2015 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

My favorite Chardonnay producer (not my favorite vineyard) but the house style is unmistakable. Light golden in color. The nose has a lovely lemon vanilla creme quality to it with nice minerality. This vineyard also seems to have a slight pine quality which while good is a bit harder to match with food. Nice balance. Good acidity. The palate has the same flavors with the vanilla less in the foreground and the minerals more prominent. This bottle was paired with Japanese foods and it worked very well.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2015

Current Price:

$83.00USD

Napa Valley Chardonnay: Foods to Pair With, and Meals that Call for, Napa Chardonnay

Chardonnay—a chameleon of a grape. There are an especially large number of choices to be made in terms of winemaking when it comes to Chardonnay. It can be still or sparkling. It can be aged in oak or un-oaked, filtered or unfiltered, subject to malolactic fermentation or not. Even the type of oak used, or the decision to keep the wine in contact with dead yeast cells during the winemaking process affects the style of the final product. These factors (not to mention the concept of terroir) result in endless Chardonnay styles that can range from Burgundy’s crisp, austere, mineral-driven wines to Australia’s tropical fruit-packed, viscous style.

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Top Ten California Chardonnays - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2021 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$46.00USD

Rhys may be my favorite Chardonnay producer (that I still choose to afford) and Santa Cruz may be my favorite region for Chardonnay. But, still, this is their basic offering and I had low expectations. They were far exceeded. What an excellent wine. I ended up drinking two bottles over three days and that is unusual. Light golden in color with slight silvery/green hues. Clear and bright. The nose is great. Very mineral driven but also some lemon creme, vanilla and a touch of grapefruits. Medium to full bodied. Lots of energy. Light tannins. Great acidity and balance. On the pal

2016 Rhys Alesia Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$45.00USD

From a 375ml bottle. Rhys makes some of the best Chards in California, but this is from purchased fruit and so carries the Alesia name. It does seem like the oak treatment is different as well. This is a sold Chardonnay but not nearly in the class of the Rhys Chards. Light gold/green in color. The nose is nice with minerals, spice, slight lemons and slight lumber. On the palate, the minerals and lumber carry thru. Some lemon. Lean in body with good acidity. This will work with a lots of foods.

2015 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, USA, California, Anderson Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2015

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$80.00USD

This is from a northern California. While I really enjoy the Rhys Chardonnay's, this is not as exuberant the ones from Santa Cruz. Still, it is excellent. Golden green in color. The nose has vanilla, slight grapefruit and slight pineapple. On the palate, this has a very nice texture. Slightly viscous. Nice underlying minerality. The vanilla comes thru without being too overt. Nice fruit. This is drinking well now. I don't think it will get better but should remain at this level for another five to seven years. It drinks well on its own. This will go well with lighter foods such

2015 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

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2016 Rhys Alesia Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

2015 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, USA, California, Anderson Valley, Wine Review