Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Walsh have quickly made Rivers-Marie one of California’s most sought after Pinot Noir labels. The winery was founded in 2002 and the first release was the Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir. Rivers-Marie now produces 7 different Pinot Noirs along with three single vineyard Cabernets a Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay and this Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. In addition to making his own wine, Thomas serves as a consultant for a number of wineries including Schrader, Outpost and Black Sears.
Golden in color. 14.2% ABV. Pear, lemon curd and vanilla on the nose. Rich, creamy and plush. Creme brulee, vanilla bean, pear and apple on the palate. The finish just goes on and on. Drink over the next several years.
My rating: 92 points.
At $25 this wine is one of the very best values in California Chardonnay. I think there are many wineries out there who wish they could deliver a wine like this using Sonoma Coast grapes at such a compelling price.
Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. The 2014 version of this wine will be released next Spring.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in The Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and also recently reviewed the 2013 version of this wine.
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