Tasting Notes for RH Phillips Toasted Head Chardonnay 2005

White Wines	Chardonnay	Other California	California

My Rating (circle) :

Date Printed: 5/23/2013

RH Phillips Toasted Head Chardonnay 2005

(search item no. 91003)

PRICE ON 5/23/2013: $15.29

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2002 Wine & Spirits rating: 91 points
2001 Wine Enthusiast rating: 86 points

Winemaker's Notes:

Toasted Head Chardonnay was introduced in 1995 and the brand is named for the age old practice of toasting the barrel heads and staves for the toasty oak notes it imparts to the wines. The fire-breathing bear on the label is the work of artist Robert Shetterly from a painting titled, "Speaking Fire at Stones." The mystery and wry humor of the icon, along with serious winemaking, captures the Toasted Head state of mind.

The Toasted Head 2005 Chardonnay has spiced, ripe pear and nectarine aromas, with a touch of mango, tropical fruit and vanilla. On the palate, fresh nectarine, citrus and tropical fruit flavors are complemented by toasty butterscotch oak. The wine has a rich and creamy texture, with ample acidity and a long, soft finish.

My Notes:

About RH Phillips:

In 1973 Karl and John Giguiere (along with John's wife Lane) went home to the Dunnigan Hills farm they grew up on to settle down to the idyll life on the family wheat and sheep operation. The charm of being shepherds quickly wore off when the three discovered that sheep use almost zero percent of their brains. The sheep were fired. In 1981, they planted 10 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc; in 1983, they started their own winery. Naming their new venture after the brothers' maternal grandfather, they launched R.H. Phillips with 4,000 cases of wine. They sold every drop. Next year they sold 40,000 cases; the year after that, they sold 150,000 cases. Today, R.H. Phillips has 1600 acres of grapes on the property, and produces over 400,000 cases of wine.