Checked in on this recently. At age 11, it is still drinking beautifully. It took about an hour to open and then soared. Medium golden color, clear and bright. The nose has the vanilla note along with lemon cream. Full bodied. Showing more depth and complexity although less vibrancy than in its youth. Long finish. Delicious. This went great with Hungarian Mushroom Goulash.
Rhys is one of my favorite wines and this particular bottle was opened at a dinner alongside an Aubert and a Marcassin from the same vintage. It was interesting for a few reasons. It really demonstrated the "Burgundyness" of the Rhys wines. It also showed that Rhys can hold its own against the best Chardonnays California produces. It has a silvery green/gold color. The nose has nice lemon cream and vanilla with underlying minerality. Great mouthfeel and texture. On the palate, the lemon cream with a touch of vanilla comes thru. With air some green apple notes emerge. Great balance.
Nice to revisit this with some age on it. Yellow-gold in color with slight green hues, clear and bright. The nose is the same; vanilla, lemon crème, and minerals. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, lemons, lemon curd and slight vanilla. Long finish. This tastes mature but very similar to how it tasted on release. More depth, less energy. Not sure where it goes from here but another five years and probably ten. Great on its own, this will work well with salmon or tuna steaks.
Rhys Chard's are among my favorite Chardonnay's anywhere. They often get tagged as "Burgundian" but I think they are a beautiful expression of the grape as grown in Santa Cruz. This one was pop and pour and it was singing. Gold/silver in color with slight green. The nose is great with a lemon-vanilla cream along with a nice mineral base. On the palate, this is vibrant with great acidity. Great bright fruit. Lemon with some vanilla and a nice minerality. Long finish. Great with a potato chowder. Just a beautiful wine. I think these age well but perhaps shut down at some point only
Another example of why Rhys is one of my favorite Chardonnay's from anywhere. Light golden in color with slight green hues. Clear and bright. The nose is gorgeous with lemon curd, minerality, and vanilla. Full bodied. Solid acidity. On the palate those flavors carry thru. Lemon curd and vanilla with great minerality. Just delicious. The bottle is drained quickly. Long finish. These drink so beautifully young, they do shut down a bit after a few years and then re-open at around age 7 to 10 for another decade. Great on their own, these work great with crisp or lighter foods.
