The Alesia wines from Rhys are made with purchased fruit. It is similar to the Rhys Chards but for my tastes, not quite at that level. Light gold/green in color. The nose is nice with lemons, vanilla cream and spice. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Nice acidic cut. The lemon and vanilla carry thru. Good clean finish. This drinks well on its own but will work well with sea food or lighter dishes. Drink over the next ten years.
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.
From Magnum. Very nice showing. Light golden with green hues. The nose is nice with slight lemon curd, vanilla, a bit of lemon rind and smoke. Full bodied. This is crisp and clean. On the palate, plenty of depth The lemon and lemon rind come thru with some underlying char. The oak is there but deftly used. Great balance. Long finish. This worked well with assorted cheeses, potato chips, and even a salad. A 750ML will be more advanced but it seems like it easily has another eight to ten years.
Alesia is produced by Rhys with their non-estate fruit. Alder Springs is one of the idiosyncratic vineyards in California. North of Sonoma and right on the coast, the vineyard can be drastically different from year to year and they grow a host of different varietals. Truthfully, I wondered if this fruit got ripe enough in 2011, but now worries. Not a fruity wine, but enough for sure.
This is a newer wine from Rhys. It has some similarities to the Rhys style, but it should take a few vintages for Kevin Harvey to zero in on what he is looking for. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has lemons and vanilla along with spices. Full bodied. On the palate, this is young, but drinking well. Lemons and vanilla comes thru. At this stage, it will be a difficult food match but as it ages it should go nice with salmon or other "steak" fish. Drink over the next ten years.
