- Practicing Biodynamic
- 100% Chardonnay
- Horseshoe Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains
- Planted in 2004 with a total of 17.5 acres, Horseshoe Ranch is Rhys’ most beautiful vineyard site
- less than 1/2 mile from Alpine vineyard
- Wente, Hyde and Mt Eden clones
- Monterey shale soils
- 1,450 – 1,500 ft. in elevation
- South facing slope
- Fermented in 20% new oak for about a year until dry, no racking or battonage
- Aged in tank for an additional 4-6 months before bottling
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2021
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
Santa Cruz Mountains
Variety:
Chardonnay
Color:
White
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-RHY-32-21 | 12/750ml |
Press & Reviews
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2023-09-01
"The 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is a powerful, explosive white that demands patience. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, white flowers, mint and slate race across the palate, making a strong first impression. A huge mid-palate of fruit lies beyond, just waiting to unfurl. This tightly-coiled, mineral-drenched Chardonnay will be superb, in a few years' time."
Wine Advocate
Score
97
Date
2024-04-18
"At the apex of Rhys's outstanding array of Chardonnays, the 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is a modern classic. The nose unfolds slowly, but steadily ascends from the glass with scents of crushed stones, mandarin rind, pomelo and a subtle crŠme br"lše richness that hangs in the background. The palate begins coiled and springlike, continuously expanding and adding dimension throughout the three days I spent with it. Simultaneously glossy, broad, angular and tense, it is the most texturally complex of the single-vineyard Chardonnays at this stage. This needs at least another five years in the cellar and should be on the ascent for a decade beyond that. A benchmark wine for the Santa Cruz Mountains."
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
96
Date
2024-06-28
"The 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has a notably more savory yet powerful style, with a lovely, lightly flinty reduction. A crystalline and savory wine, aromatically it has a briny and umami note of seaweed, with a note of ripe peaches underneath. Full-bodied and compact, with rich concentration, it heightens its saline profile even further from the rest of the range, with an extraordinary and long finish. Drink 2025-2038."
Wine Enthusiast
Score
95
Date
2023-12-01
"Crystal-clean aromas of polished river stones and tight Asian pear slices draw the nose into this single-vineyard expression. The palate manages to be extremely delicate and utterly expressive, forcing one to pay attention to appreciate the citrus and crisp melon flavors. ‡ Matt Kettmann"
Decanter
Score
92
Date
2024-08-07
"This wine opens to mildly reduced aromatics of smoky flint followed by mandarin skin, apricot and honeysuckle florals. The palate is rich and a bit rounder than the other Rhys Chardonnays. With fleshy peach and tangerine flavours, the wine offers a great minerality with seafoam salinity, crushed chalk and a finish of fruit-driven depth accented by almond and walnut notes."
Wine Spectator
Score
92
Date
2024-04-15
"A laser beam of intensity, with a core of bright lemony flavors and a touch of yuzu and salted melon. Notes of dried flowers, grated ginger and a touch of lemon verbena add aromatic complexity, and a savory hint of flint and chalk adds a satisfying punctuation mark. 460 cases made. - MW"
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
Wine Advocate
Score
98
Date
2024-04-18
"The Hillside bottlings from Rhys are, simply put, some of the most serious Pinot Noirs produced in California. As with the standard bottling, the 2018 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside Vineyard takes its time aromatically before offering up similar savory aromas but with even more intensity and a distinctly herbal, floral lift. The palate is broad, firm and sinewy, chock-full of intense dark fruit flavors braced with impressive structural integrity. The deep, long muscularity and commanding tannins of the finish are an unavoidable reminder that at least another five years in the cellar are required. This feels like a Santa Cruz Mountain wine for the ages, and I am confident that the rewards will scale with the patience displayed."
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
96
Date
Wine Advocate
Score
96
Date
2024-04-18
"The 2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard radiates from the glass with classy but eager aromas of green apple, persimmon, nectarine and wet slate. The palate is textural, polished and lifted with diamond-cut precision and framed with incisive, invigorating acidity. The finish balances sun-kissed richness with crisp, zesty structure, endlessly bringing you back to the glass. While the Pinot Noir from this site may have the edge, the Chardonnay is on nearly equal footing in recalibrating what is possible in California."
Vinous
Score
95
Date
2018-08-01
Wine Advocate
Score
95+
Date
2018-05-31