Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Welsh 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.
Straw colored. 14.5% ABV. Awesome nose of tropical fruits, nutmeg and Meyer lemon. Medium body with medium acidity. Soft and round on the palate. Flavors of lemon meringue, green apple and honeysuckle. Nice length on the finish. Delicious Chardonnay that goes down easy. Perfect on a warm Spring night in Seattle. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 91 points.
The 2019 version of this wine was released just a month ago.
I have been on the Rivers-Marie mailing list for well over 15 years. For me the Pinot Noir was always the main attraction here but the Cabernet program is really second to none when you factor in price and quality. Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. Sign up for the mailing list if you have not done so already.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in the 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and Updates from Rivers-Marie.
I have not tried this Chardonnay, but now I will give it a swirl! Thanks. Keep up the informative pieces. As a somm, I am always up for reading more. If you are ever out in Sonoma CA, look me and my Jeep wine touring biz up – I’d love to host you! https://www.vinesofsonoma.com
Thanks for reading and keep in touch!