2022 Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
From a sedimentary-shale soiled site a mere 400 feet from the Alpine Vineyard, but better protected from the ocean due to a ridge in between, 2022 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard dazzles in delicious layers of peach and tangerine, textured and layered in complex swathes of concentrated intensity. Medium-bodied, it has a richness to it that pairs and contrasts well with its nervy intensity, the chalky tannins adding breadth to the long finish. Drink best 2027-2037. Rhys has two estates in California, one in Anderson Valley called Bearwallow and an estate winery and six estate vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its Santa Cruz winery, where organic and dry farming are typical, is set across the fault line from Ridge Monte Bello and Mount Eden. The first commercial release was 2004. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and sparkling wines are all made by winemaker Jeff Brinkman and sold direct, with these ocean-influenced wines considered among the finest in the state.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
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.
The 2022 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is open, effusive and very easy to like. Apricot, tangerine oil and exotic flowers open first, before clean veins of supporting minerality appear on the mid-palate and into the finish. A wine of complexity and dimension, the 2022 can be enjoyed now, but it also has enough energy to drink well for a number of years. - Antonio Galloni