Bottle Notes, Chardonnay

2016 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

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. In addition to the line up of Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs, Rivers-Marie also makes a few single vineyard Cabernets and Chardonnay. Thomas is in high demand and serves as a consultant for a number of wineries including Schrader and Outpost.

The 2016 Sonoma Coast consists of parcels from Riddle, Lucky Well and Platt Vineyards.

Straw colored with a 14.4% ABV. Gorgeous nose of butterscotch, lemon curd, flint and pears. Rich and full bodied with just enough acidity to keep everything in balance. Tropical fruits, green apple and a hint of vanilla on the palate. Good length on the finish. Really well made and hard to beat at the $30 price point. Best over the next 2-4 years.

My rating: 91 points.

Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. The 2017 version of this wine will be released in just a couple weeks. I’ll be a buyer. Sign up for the mailing list if you have not done so already.

I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in the 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and Updates from Rivers-Marie.

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