Rhys is a frontrunner in ultra-premium, single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz mountains. However, after years of enjoying the fruit of the Grower's Champagne revolution, they began a mission to create the Santa Cruz Mountains greatest sparkling wines. I admire that they did this the right way. You see, the best still wine clones aren't the same as the best Champagne clones. No expense was spared here, and they ripped out and re-planted with heritage Champagne clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Additionally, cooler parcels were specifically selected within their single vineyards for Champagne production. West-facing and North-facing orientations were preferred. Lastly, the pièce de résistance of this sparkling wine was its consultant winemaker, Rodolphe Peters of elite collector heartthrob Champagne Pierre Peters. This wine is a masterclass in perfect fruit ripeness, texture and precision, and it establishes a new frontier worth exploring for Champagne-esque styles in California. The style is reminiscent of Peters, with a blend of cask, concrete and stainless steel for primary fermentation. It is distinct from Peters style in two ways. There is the subtle California sunshine that still kisses the wine's profile, giving it suave texture. Rhys also blocks malolactic for some parcels to retain crisp acidities and brightness, which, when combined with the low dosage, creates a truly tense "California Champagne". Based on these results, I hope others follow suit.