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2016 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased direct from winery; Consignor is original owner

10 available
Bid *
Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

96Jeb Dunnuck

...an exotic bouquet of white flowers, iodine, crushed rocks, and stone fruits. Reductive, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness...

95+ The Wine Advocate

...aromas of pear, grapefruit pith, iodine and fresh nutmeg. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and powerful, with an elegantly textural attack and wonderful mid-palate amplitude underpinned by tangy acids, concluding with a long and stony finish...beautifully complete.

95Vinous / IWC

...laced with the essence of citrus peel, mint and white flowers...all about tension and energy, all presented in a lifted style that is incredibly appealing.

93+ John Gilman

...nose is pure and beautifully expressive...fine blend of pear, delicious apple, acacia blossoms, complex minerality, fruit blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, focused and shows excellent intensity of flavor at the core, with excellent balance and grip, lovely complexity and a long, elegant and vibrant finish...excellent wine.

17.5+ Jancis Robinson

Good reduction on the nose...great intensity of citrus – preserved lemons, lime zest and a hint of grapefruit...driven and mineral, the line of acidity and some pithy texture giving an intriguing mouthfeel. Intense, steely and yet bold. Very impressive.

PRODUCER

Rhys

Rhys Vineyards is a Santa Cruz maker of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The estate is owned by Kevin Harvey, who has vineyards in several sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rhys Vineyards also makes a few wines under the Alesia label that come from grapes purchased in the Sonoma Coast and in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It is the Rhys Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, however, that have made the small estate into something of a cult producer of California wines with Burgundian appeal. Both the Pinots and Chardonnays regularly earn high ratings from reviewers. The wines are generally available through mailing lists.

REGION

United States, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA includes high elevation territory in the counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. The AVA follows the coast line from San Francisco to Monterey with elevations from 400 feet to 3,000 feet above sea level. There are 1,500 vineyard acres and the AVA was established in 1981. Despite the challenging terrain in these rugged mountains and hills, highly esteemed wineries have been located here since the early 20th century, when Paul Masson, a Frenchman by birth, started making sparkling wine in the area. By the 1970s vineyards were growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Numerous microclimates within the AVA offer viticulturists diverse growing conditions, and many varietals are grown successfully.

TYPE

White Wine, Chardonnay

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.

VINTAGE

2016 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay