November 8, 2023 - This continues to drink very well, though it's reticent when opened at fridge temp. Becomes more aromatically expressive and fills out on the palate as it warms and gets some air.
October 31, 2023 - Textbook Santa Cruz Mountains Chard. Citrus, minerals, crisp and on the more delicate side this vintage, steely fruit on the palate with hints of unripe pear, green apple, lemon, and the empty glass hints at a lovely toffee fragrance at the finish. Medium length, changed little over 4 days. If you like them delicate and crisp with some subtle nuance, this is it! Delicious.
December 27, 2022 - Pop and pour. I was mildly shocked about how well this showed. On the nose: bright meyer lemon, lime, vanilla, soft almond, and citrus leaf. On the palate: lovely acidity, loads of limestone minerality, lemon, grapefruit, mineral oil, and lovely density on the finish. Wow. Stunning.
August 30, 2022 - I thought this was drinking very well. Shy on the nose and brisk/crisp on the palate when first opened, but with some air and as it warmed up, it opened to show more nuance: better delineated fruit and some nuttiness on the nose, and more fleshed out fruit on the palate. Still bright and tangy, but with enough heft to balance that. Really nice, classic Chardonnay without any gussying up.
March 19, 2022 - Last bottle 18 months ago drank much much better. This bottle drinks like a tired version of that bottle. Not as crisp and bright as that one. I say drink up.
October 31, 2021 - Mild citrus, med acid, correct but just OK
November 15, 2020 - Drinking very good. Regretting I did not buy more. It's drinking very much like the French Burgundy counterpart from Cote de Beaune, Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet which I think they're aiming for. Nose is very rich of ripe and freshly cut citrus fruit, lemon curd, pineapple, toffee, almonds. It's drinking like a medium body wine - going to full perhaps. Citrus fruit entry with saline, mineral, held by integrated wood with a grapefruit peel bite on a rich concentrated "Chablis" like finish. I'm surprised how much I like this compared to my last bottle. Everything is integrating but still drinks young to me. This is a very good 2nd label Rhys wine that I feel I could blind (read fool) some of my wine snob friends with.
August 21, 2020 - Light gold. There is a pungent saline minerality to complement the lemon notes in the aromas here, not unlike some Chablis expressions. The palate is medium bodied with generous fruit, decent depth, and very focused, grippy acidity. While there's a touch of oak creaminess to the palate perhaps, it's subtle and not intrusive. This has more substance than some of the other Alesia bottlings, and while it's drinking quite well right now, it's still clearly young, and it has potential to develop with some additional cellar time. And it bodes very well for the '16 vineyard designates for the SC Mtns.
August 12, 2020 - Medium light hay color, lightly toasted nose, really beautiful, elegant, pure Chardonnay fruit, medium intensity, with some nice lighter umami saline notes, touch of lemon curd citrus, fading slowly into a lovely mineral dominated finish. Fabulous balance, quintessential Chardonnay, very Burgundian in style, what a fantastic value.
June 20, 2020 - Medium hay yellow; nice fresh citrus with bready body; sweetish attack, deep, fresh, intense, really tasty; really good, perfect