2022 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

One of my favorite wines, this was a 500ml bottle bought thru the Rhys futures program. This is a great size for sharing with my wife. I enjoy these while letting the larger formats age a bit more as well. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with lemon cream, vanilla, chalk, slight pear and a hint of salinity. Full bodied. Lovely, creamy texture. Great acidity. On the palate, this has crisp fruit with plenty of depth. No doubt it gains some complexity with age. Flavors of lemon cream, slight vanilla, spice and slight green apple. Long finish. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. It is great on its own and will work with most foods (even a steak). It would be great with a Creamy Lemon Pasta.

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Vintage:

2022

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 Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

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Grade:

A+

Best Napa Chardonnay (For the Money)

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Napa Chardonnay (for the money): California Chardonnay has entered a new golden era, and there are terrific, cooler climate examples available from all over the State. These great new Chards tend to be balanced, with minerality and strong acidity, as well as less obtrusive new oak than was the trademark of California Chardonnay even five years ago. Napa does not have a particularly cool climate, so the wines from this region tend to have more ripe, tropical fruit characteristics, and more richness, as well as more of a creamy mouth feel, thanks in large part to the new oak typically used for fermentation and aging. Nonetheless, for those who like the rich, tropical fruit style of Chardonnay, there are some great examples from Napa that are relative values. My top pick for the money is the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay, with the current release going for a relatively reasonable average of $35. Here I get more lemon and lemon cream than super-ripe tropical fruit, but with solid weight and creamy texture. Also quite good but considerably pricier, at about $50, is the Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay, made by sought after Napa winemaking consultant Mark Herold. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com

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2016 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

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From a 375ml bottle. What a great size for a couple of glasses of white wine before moving on to reds. More wineries should produce these and also 500ml. Green gold in color. This is young but already showing a lot. The nose has vanilla and lemon curd. On the palate, great acidity. The lemon curd is strong with lighter vanilla notes. Lovely texture. Long finish. This wine is very food friendly but also will drink well on its own. It should improve over the next few years.

2019 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

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Grade:

Current Price:

$125.00USD

Always one of the best chardonnay's made anywhere! This vintage is no exception. Light golden in color with slight green hues. The nose is classic Rhys: Vanilla, lemon cream, and slight bakers spices. Full bodied. This was drinking well from the beginning. The palate has lemon cream and vanilla with a touch of spice/oak. Good acidity. Long finish. Delicious. This drinks great on its own and perfect with a Caprese salad. In my experience, these drink well for a few years and then shut down a bit before re-emerging at age eight or so. They drink well for another ten after that.

2022 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

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2016 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

2019 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review