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White Wines Rhys Chardonnay 2021 Horseshoe Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
White Wines Rhys Chardonnay 2021 Horseshoe Vineyard Santa Cruz MountainsRhys Chardonnay 2021 Horseshoe Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
Product Description
AVAILABILITY: 12+ BOTTLES IN STOCKRECEIVE 10% OFF
WHEN YOU PURCHASE 12 BOTTLES OF THE SAME WINE
Use coupon code CASE10 during checkout
***CASE10 SELECTION***
NOTES: 2021 was an uneventful vintage in which all of our vineyards excelled. As has become common over the last decade, the 2021 growing season was very dry, with just 50% of normal rainfall in the preceding winter. These dry conditions, combined with the shallow and well-drained rocky soils of our estate vineyards, produced clusters with thick skins and lower-than-normal amounts of juice. While these conditions consistently produce extraordinarily intense wines, what makes the 2021 vintage wines unusual is that this intensity is allied with exceptional acidity in both of the Rhys Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
Planted in 2004 with a total of 21.5 acres, Horseshoe Vineyard is less than a half mile from Alpine Vineyard, but they are different in many ways. The ridge between the vineyards protects Horseshoe from some of the direct ocean influence, but allows for similarly cool temperatures. More importantly, Horseshoe lies on a ridge of sedimentary shale called Monterey formation that has made its way to surface over the millennia. This light weight, brittle, rust-mottled shale is prevalent throughout the surface and soil, providing for low vigor and outstanding drainage. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Syrah are planted here between 1,360 and 1,610 feet in elevation.
TASTING NOTES: The Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay expresses a laser-like intensity and focus that typifies its high-altitude mountain soils. The 7 blocks of heritage clones give endless palate presence highlighted by honeysuckle, lemons and chalk. It’s a blockbuster of a wine that will age effortlessly for at least a decade.
