2021 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2021 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard is floral and lifted, but also pretty tightly wound at this stage. Apricot, tangerine peel, almond and light tropical notes all grace this very pretty, understated Anderson Valley Chardonnay. Today, the 2021 is a bit nervy, but it has only recently been bottled, so some of that is to be expected.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard takes on a touch more of a golden hue and has a lifted, smoky perfume of wild herbs, resinous earth, lime candy, and yellow apple. Medium to full body, with ripe, rounded texture as well as notes of chamomile, banana rind, and Mirabel plum, it’s broad and drinking well now. 2023-2030. Owned by Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh and based in Calistoga, Rivers Marie specializes in single varietal, single vineyard expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of Sonoma's most prolific winemakers and consultants, Thomas Rivers Brown grew up in South Carolina and later went on to work at Turley before carving his own path forward. I met with Thomas and Will Segui, the assistant winemaker, at the Calistoga winery this May to taste the wines for this report. Having been hit incredibly hard in 2020, their 2021s are showing even better than I could have anticipated from last year’s barrel samples. These are some of the best wines I have ever tasted from Rivers Marie, with exceptional balance and finesse.