2017 Rhys Vineyards Alesia Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay [JD94][WA92][JG92][V91] WINE

“The 2017 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Alesia has a touch more depth in its aromas and flavors, offering a ripe bouquet of citrus blossom, honeysuckle, peach, and orange blossoms. Medium-bodied, rounded, and layered, with a terrific mid-palate, it packs plenty of muscle while staying beautifully balanced. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.” 

John Gilman, 92 Points 

“The 2017 Santa Cruz Mountains bottling of chardonnay from Alesia is just a whisper riper than the superb Anderson Valley cuvée, but still very civilized at 12.6 percent octane. The wine is deep and nascently complex on the nose, offering up scents of pineapple, lime, complex, salty minerality, citrus peel, orange blossoms and a whisper of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a youthful personality, lovely depth at the core, great mineral drive, snappy acids and a long, complex and very promising finish. This deserves a year or two in the cellar to start to blossom before it is unleashed at the table!” 

“The 2017 Alesia Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains has a very gregarious nose of honeycomb, orange marmalade and ginger cream with warm peach cobbler, candied citrus, warm hay and crushed stone. “That could be the kiss of the heat spike,” says Rhys winemaker Jeff Brinkman of the honeyed character of this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied and gives up intense, savory fruits in the mouth with lots of that honeyed, peachy character, lifted by good freshness and finishing long.” 

Vinous, 91 Points 

“The 2017 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a blend of the Alpine and Horseshoe vineyards. Brisk and nuanced, with tremendous energy as well as personality, the Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay is another fabulous wine in the Alesia range. Citrus, floral and mineral notes are beautifully delineated in a Chardonnay that is both vibrant, but also accessible and easy to enjoy young.”