2016 Rhys Vineyards Alesia Chardonnay Anderson Valley 750 ml

Rare Allocation of a Mailing-List-Only Top Chardonnay

When Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate praised the Chardonnays of Rhys as “without doubt among the best being produced in North America,” we knew we had to find a way to offer one of them to our Wine Access friends. Now, finally, here it is.

The majority of the Rhys wines are sold through their mailing list, and nearly impossible to find. In all honesty, we’re lucky to have gotten these bottles. The stunning 2016 Rhys Alesia Chardonnay is a mind-bending example of the best of the variety here in the United States: ripe pear, quince, and golden apple harmonize on the palate, which nods both to its cool, coastal California terroir and its Burgundian influence in the form of bright, lively acidity. As toasty, spice aromas escape the glass, it becomes obvious why Rhys is an accepted benchmark for American Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Rhys produces wines from estate fruit under its Alesia label, and this one, from their 31-acre estate Bearwallow Vineyard in the cool northwest of the Anderson Valley, is a classic example of why collectors have fallen so hard for the entire line-up. The vineyard itself is planted on a rocky hillside that faces southwest, which is perfect for allowing the fruit to ripen, but also to maintaining the sense of vitality and vibrancy that makes it so noteworthy.

As Allen Meadows of Burghound puts it, “Owner Kevin Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman continue to fashion truly remarkable wines, indeed they are consistently among the best examples that California has to offer.” Antonio Galloni went even further when he wrote that, “With each passing vintage, the wines continue to improve to the point where comparisons to the best estates in California are increasingly less relevant. Rhys is world class. It's as simple as that.” We think they’re both spot-on.

And the beauty of this particular bottling is that it’s drinking brilliantly right now, but also has the stuffing to age gorgeously for nearly another decade. With plenty of quince and pear supported by underlying notes of oak spice and fresh herbs, this is a creamy wine with energy to spare, and an invigorating example of Burgundian techniques being applied to impeccable fruit from a distinctly American terroir. In other words, Rhys justifies the hype, and then some.