Winemaker Notes
In 2009 Rhys Vineyards chose only the most shallow soiled, rocky Chardonnay blocks for their Horseshoe Vineyard designate. This rigorous selection left many excellent barrels for their first Santa Cruz Appellation Chardonnay. In addition to the forward, rich fruit, this bottling offers tremendous minerality and complexity on the long, focused finish. This is a wonderful example of Rhys Chardonnay.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains is made from declassified barrels from the Horseshoe and Alpine vineyards. It is a round, textured wine endowed with gorgeous aromatic complexity and fine balance. This is a rather soft, seamless style that emphasizes the accessibility of the fruit over the more prominent minerality that is found in some of the estate's other wines.
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.