Horseshoe Vineyard, Chardonnay, 2021

Name: Horseshoe Vineyard, Chardonnay
Brand: Rhys Vineyards
Price: 572.74 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

justerini & brooks tasting note

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

97/100Matthew Luczy,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

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.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2039

date of review 04/2024

97/100Antonio Galloni,Vinous

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.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2032

date of review 11/2023