TN: 2016 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard AV

WINE TALK
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Didn’t see a TN when I did the search so I’ll drop a new post up in the event someone wants to tag on.

  • 2016 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (3/7/2020)
    About a year and a half since I really sat down and tasted through a bottle of this wine. Opened the current bottle about 4 hours ago, took to a party then brought a small amount home for this note. The aromatic of oak infuses the wine, with a mix of vanilla bean and some toast, as well as flavoring aspects of the palate. I don’t mind the oak here because the fruit is able to play alongside it, with a distinct lemony quality to the wine, along with green apple, dried pineapple, ginger and flint. The weight here is squarely medium and with the listed all of 12.5%, and pairing this with an arugula salad, it drinks great. Nothing heavy here, a more lithe version of Bear Chard and one that seems to be cruising along just fine. FWIW, some tasters noted either a ripeness or flamboyant quality to the wine…I don’t find that.

Posted from CellarTracker

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2016 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (7/5/2020)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours –

NOSE: light, crisp, Chard. aromas; no pyrazine; not oaky/buttery; clean. It’s good, but not breathtaking or anything like that.

BODY: light, pale yellow color; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: medium fruit intensity — cantaloupe melon, lychee, and light mango; medium acidity; very nice, but questionable QPR @$69.

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Interesting that you note “no pyrazine.” Is that a frequent concern for you with Chardonnay?

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With “light/crisp” Chardonnays, it’s an occasional occurrence for me to notice some, albeit not usually from CA (usually South Africa, I believe); I actually enjoy a little dash. It is really weird that I made note of that, so I assume the aromas must have been a mixture where I wouldn’t have been surprised to find some pyrazine. Of note: I perceived some on the Nose of a recent 2016 Alpine Chard…

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2016 Rhys Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (10/10/2023)
– decanted 1 hr. before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hrs. –

NOSE: expressive; underbrushy, with some light oak and buttery lemon; medium richness; pretty standard/straightforward Chardonnay aromas.

BODY: cork soaked halfway; medium golden yellow color; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: surprisingly light, and lacking in drive; most of the action is on the mid palate; lots of mineral; comes across as a ripe-but-somewhat-weak-Chablis; medium to medium+ acidity; alc. not noticeable (12.5%); finish is of medium-light intensity, but it actually carries-on for quite some time – certainly longer than the flavor intensity would suggest. Drink Now.