Wine Advisor
Rhys, Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Matthew Luczy
The most textural and decadent of the Chardonnay roster, the 2022 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is a flashy yet classy iteration of this site. It leads with a rich, layered nose that continues to swell and energize in the glass. The palate is polished and sumptuous, displaying ample richness in the mid-palate while remaining lively and three-dimensional. The finish is explosively intense and distinctly phenolic, displaying notable tenacity and almost searing minerality through its long, balanced finish.
About the Producer
Rhys Vineyards is a well-regarded wine producer based in the Santa Cruz Mountains and sourcing fruit from mountain vineyards both in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA and the Anderson Valley AVA, some 150 miles (240km) north. The Californian estate, which established its first vineyards in the mid-1990s, focuses on three grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Six of the estate's vineyards are based in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south of San Francisco. These vineyards all differ slightly in terms of terroir, particularly when it comes to soil and aspect. The soil types range from clay loam to shallow, rocky soils – all giving distinct characters in the final wines. The individual vineyards' mesoclimates are largely dependent on their aspects and degrees of slope, as each has a different exposure to sunlight and breezes from the nearby Pacific. One of the vineyards, Skyline, is one of California's highest vineyards, at an altitude of 2360ft (720m) above sea level. Rhys Vineyards make a range of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, as well as several Chardonnay and Syrah wines. The company also has a 14-hectare (35-acre) site in Anderson Valley planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the winery, grapes are vinified by block in small, one-ton fermentation tanks. The grapes are treaded by foot, instead of using mechanical punchdowns or pumpovers. Rhys Vineyards uses natural yeasts for fermentation, and the wines are aged in French oak.
