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.
Platt Vineyard is a Sonoma Coast wine estate in California, established in 2003 by Lew and Joan Platt. Characterized by Goldridge soils, varied elevations, and maritime influence, it produced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes highly sought after by winemakers. In 2022, AXA Millésimes, a subsidiary of AXA, acquired the vineyard.
Straw colored. 13.9% ABV. Beautiful nose of tropical fruits, honey, butterscotch and flowers. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Lush, opulent and well balanced. Pear, lemon, pineapple and minerals on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. For me this is the pinnacle of the Rivers-Marie Chardonnay portfolio and the 2019 version is aging beautifully. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 96 points.
The 2025 version will be released early next year to members of the mailing list.
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 and Chardonnay programs are 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.