Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with limes, vanilla, and spice. It has a leaner texture with crisp acidity. On the palate, more lemon than lime along with a nice minerality and spice. Clean finish. This sees no new oak but certainly has a perception of some oak which is interesting. It should work well with seafood or vegetarian fare. Pad Thai would might be nice. Drink over the next five to eight years.
A couple of steps up from the basic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Light golden in color with some silvery hues, clear and bright. The nose is great with lemon curd, slight pear, vanilla and spice. Medium to full bodied. Crisp acidity. On the palate, this is concentrated but has some elegance. Lemons, slight vanilla, a bit of toast and spice. Complex. Long finish. For my tastes, one of the top Chardonnays out there. It should easily drink well for ten to fifteen more years. Great on its own, but better with food. This would be excellent with grilled Salmon.
This is the base Chardonnay from Rivers-Marie but it is not too far off from the single vineyard wines. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with lemons, slight grapefruits, a touch of toast with some butter and a hint of vanilla. Medium bodied. Lots of energy and vibrancy. On the palate, this is crisp with nice lemons and some vanilla with underlying char. Nice finish. Drinking well but should easily go another seven to ten years. This went very well with assorted vegetarian dishes including roasted asparagus and eggplant.
Rivers Marie (the home winery of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown) really knocked it out of the park with their 2018 Chardonnay. This is the basic release (not a single vineyard) and it is wonderful. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has lemon curd, vanilla and spice. Full bodied. Silky light tannins. Great acidity and balance. On the palate, this is delicious. Lemons, vanilla and slight smoke. Long finish. This is delicious on its own and will work well with sea food or even fowl. Drink over the next seven to ten years. An Excellent value!
This is the base Chardonnay from one of the best producers of Chardonnay in California. It is really classic California in style, yet everything is in proportion and works. It is a great example of how good an oaked Chardonnay can be and not be over oaked. The winery uses no new oak, yet the barrels leave and impression as does just a hint of butter on the nose. Golden in color. The nose is so pretty with peaches, crème brûlée, a bit of buttered popcorn, and lemon peel. On the palate, this is crisp with peach, lemon and slight vanilla. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity. Nice fini
