2018 Rhys Vineyards 'Alesia' Chardonnay Anderson Valley

Winemaker Notes: Produced entirely from fruit from our Bearwallow estate vineyard, the 2018 Anderson Valley Chardonnay shows all of the charm, detail and elegance of its single vineyard counterpart in a ready-to-drink package. Displaying forward notes of apple and white flowers and the kind of site transparency that belies its value, the Anderson Valley Chardonnay makes for a terrific food-friendly daily drinker and should continue to improve over the next 3-5 years.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Vinous - "The 2018 Chardonnay (Anderson Valley), all from Bearwallow, is surprisingly tightly wound, which won’t be an issue in time, but readers should not be looking at this as an easygoing wine for near-term drinking. Bright acids give the orchard fruit, citrus confit and floral notes a good bit of energy. There is a lot to like here. Light tropical accents develop with air, rounding out the finish nicely."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Bursting with fragrant aromas of dried flowers, raspberries, wild plums and sweet forest floor. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, supple and satiny, with a juicy core of succulent, mouthwatering fruit that's framed by melting tannins."


Jeb Dunnuck - "Starting with the 2018 Chardonnay Anderson Valley Alesia from the value-priced lineup from Rhys, it offers a vivid gold hue as well as bright, Chablis-like notes of lemon curd, salty, chalky minerality, crushed citrus, and a kiss of sappy flowers. These carry to a more medium-bodied Chardonnay that shows more sweet fruit and texture than you'd expect from the nose, and it's a charming, fleshy, ready to go beauty to enjoy over the coming 2-4 years."