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 several 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. 14.1% ABV. Comprised primarily of Riddle and Chouette Vineyards. Beautiful nose of tropical fruits, lemon oil and vanilla. Medium body with perfect acidity. No new oak was used here giving the wine a crisp, racy appeal. Green apple, pineapple, pear and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Well made Chardonnay that should drink well for years to come. As always the value here is worth noting.
My rating: 92 points.
The 2022 version of this wine will be released early next year and should cost around $30.
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.