- All estate fruit from Horseshoe Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains
- Wente, Hyde and Mt Eden clones
- Monterey shale soils
- 1,450 – 1,500 ft. in elevation on a South facing slope
- Fermented in 20% new oak for about a year until dry, no racking or battonage
- Aged in tank for an additional 4-6 months before bottling
Planted in 2004 with a total of 17.5 acres, Horseshoe Ranch is our most beautiful vineyard site. It is less than 1/2 mile from Alpine vineyard, but they are different in many ways. The ridge between the vineyards protects Horseshoe from some of the direct ocean influence but allows for similarly cool temperatures. More importantly, Horseshoe lies on a ridge of sedimentary shale called Monterey formation that has made its way to surface over the millenia. This lightweight, brittle rust-mottled shale is prevalent throughout the surface and soil providing for low vigor and outstanding drainage.
The wines produced at Horseshoe are uniquely minerally, precise and focused. They offer an almost palpable tension that greatly rewards aging.
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2016
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
Santa Cruz Mountains
Variety:
Chardonnay
Color:
White
Sizes Available
| Half Bottle | US-RHY-32-16H | 12/375ml |
Resources
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2021
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2023-09-01
" 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."
2021
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
96
Date
2024-06-28
"The 2021 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard has a notably more savory yet powerful style, with a lovely, lightly flinty reduction. A crystalline and savory wine, aromatically it has a briny and umami note of seaweed, with a note of ripe peaches underneath. Full-bodied and compact, with rich concentration, it heightens its saline profile even further from the rest of the range, with an extraordinary and long finish. Drink 2025-2038."
2021
Decanter
Score
92
Date
2024-08-07
"This wine opens to mildly reduced aromatics of smoky flint followed by mandarin skin, apricot and honeysuckle florals. The palate is rich and a bit rounder than the other Rhys Chardonnays. With fleshy peach and tangerine flavours, the wine offers a great minerality with seafoam salinity, crushed chalk and a finish of fruit-driven depth accented by almond and walnut notes."