Winemaker Notes
Horseshoe Vineyard is defined by its unique geology and cool, high-altitude microclimate. With powdery clay soils layered over brittle diatomaceous shale and limestone, this rare combination of weather and singular geology produces the powerful, complex, and mineral driven character that makes it one of the most sought-after Chardonnays in the New World.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
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.
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Jeb Dunnuck
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.
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Tasting Panel
This high-elevation, low-draining, low-vigor vineyard sits on brittle, powdered shale. Crisp notes of grapefruit sorbet, thyme, gardenia, and laurel are clean, elegant, and focused. Underscored by chalky minerality, the wine is modern and sleek as glass.
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Wine Enthusiast
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.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay offers excellent presence on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows compelling aromas and flavors of savory spices, rustic notes, Meyer lemons, and chalk. Pair it with Singaporean Chilli Crab. (Tasted: May 8, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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Decanter
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.
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Wine Spectator
Displays a laser beam of intensity, with a core of bright lemony flavors and a touch of yuzu and salted melon notes. Accents of dried flowers, grated ginger and lemon verbena bring aromatic complexity, while savory hints of flint and chalk add a satisfying punctuation mark
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.