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California Sparkling at Its Peak
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 From the buyer
When sparkling wine in California is produced with the utmost care, intention, diligence, and absolute focus on quality, the results can rival even the great wines of Champagne. At Rhys Vineyards, everything they do is guided by an uncompromising dedication to quality - from the clonal selections in the vineyard, to the farming and viticulture, to the meticulous small-lot winemaking in their state-of-the-art cellar. Rhys has long been considered one of the premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers in the country, crafting Burgundian-inspired wines from their incredible estate vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Anderson Valley.
More than a decade ago, the team at Rhys began experimenting with estate-grown sparkling wines. In the early years, these wines were made only in minuscule quantities and shared among friends and family. As the team dialed in the results, and even planted dedicated vineyard blocks with sparkling wine clones, they edged ever closer to producing enough wine to release to their devoted mailing list. Now, finally, Rhys is making enough sparkling wine for us to get our hands on some. It’s still a tiny production of just a few hundred cases, entirely handmade, riddled, and disgorged. But we secured some cases, both here in California and in NYC.
I shared this wine with our staff during the 2025 holiday season to much applause. They immediately recognized its spectacular quality. In fact, I poured this wine at my own holiday table and was blown away. Then, in February, Jeb Dunnuck awarded it a monster 98-point score. I immediately went back to secure whatever additional cases were available, and today we’re thrilled to offer them to you.
A little about the wine itself: though it carries a broad California AVA designation, don’t confuse this with inexpensive wines sourced from inferior sites. This wine is entirely estate-grown at Rhys’ properties in Anderson Valley, from Bearwallow Vineyard, and in the Santa Cruz Mountains, predominantly from Mt. Pajaro Vineyard in Corralitos. The fruit is organically and biodynamically farmed. The base wine is very gently whole-cluster pressed, fermented with native yeast in neutral oak barrels, and allowed to rest on fine lees for eight months prior to a further two years aging en tirage. After that, the wine is disgorged and finished with a low 4 g/L dosage.
The blend is roughly 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, and around one-third of the wine comes from a solera-style perpetual reserve dating back to the 2016 harvest. The vibrant, crisp, electric freshness of the cool-climate, coastal fruit is beautifully contrasted by the rich, toasty, umami character of the reserve wine, along with the yeasty, brioche notes from extended time on tirage. That interplay of freshness and richness in both the aromatics and flavor profile also carries through to the texture of the wine. It is at once piercing and focused, with incredible tension on the palate, yet the finish fans out with breadth and textural finesse like a vintage Champagne.
It’s a spectacular wine that delivers on every level. I can’t think of another sparkling wine, from anywhere in the world, that rivals this for the price.
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Critic reviews
| 98 pts · Jeb Dunnuck Produced from reserve lots from the estate back to 2016, the NV Perpetual Reserve is an exquisite sparkling wine. Aged two years on the lees, the wine is full of energy and tension, complex yet generous, with a medium-bodied creaminess adorned in citrus, pear, and brioche, balanced perfectly across a lengthy thread of acidity and salinity. Drink now through 2043. |
| 96 pts · Decanter Primarily from Anderson Valley, with two years on the lees and a very low dosage, half of this wine is from 2022, and the other half is a reserve wine dating back to 2016, resulting in a great blend of freshness and complexity. 75Chardonnay and 25 Pinot Noir. Texture and mousse are the focus of these bubbles, says winemaker Jeff Brinkman. Pierre Peters Cuvee Reserve is the inspiration for this wine; Rodolph is the consultant on these wines a few times a year. There’s a serious complexity and depth to this wine, with great creaminess. The nose offers toasted shortbread notes, accompanied by scents of roast almond and hazelnuts, and a notable depth of preserved lemon. There’s tremendous vivacity in the mouth, lively citrus cream, savoury herbs and mouthfuls of white flowers. Delicious. (CP) |
| 94 pts · Vinous The NV Perpetual Reserve is based on the 2021 vintage, with 30% reserve wines back to 2016. Bright, airy and layered, the Perpetual Reserve bristles with palpable energy. Crushed rocks, citrus peel, white flowers, mint and a hint of tangerine peel are all beautifully delineated. This is a seriously gorgeous wine endowed with dynamic tension that gradually unfurls with time in the glass. The blend is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, 65% from Bearwallow and 25% from Mt. Pajaro, fermented 79% in neutral oak and 21% in tank. Disgorged: April 25, 2024. Dosage is 4.7 grams per liter. (BN) |
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| Staff reviews — Rhys "Perpetual Reserve" California Sparkling Wine |
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Philip Roufail, K&L Staff Member · February 18, 2026
The question I have when I see a domestic sparkling wine for $60, is, "What champagne can I get for $60 and is this as good?" The answer is almost always, "Plenty and 'no'." There are a few exceptions, and this Rhys Perpetual Reserve is one of them. The first thing to know about Rhys is that they have 9 estate vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Anderson Valley. The grapes (i.e. clones and rootstocks) Rhy's uses in their sparkling wine is planted specifically for that purpose, so they're coming from plots that will maximize acidity levels. The perpetual reserve is a solera style blend from 2016-2023, comprised of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from Bearhollow in Anderson Valley and Mt. Pajaro in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The seven-vintages-old-perpetual-blend is 30% of the cuvee, 70% is the harvest year, and it is then aged for 3 years on the lees with a dosage of 5.g/L after disgorgement. The result is a complex creamy sparkling wine with lemon custard, orchard fruit, zippy acidity, brioche, and zesty mineral laden finish. Add some chalk and it could be champagne! |
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Kerry Kennell, K&L Staff Member · February 13, 2026
Rhys “Perpetual Reserve” California Sparkling Wine is composed of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, with 79% fermented in neutral oak and 21% in tank. Drawn from the 2016–2023 vintages, it spent three years en tirage and was finished with a 5 g/L dosage. My first impression: it’s Grand Cru–esque, sure to delight fans of crisp, dry Champagne, showing a fresh, steely profile of lemon curd, finely grated tangerine zest, wet stone, and a subtle pithy bitterness that adds an exciting layer of tension. Its lingering, stony lemon finish suggests it will cruise in the cellar for quite some time—well worth buying a few bottles to follow its evolution. |
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Scott Beckerley, K&L Staff Member · February 11, 2026
This is a very serious threat to French Champagne! Super high quality and super interesting character from CA! A Perpetual Reserve, yet. Not something that see very often, even in Champagne. What struck me the most while tasting this bubbly was the very creamy texture of the bubbles. The fine bead and silky texture bring out the simply wonderful poached pear fruit with orange cream and lemon tart flavors. Though the pear dominates, the citrus shines through and freshly shaved ginger comes out on the lingering finish. The long finish also has refreshing minerality and salinity. This is simply one of the best domestic bubbles that I have ever had! They do not produce a lot of it, so don't wait too long to buy it. |
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John Downing, K&L Staff Member · February 16, 2026
This is certainly one of the finest California sparkling wines I've tasted. It's first-class in every way and delivers a very fresh and creamy palate of citrus and pear with a nice hint of toast. Considering how difficult it is to not only produce sparkling wines but also ones of this caliber, bubbly devotees with not want to miss out on this rare treat from one of California's top tier wineries. |
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