Horseshoe Vineyard, Chardonnay, 2021
If Alpine is a vertical line, Horseshoe commands the palate with a sense of horizontal breadth and depth. The very tiniest touch of flinty reduction offers up a wonderful balancing element to the golden fruit, as the mid palate broadens out and caresses the tastebuds before zipping up for the intense and palate staining finish. Concentrated, powerful, intense, with a powerful core of dry extract and grip, this has all the elements needed to blossom in time into something truly grandiose. Just generally magnificent.
critic reviews
At the apex of Rhys's outstanding array of Chardonnays, the 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is a modern classic. The nose unfolds slowly, but steadily ascends from the glass with scents of crushed stones, mandarin rind, pomelo and a subtle creme brulee richness that hangs in the background. The palate begins coiled and springlike, continuously expanding and adding dimension throughout the three days I spent with it. Simultaneously glossy, broad, angular and tense, it is the most texturally complex of the single-vineyard Chardonnays at this stage. This needs at least another five years in the cellar and should be on the ascent for a decade beyond that. A benchmark wine for the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is a powerful, explosive white that demands patience. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, white flowers, mint and slate race across the palate, making a strong first impression. A huge mid-palate of fruit lies beyond, just waiting to unfurl. This tightly-coiled, mineral-drenched Chardonnay will be superb, in a few years' time.