Rhys Bearwallow Vineyard Chardonnay 2017
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Made from a selection of the best free run barrels, this is a great introduction to Chardonnay from hillsides of the "Deep End" of Anderson Valley. It offers the verve and balance that Rhys' Chardonnay customers expect with delicious, early charm and a spicy finish reminiscent of the Bearwallow Pinot.
The 2017 vintages has lots of apple and pear with lively acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, from a site in the Anderson Valley, has an incredibly Burgundian bouquet of liquid minerality, white flowers, spice, and crushed citrus that develops remarkable complexity and depth as it sits in the glass. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has beautiful balance, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age (it still offers plenty of pleasure today) and will drink beautifully for 7-8 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard has a minerally nose to begin, with crushed shell and stone scents over a core of warm white peaches, pie crust, lime peel, fresh apple and pear fruit plus hints of spring blossoms. Light to medium-bodied, it offers intense, lively fruits with tangy acidity and a long, minerally finish.
Other Vintages
2016-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
Parker
At Rhys Vineyards we aspire to make great Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from some of California’s most unique and expressive vineyards. This pursuit has led us to search the state for exciting rocky soils that exist within the mountainous, cool, Coastal climate zone. Over the last 15 years we have developed seven estate vineyards, six in the Santa Cruz Mountains and one in Anderson Valley, each of which is capable of producing uniquely compelling, distinctive, soil driven wine.
Their overriding belief that unique vineyard expression is the key to truly great wine leads them to an approach that includes: 1. A relentless, spare-no-expense, focus on producing the best possible fruit in the vineyard; 2. Carefully selected cool weather sites that offer interesting and expressive soil character; 3. Natural winemaking with minimal intervention. These core tenets help produce age-worthy wines that emphasize vineyard expression, balance, fresh fruit, and concentration.
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.
Surrounded by redwood forests and often blanketed in chilly, ocean fog, the Anderson Valley is one of California’s most picturesque appellations. During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines.
The Anderson Valley is best known for Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay also shines here, and both varieties are often utilized for the production of some of California’s best traditional method sparkling wines. The region also draws inspiration from Alsace and produces excellent Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.