I love Rhys Chardonnays, however, this is not at their top level. That said, it is half the price of those and this is very much in the style of those making this also a wine I love. Golden/green in color. The nose has vanilla and lemon curd with a nice minerality. On the palate, this has a creamy texture. Minerals with lemon curd. Good acidity. Long finish. There is some oak showing here but not much. It needs a bit of heft for a food pairing but will go nicely with heavier fish and fowl dishes. Great on its own too.
This is drinking quite well. At a time when Burgundy prices are soaring and the "best" producers are unaffordable, Chablis still offers the ability to get a great wine. The question is how long will this continue. Light green/silver with a slight gold in color. The nose is pretty classic with crushed shells, chalk and green apples. On the palate, this has a much creamier texture and more rounded than expected. Presumably that is due to barrel fermentation and a bit higher alcohol levels. No matter, it still has a nice green apple and mineral flavor set with is quite refreshing and de
At age 21, this wine is drinking well but starting to show a bit of age. Light to medium golden in color. The nose has some simple syrup, hay and an applesauce quality (think slightly oxidized apples). There is a nice bit of acidity. Very clean. Slight citrus on the palate (lemon-ish). Good finish. Some level of complexity and depth. A very nice way to start an evening. It will work with just about any food. If you own any though, it should be drunk up in the next five years unless you like older Champagne.
This one seems like it has seen better days. There is still a fair amount of oak on it, yet the fruit is almost all faded. I tasted this in its youth and it was a very nice wine. It had a fair amount of oak but also a nice crispness to it. If you own any, I would drink up.
Rivers Marie is more known for their Pinot's and Cab's but they make a tremendous Chardonnay as well. It does have some oak showing but its use is deft and all but the most oakaphobes among us should LOVE this wine. The 2016 is still a bit young but is drinking very well. These wines seem to age pretty well, but the truth is, i rarely am disciplined enough to let mine age. Yellow gold in color. The nose has lemons, vanilla and slight sawdust. On the palate, this is like a slightly sweet/sour lemon candy with a touch of vanilla. Great acidity. Long finish. This particular bottle was
This was a worrisome bottle. The top was sticky due to a leaking cork. On opening, the cork was a mess and had leaked and apparently self sealed at some point. Still, the underlying wine was excellent. Light golden in color. The nose has green apples, slight lemon custard and hints of vanilla. On the palate, this has a creamy texture but sharp acidity. Nice lemon fruit with some vanilla. Slight tannins. Long finish. Drinks like a wine I would expect from the Sonoma Coast. No idea how the leaking cork affected the development of this wine. Will work great with veggies and spicy f
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.
