Rhys Vineyard Ultra Brut, Santa Cruz Mountains

The perfectionists at Rhys knew they shouldn’t use their excellent table wine vineyards for their sparkling wine; if they wanted to make the finest bubbly possible from the Santa Cruz Mountains, they’d have to dedicate different clones exclusively for sparkling wine production.  They also retained the expertise of Rodolphe Peters, from the celebrated Grand Cru Champagne property Pierre Peters to guide them in their effort.  The result is a super-premium-priced bubbly of incredible precision, pure Chardonnay fruit in front of its subtle Pinot Noir, with impeccable balance, offering immense enjoyment.  They did the impossible—Rhys created a sparkler that could challenge Champagne and come out favorably.