2017 Rhys "Horseshoe Vineyard" Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay

“One of the standouts in the lineup, the 2017 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has stunning complexity paired with richness, depth, and precision. Fabulous notes of white peach, tart pineapple, salty minerality, and white flowers all flow to a medium to full-bodied, racy Chardonnay with terrific concentration, high yet integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's going to need 4-5 years of bottle age, but it’s a brilliant wine.” (10/2019)

“The 2017 Horseshoe Vineyard chardonnay from Rhys is a beautiful wine, with simply gorgeous and very fresh fruit tones coupled to lovely underlying minerality. The nose delivers a fine combination of fresh pineapple, apple, a hint of blood orange, almond, gently musky floral tones, a bit of bee pollen, a fine base of soil and a deft foundation of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely racy, with a great core of pure fruit, lovely soil inflection, impeccable focus and balance and a long, zesty and complex finish. This wine comes in at a cool 12.5 percent octane and clearly proves that stunning depth and intensity does not require alcohol! Great juice.” (07/2019)

“I must confess that this might well be the first time that I have ever tasted a wine from this producer. The 2017 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has a very well-defined, very Burgundy-like bouquet, almost like a Corton-Charlemagne with sea spray and white peach notes bursting from the glass. The palate has lovely balanced and tremendous weight, peach skins and yellow plums, with a very persistent finish. I can see why it has a loyal fanbase. Tasted at the "Judgement of Clapham Junction" dinner in London. (NM)” (10/2021)

“A compelling combination of citrus, struck flint and expertly integrated fine oak aromas invite the nose into this bottling, where wafts of sea salt, lemongrass and lemon preserves on toast arise. The palate is grippy in texture, combining white peach crème brûlée flavors, with smashed stone and bright lemon zest. (MK)” (01/2020)

“The 2017 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has toast, smoke and gunflint notions to begin, giving way to lemon pith, cream and stony scents with a restrained core of white peach with citrus blossom and honey in the background. It's medium-bodied and minerally in the mouth, with tangy acidity and a long, precise finish. This will need plenty of time in bottle to flesh out. (EB) 92+” (02/2020)