2009 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chardonnay
Although Horseshoe Vineyard began producing in 2007, we’ve waited until 2009 to introduce the Chardonnay, and we think it’s a stunning debut. The differences between the Alpine and Horseshoe Chardonnay are many and consistent, providing a fascinating lesson on the primacy of site in the final character of the wines. While Alpine tends towards citrus peel fruit and saline mineral notes, the Horseshoe is dominated by floral notes. The nose tends towards jasmine, honeysuckle and bright apple fruit combined with smoky, flinty mineral elements. The flinty character carries all the way through the palate, providing backbone and a focused mineral finish. Similar to the Alpine version, we feel that the Horseshoe begins to show well after 2-3 years in bottle and will improve over the next 5-10 years.

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