty, moderately firm and expansive finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. This offers excellent depth and like the Family Farm, it's not so structured as to prevent it from being enjoyed young.” (04/2019)

“Real verve on the nose, bright and intense red fruits with a hint of green tea. The palate is floral and lifted, with jasmine, red cherry and wild strawberries. Elegant yet intense, this ethereal wine is harmonious, approachable yet complex and very moreish. (TP)” (11/2019)

“As always, the 2016 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is the most masculine and mineral-driven, with an exotic bouquet of white flowers, iodine, crushed rocks, and stone fruits. Reductive, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, it’s a brilliant vintage from this vineyard and is a world-class Chardonnay in every way.” (02/2019)

“The 2016 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard offers up aromas of pear, grapefruit pith, iodine and fresh nutmeg. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and powerful, with an elegantly textural attack and wonderful mid-palate amplitude underpinned by tangy acids, concluding with a long and stony finish. The overall impression is beautifully complete. Cellar this compelling Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay for a few years, and then follow it for the better part of a decade. (WK) 95+” (05/2018)

“The 2016 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is laced with the essence of citrus peel, mint and white flowers. In this range, the Horseshoe is all about tension and energy, all presented in a lifted style that is incredibly appealing. I very much like the vibrancy and focus here. (AG)” (08/2018)

“The 2016 Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay from Rhys is again a cool and classy customer, tipping the scales at 12.6 percent octane. The nose is pure and beautifully expressive out of the blocks, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of pear, delicious apple, acacia blossoms, complex minerality, fruit blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, focused and shows excellent intensity of flavor at the core, with excellent balance and grip, lovely complexity and a long, elegant and vibrant finish. This is excellent wine. (JD) 93+” (07/2018)

“A relatively high-toned nose reflects notes of red raspberry, spice, floral and soft wisps of menthol. Once again there is a beguilingly sleek and seductive texture to the delicious middle weight flavors that possess good mid-palate volume, all wrapped in a dusty, moderately firm and expansive finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. This offers excellent depth and like the Family Farm, it's not so structured as to prevent it from being enjoyed young.” (04/2019)

“Good reduction on the nose, there is struck match but also a great intensity of citrus – preserved lemons, lime zest and a hint of grapefruit. Edgy but not too acid on the palate, this is driven and mineral, the line of acidity and some pithy texture giving an intriguing mouthfeel. Intense, steely and yet bold. Very impressive. (TP)” (09/2019)