Rhys makes wines from 7 estate vineyards, 6 of which are in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, with the remaining property in Anderson Valley. They focus is on elevated vineyards, many or most located near the San Andreas fault. The Mt. Pajaro vineyard is the southernmost of them. This exceptional Chenin Blanc has notes of lemon curd, honeydew melon, papaya, and thyme (or some other mountain herb). It has great acidity, intense, and complex fruit flavors. It is not an oaky wine. I just tasted a LOT of Chenin Blanc from South Africa and California in the last couple of weeks, and this is certainly up there with the very best of them all. (94 Points)
P.S. If you are interested in Chenin Blanc, you should definitely check out "Hella Chenin," an annual Chenin Blanc festival in Berkeley that takes place in May. The event was very well attended by trade members and consumers, and it was a lot of fun!
- Tim Teichgraeber
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