This is clearly new world but a lovely Blanc de Blancs nevertheless. Energetic mousse; nice fruit and acidity though not at the level of French. Very enjoyable with sushi.
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Medium golden straw in color. Somewhat rich, and yet balanced and savory. Fine, although few, energetic bubbles — not surprisingly, fading substantially on the second and third nights. Quite enjoyable over all three.
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MUCH better than the first go on release 3 yrs ago...the harshness has calmed, polished, but still some edges...just not like the carbonated feel of pop rocks drinkin 7up in your mouth. The fruit is sunshine kissed fleshy orchard...more apple and apricot...zippy fresh squeeze of lemon sours and ginger snap...the mousse is creamy with ginger and marsala, but quickly dissipates...then this is when you feel some of the edginess in the wine. Really love the exotics like you get in some of these Ca sparklers...lychee, marsala, almond liqueur, hazelnut creme...some salted caramel and savory minerality...really becomes more of a still wine as it warms and you get down to the last sips of the glass. Not at all the disaster it seemed like it was going to be...still trusted the Rhys team on this, and glad I didn't get rid of the bottles purchased. Now looking forward to the lone maggie left maybe in another 3 or so years. Nice recovery!
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Opened by LostVerse from magnum. 100% Chardonnay from the Anderson Valley. Rhys makes this wine in collaboration with Rodolphe Peters of Champagne Pierre Peters. This was a rather unique and enjoyable sparkling wine. Light yellow hue. Medium bodied with a moderate bead. Notes of citrus, fresh cream and marshmallow. Drinking fine now. 92 points.
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Annual Friendsgiving Gathering (M/M thelostverse): From magnum, courtesy of tlv. Fairly deep color with a medium mousse. Toasted apple and hazelnut qualities follow through on the palate. Toasty and rich. Fine bead with a nice yeastiness lingering on the finish. Really coming into its own, though perhaps it’s the format? Regardless, a delicious sparkler. 92-93 pts.
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Medium to large bubbled mousse, straw yellow. The aromatics have a clear expression of sweet yellow apple but are lacking other notes. The palate is similar, with broad fruit expression, little complexity, and missing any tension or cut. The wine consequently comes across as simple and hollow. Too bad. I hope they're able to improve on this in the future.
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Compared to my previous two tastings (from 750 ml bottles) it tasted much better from a magnum. No sure if the improvement came from bottle age or because champagne from magnums is better. (See https://www.decanter.com/learn/champagne-size-matters-309127 ) It is not good value for money by any means, but it is not embarassingly bad for a Rhys.
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After reading some pretty terrible reviews at release, I decided to exercise patience and see if this would develop with some additional bottle age. While I would still say this is pretty poor value at $79, it is still a very solid sparkler by California standards (the $59 price tag of more recent releases seems more fair for the quality). Lithe acidity, pronounced apple flavors, with some quince and lemon rind. A bit astringent, but I like my sparklers on the dry side, so I am not bothered by the relatively low dosage. I found the mousse to be less harsh than others have commented, and while the apple flavor profile is a bit one dimensional, I think this has some promise and I look forward to following Rhys' sparkling wine program.
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Light gold color, broad and lively mousse that flattens out quickly. Bruised apple, lemon merengue, and biscuit on the nose. The palate rushes in with sweetness like a Demi-sec then ends with a light bitterness that makes me wonder if a case could be made for more dosage, not less. Anyhow, I think I sense improvement over the past 5 months. It will be interesting to see if this continues to be produced at Rhys. 4+10+16+7= 87
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Pop and pour. Much better than my last btl, but still awful qpr. On the nose: wood smoke, lemon oil, grilled nuts, soft oxidative notes. On the palate: good acidity and density. Soft mousse (which was rather coarse at first)...the doaage is still a bit high relative to the acidity for my palate.
Agree with many others that this is a pedestrian sparkling wine and way overpriced. Large bubbles, mid level sweetness, and heavy on the pear. Just didn’t show any complexity for a wine at this price. I admire Rhys trying, but would encourage lower pricing or more experimentation before releasing a wine like this. Schramsberg is much better at half the price.
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Super fresh, great texture, very fine bubbles. A distinct, bright pear /pear cider note, along with fennel seeds. My wife and our socially-distanced family all agreed we liked very much. Fresh and different.
As a wine, out of context, this has my full, ringing endorsement. The mixed reviews from others are with an eye to the context... this is not champagne, it’s quite different. Mouthfeel and texture are in the champagne realm (and high-end at that) but some of the flavors are out there like a pet Nat. The price point makes it tough, as you can get really great champagne, or exceptional other drinks at the price.
But I’ll be very curious to try future offerings (small quantities) as clearly they’re doing something interesting, and delicious, and the Rhys team’s work more broadly speaks for itself.
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I cannot be quite as critical as many other tasters here since my pedestrian palate still seems to find this a pleasant drink. Not $80 pleasant, but it’s better than I expected from what I’ve read in prior reviews. It has some hard edges and lacks some energetic persistence but I’ve had much worse from Reims, too. There is good composure in the flavor, even if the méthode champenoise has not quite been perfected yet. 3+11+16+7= 87
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The three textual August notes capture well the positive — and less so — attributes of this bottling. Yes, it has bright and distinctive Bearwallow fruit — including suggestions of ginger. Yet the bubbles could not be called refined or elegant. Still, quite enjoyable to start lunch on a fall day — and perhaps even more enjoyable were the last flattened sips starting dinner a few hours later.
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Served from magnum at a dinner party with oysters. The group loved it. Rather simple in comparison to some of my favorite champagnes, it still hit a very nice spot for the group. Definitely got the green apple, stone fruits, lemon curd. Very light on its feet and refreshing.
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What I like about this wine is the Ca. sunshine fleshy fruit...green caramel apple, pear...some exotics of almond liqueur, lychee, lees...mousse is of a nice marsala/ginger creme...somewhat soft, but doesn't really coat the palate, and dissipates quickly. Dried candied fruits aren't melding well with the dry, non flavored, citrus acidity. What I'm not liking here in this wine is...it's harsh. The bubbles are harsh, almost like carbonation...there is no elegance, no fine bead texture...more like chugging a 7up with a mouthful of pop rocks! Very disjointed...and when you keep burping after just about every sip??? Not the worst wine I've ever had...I actually do get some enjoyment out of this wine...and know the quality that Rhys seeks in their wines are of the utmost highest. I'm just a HUGE Ultramarine fan, and unfortunately I'm going to use them as a benchmark here in this category of high end Ca. Sparklers...and Rhys has a long way to go.
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Put me in the in between camp here. Not a great first start here for Rhys with this bottling, but not horrible either. I ordered the next vintage and have confidence that the kinks will be worked out. This bottle was fine for a causal drinker out by the pool on a hot summer day. Comes across as a bit too sweet, but otherwise pleasant enough with some hope for filling out with some years.
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Eh, nice flavor profile with green apple and some toast notes on the nose. Unfortunately rather flat and plump on the palate and quickly fades. Minimal depth here. And rather fatiguing on the palate in the Texas heat. Reminded me a Loire sparking chenin blanc. Poor QPR.
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Apple and a strong dough flavor; it sort of tasted like an apple turnover. Maybe I should call it "brioche" to make it sound fancier. I don't have a lot of experience with sparkling wine or champagne, so I'm not going to rate it. It wasn't nearly as complex as the Krug I had, but it was much more pleasant than the Cristal, which was a lemon bomb. Pleasant tasting (apple turnovers are a nice memory), not really complex. It probably should have been sold at a lower price. I don't understand the complaints about sweetness, though. It was fruity, for sure, but not sugary. It may be a translation issue to compare wine made from a region that, until recently, had significant difficulties ripening grapes, to California, which has no such difficulty.
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I can see both sides of this wine. It starts with good aromatics of green apple, citrus and stone fruit. Good bubbles. But the nose fades rapidly as do the bubbles. Similar flavors. Comes across as very simple. Lacking acidity. Chardonnay with bubbles. Nothing more. From this producer and at this price point, I expect a lot more. See no reason for future purchases of this.
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i have been championing Rhys for 15 years here in Chicago. WE all know their commitment to quality. So when they put out a dog like this- it's not so much a disappointment as it is an abomination. There's no other way to describe the absolute money waste and money grub happening here. This is a disgrace!! The wine is foamy then flat in two seconds!!! it lacks acidity or structure and is gone in a minute. Even as flat chardonnay it lacks anything worthwhile. It was disgusting. And I was embarrassed to to serve it to my friends after talking up a new cuvee from Rhys.. both bottles over two days. I have never felt this ripped off.
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Nutty, slightly sherried nose, rich on the palate with a soft mousse, gentle acids, and a nice bitter lift at the back. I don't normally do tasting notes on sparkling wines, I'm usually just quaffing them, but this is quite lovely and very much its own thing, nothing like Champagne or any other sparkling wine. Like a chardonnay with bubbles, which, of course, is exactly what it is.
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PnP. Crowd pleaser. Lots of fruit (bright and crisp), citrus/berry mix so much so that it almost tasted Demi-sec. smooth mousse. Goes down easy but not the most complex.
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Very enjoyable sparkling wine with elegant bubbles and color. Lacking the yeasty nutty character of fine champagne but better than many Cali sparkling wines. It is a bit pricey for what it is. Still, liked it a lot.
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I see why others have been disappointed in this bottling. To my palate, however, the issue is not that the wine is overly sweet, but rather than it lacks acidity. Without a firm spine of acid on the mid-palate, the wine comes across as empty in the middle. I don't think it's lacking stuffing or is dilute, just not entirely balanced. Once you acclimate to it, there is a clear vineyard signature here: yellow apples and stone, which is most apparent on the finish. The nose has decent breadiness to it, and while the mousse could be a touch finer, it's not bad. Even while I wish this were a lot better than it is, especially for the price, I don't think it's indicative of a major miscalculation during blending. I do hope that future versions will find more tension than this one though.
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The Ravenswood Library Wines (M/M Blue Oval's): Courtesy of tlv. Pale color. Bouquet and palate ar dominated by apple. It picks up an earthy clay tone on the palate that is rather nice. Fine bead. Very good. 89-90 pts.
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Drank my other bottle. One dimensional, apples and sugar. Tastes like sparkling apple cider with sugar added. Disappointing. How is this Chardonnay? I hope future releases have less dosage, or at least better balance to let the terroir/grapes shine through.
Pop (literally) and pour. Light color, with just a slight hint of straw. Nose offers some apple but not much in the way of yeasty/bread notes. Good wine, with apple and some under-ripe pear notes and a slight white grape element. Slightest touch of sea-spray saline element, but you really have to look for it. The bubbles did not add much. While the wine itself was enjoyable and tasty, the wine lacked the energy and excitement one expects from a quality sparkling wine.
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As many other Rhys fans have noted, this was a big disappointment. Not ready for prime time. Good nose but dissipating very quickly, taste lacking in complexity, more like a simple chard with added sugar. I was really surprised by the low effervescence, maybe I got a badly sealed bottle or maybe they lost all the CO2 during disgorgement. In either case, not worth the price. I also have a magnum, I'll try it soon to see if it fares better.
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I'm a Rhys fan but sorry, this is pretty dreadful. I'm supportive of the project and willing to bet they figure it out down the line but charging $80 for this is borderline criminal.
Nose is decent enough (some apple, brioche, etc) but palate had the perception of being cloyingly sweet with a bitter finish. It reminded me of the kind of sparkling wine an average hotel leaves in your room as a welcome gift: you drink it because it's free and there but after 1/3 of the bottle you have a headache and need some water to wash out the taste.
Maybe I'm being too harsh because it is a work in progress but this is no better than a $15-20 sparkling wine you can find at your local liquor store and for that Rhys deserves criticism for releasing it.
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don't put in a blind tasting with Champagne. It comes across as a cocktail bubbles that is overtly sweet. On it's own, it could be fine for those who like that style, but it's not my cup of tea at this point
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Rhys @ My Place--Part 5 (My House In The South OC): My first bottle of two that I bought. I have been eager to try this wine, to see how the Rhys sparkling project was coming along. In addition, I am aware of the early mixed reviews on this so my intent was to block out that distraction and assess the wine for what it is. I also realize there is some bias danger here, both because I dig the Rhys wines big-time, and I also buy and drink a lot of true Champagne so the additional effort to stay transparent and fair in my own assessment here is top of mind. I tasted this wine in two stages. The first yesterday, during our Rhys tasting event at my house, using this wine as the opener for the event. My notes yesterday say steely nose, green sour apple, honeyed stone fruit and pear, and a perception that I was drinking Berarwallow Chard with bubbles, but not a wine that used Bearwallow fruit to create a sparkler. My point is that the wine yesterday seemed more like a still wine that had bubbles added rather than a wine that was seeking to express a total experience, integrating fruit and bubbles to create something more than its parts. Fast forward then to today, the wine is mostly still from the few ounces left in the bottle. Aromatically, I still dig that part of the wine, as poured blind, you could fool me this wasn't from Avize or Vertus. Tasting the wine, I do find the wine to be lacking in complexity, today expressing an apple sauce core with a good dollop of honey mixed in, along with oranges and green apple. For me, this doesn't remind me of the sparkling I want to drink, as it does translate to something that is perceptibly sweet. So, while I like the aromatic, I find the palate lacking in compleicity. Knowing the winery, this is a work in process, and for context, damn this is their first try. But for those who want yet another honest opinion, you now have mine.
Pale, golden yellow color. Straightforward Gala apple on the Nose, which was not complex. Medium bodied on the palate, with a much greater sense of sweetness than I prefer on my sparklers. Rich, medium-heavy; Red Delicious apple; short finish; 12.9% alc.. Overall, this wasn't bad; in fact, I'd even say "good" --- let's call it 85 – 87 points. It was quite accessible, which was nice, but it was just too heavy and sweet for me. The biggest problem here, however, is price --- this was released at $79, which is right in line with some very serious Champagnes, which, quite frankly, are better than this wine multiple times over for my palate. I think $30 - $35 for this would be appropriate, but I still wouldn't be a buyer because it's simply not my style.
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Rhys Alpine/Horseshoe Tasting at Frank's (Frank Murray's Casa): Very strong white grape aromas. Sweet flavored fruits on the palate. Not much in the way of doughy, citrus or autolytic characters. Much more in the vein of a lighter sparkling wine than something like a Champagne. Sort of big round fruit expression versus the smooth regalness of higher end bubbles. We ended up with a vintage Bollinger on the table next to this which really brought the differences between a classic Champagne and this wine into focus. A nice, decent sparkling wine but nothing more. The low dose is remarkable though given the sweetness of flavor. As a low dose skeptic I think the decision to hold back helped keep this wine from being a caricature and let the fresh fruit show itself off.
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Served with lobster as part of a New Year’s Eve dinner, this was average at best. Had it been a $25 sparkler I would have been reasonably happy, but for the actual sticker price it was a pretty big let down. Blind I would have pegged it as the $20 Roederer Estate (my wife said the same thing before she saw the label), as the sweetness level was reminiscent of that wine, and the fruitiness on the same scale. OK for how we used it, but I feel somewhat ripped off that Rhys released such a simple wine for a high price.
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Meh... Very simple, with a rather sweet, grapey flavor profile. Inoffensive, easy drinking and passable. Just not much excitement here, especially given the price.
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Hint of brioche with lots of tart lemon on the nose. More tart citrus on the silky palate with a fine mousse. Really refreshing, good long finish, a charming wine that is highly approachable now. Great new offering from Rhys.
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A small impromptu dinner - 08 Champagne and Chateau Margaux (Clarity - Vienna, Virginia): This is fresher and cleaner compare to the 2014 Ultramarine. Unfortunately it lacks complexity and richness. The nose is straightforward, apple ad a hint of smoke. Medium concentration, coarse abundant mousse, fresh apple fruit, good acidity and mineral and a medium finish. It reminds me cremant de Loire. It is fresh but sharp and not terribly interesting.
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Sunday afternoon wines (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. From magnum. I thought this was a passable, unoffensive entry level champagne. The odd thing here was the sweetness, like some really poorly balanced dosage or something along those lines. I also thought this was a blend, as it didn't have the citrus purity of a blanc de blancs. Fine for what it is, but much less interesting once price is taken into consideration.
Tastes like a decent $20 cava. Clipped finish, fruit too ripe, no complexity. Zero relationship in style or quality with the rest of the Rhys portfolio.
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Very sweet mouthfeel, candied lemon peel and toffee apple. Very lightly effervescent. Pink lemonade and yellow plum, and it stays really sweet. Fun to drink, but not very French in style...and that's fine! I liked it.
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I agree, no brioche and great acidity with very nice mouthfeel. I think that this will be great in a few years, but it was excellent tonight. Will buy more next year. Would love to have this in 375 mL as I would drink it more often.
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July 2019 Rhys Visit--Taste The 2017s and some new stuff (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): Tasted at the winery. The bottle we tasted was hand disgorged and dosaged, as part of the dosage blending trials for the upcoming 2015 disgorgement. Neutral wood, around 13% ABV. Aromas of toast and some light lees. The core of this is about acidity, a brisk lemon. Green banana, orange/citrus and then closing with lime into a finish with good length. The texture here is round and just fuller in tone as compared to say the Mousse Les Varosses Anecdote I had this week from Cuisles, which was also Bdb. I am cognizant too of the risk here in trying to see a new project like this one from the context of Champagne. These are not the same wines, nor is CA=Champagne. With that context in front of me, what this first effort of Bearwallow shows is a wine that is brisker, with terrific acidity, expressing a CA feel. Exciting to see Rhys take on a project like this and work to find the inspiration of Champagne into the context of CA.
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Full disclosure - this was a bottle made for the dosage testing and not the final bottling. It was hand disgorged and dosage was 1g/l which is the final dosage level for this vintage. The wine was cloudy because of the hand disgorgement but I noticed after an hour that much of the yeast and other particulate had settle in the bottom of the glass. This sat in neutral oak. There's a faint yeast aroma but was that from the critters floating in the glass or the wine itself and will it show in the final? No brioche either. Don't know the answer. There's yellow apple and lemon aromas. The texture of the wine is very fine, an elegant mouthfeel. Palate flavors, for me, were driven by unsweetened lemon curd, grapefruit, and blood orange. Rhys guys are very excited about this wine and I would agree, can't wait to trying the final results of all their efforts.
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2/22/2024 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
This is clearly new world but a lovely Blanc de Blancs nevertheless. Energetic mousse; nice fruit and acidity though not at the level of French. Very enjoyable with sushi.
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8/23/2023 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Medium golden straw in color. Somewhat rich, and yet balanced and savory. Fine, although few, energetic bubbles — not surprisingly, fading substantially on the second and third nights. Quite enjoyable over all three.
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8/2/2023 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 91 Points
MUCH better than the first go on release 3 yrs ago...the harshness has calmed, polished, but still some edges...just not like the carbonated feel of pop rocks drinkin 7up in your mouth. The fruit is sunshine kissed fleshy orchard...more apple and apricot...zippy fresh squeeze of lemon sours and ginger snap...the mousse is creamy with ginger and marsala, but quickly dissipates...then this is when you feel some of the edginess in the wine. Really love the exotics like you get in some of these Ca sparklers...lychee, marsala, almond liqueur, hazelnut creme...some salted caramel and savory minerality...really becomes more of a still wine as it warms and you get down to the last sips of the glass. Not at all the disaster it seemed like it was going to be...still trusted the Rhys team on this, and glad I didn't get rid of the bottles purchased. Now looking forward to the lone maggie left maybe in another 3 or so years. Nice recovery!
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12/2/2022 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Opened by LostVerse from magnum. 100% Chardonnay from the Anderson Valley. Rhys makes this wine in collaboration with Rodolphe Peters of Champagne Pierre Peters. This was a rather unique and enjoyable sparkling wine. Light yellow hue. Medium bodied with a moderate bead. Notes of citrus, fresh cream and marshmallow. Drinking fine now. 92 points.
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11/25/2022 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Annual Friendsgiving Gathering (M/M thelostverse): From magnum, courtesy of tlv. Fairly deep color with a medium mousse. Toasted apple and hazelnut qualities follow through on the palate. Toasty and rich. Fine bead with a nice yeastiness lingering on the finish. Really coming into its own, though perhaps it’s the format? Regardless, a delicious sparkler. 92-93 pts.
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9/28/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine:
No formal notes, but it was quite good. Much better than I remember tasting it a few years ago.
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9/25/2022 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Improved from my last bottle of august 4, 2020. Still not outstanding, but a very good and improving first effort.
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7/31/2022 - Cote d'Or wrote:
-translucent light gold fine bead mousse
-yeasty apple
-med acidity, med weight green apple noticeable dosage
-very good if not overly interesting
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7/1/2022 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
Apple and simple. Clean.
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3/18/2022 - jlm wrote:
Medium to large bubbled mousse, straw yellow. The aromatics have a clear expression of sweet yellow apple but are lacking other notes. The palate is similar, with broad fruit expression, little complexity, and missing any tension or cut. The wine consequently comes across as simple and hollow. Too bad. I hope they're able to improve on this in the future.
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12/31/2021 - azb Likes this wine: 90 Points
Compared to my previous two tastings (from 750 ml bottles) it tasted much better from a magnum. No sure if the improvement came from bottle age or because champagne from magnums is better. (See https://www.decanter.com/learn/champagne-size-matters-309127 ) It is not good value for money by any means, but it is not embarassingly bad for a Rhys.
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10/9/2021 - MusignyBlanc wrote:
Perfectly serviceable - but absolute hubris at $79.
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9/7/2021 - Michael T. Zoppo Does not like this wine:
What to say about this that hasn't been said? Bubbly apple cider with virtually no complexity. A tasty beverage, but not fine wine. (From magnum)
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7/26/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 89 Points
After reading some pretty terrible reviews at release, I decided to exercise patience and see if this would develop with some additional bottle age. While I would still say this is pretty poor value at $79, it is still a very solid sparkler by California standards (the $59 price tag of more recent releases seems more fair for the quality). Lithe acidity, pronounced apple flavors, with some quince and lemon rind. A bit astringent, but I like my sparklers on the dry side, so I am not bothered by the relatively low dosage. I found the mousse to be less harsh than others have commented, and while the apple flavor profile is a bit one dimensional, I think this has some promise and I look forward to following Rhys' sparkling wine program.
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7/8/2021 - cellarcat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Simple, delicate, and elegant. Very enjoyable. A bit of sparkling apple juice flavor.
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4/17/2021 - fingers wrote: 87 Points
Light gold color, broad and lively mousse that flattens out quickly.
Bruised apple, lemon merengue, and biscuit on the nose.
The palate rushes in with sweetness like a Demi-sec then ends with a light bitterness that makes me wonder if a case could be made for more dosage, not less. Anyhow, I think I sense improvement over the past 5 months. It will be interesting to see if this continues to be produced at Rhys. 4+10+16+7= 87
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3/19/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour. Much better than my last btl, but still awful qpr. On the nose: wood smoke, lemon oil, grilled nuts, soft oxidative notes. On the palate: good acidity and density. Soft mousse (which was rather coarse at first)...the doaage is still a bit high relative to the acidity for my palate.
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12/30/2020 - BigTex22 wrote: 86 Points
Agree with many others that this is a pedestrian sparkling wine and way overpriced. Large bubbles, mid level sweetness, and heavy on the pear. Just didn’t show any complexity for a wine at this price. I admire Rhys trying, but would encourage lower pricing or more experimentation before releasing a wine like this. Schramsberg is much better at half the price.
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12/21/2020 - Jahull03 wrote:
Really enjoyed this.
Super fresh, great texture, very fine bubbles. A distinct, bright pear /pear cider note, along with fennel seeds. My wife and our socially-distanced family all agreed we liked very much. Fresh and different.
As a wine, out of context, this has my full, ringing endorsement. The mixed reviews from others are with an eye to the context... this is not champagne, it’s quite different. Mouthfeel and texture are in the champagne realm (and high-end at that) but some of the flavors are out there like a pet Nat. The price point makes it tough, as you can get really great champagne, or exceptional other drinks at the price.
But I’ll be very curious to try future offerings (small quantities) as clearly they’re doing something interesting, and delicious, and the Rhys team’s work more broadly speaks for itself.
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12/10/2020 - fingers wrote: 87 Points
I cannot be quite as critical as many other tasters here since my pedestrian palate still seems to find this a pleasant drink. Not $80 pleasant, but it’s better than I expected from what I’ve read in prior reviews. It has some hard edges and lacks some energetic persistence but I’ve had much worse from Reims, too. There is good composure in the flavor, even if the méthode champenoise has not quite been perfected yet.
3+11+16+7= 87
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12/6/2020 - azb Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Sadly it didn't get any better in time.
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11/24/2020 - Bumper wrote:
Atrocious
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10/26/2020 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
The three textual August notes capture well the positive — and less so — attributes of this bottling. Yes, it has bright and distinctive Bearwallow fruit — including suggestions of ginger. Yet the bubbles could not be called refined or elegant. Still, quite enjoyable to start lunch on a fall day — and perhaps even more enjoyable were the last flattened sips starting dinner a few hours later.
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9/13/2020 - BHP1994 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served from magnum at a dinner party with oysters. The group loved it. Rather simple in comparison to some of my favorite champagnes, it still hit a very nice spot for the group. Definitely got the green apple, stone fruits, lemon curd. Very light on its feet and refreshing.
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8/24/2020 - Mrbuzz wrote: 85 Points
What I like about this wine is the Ca. sunshine fleshy fruit...green caramel apple, pear...some exotics of almond liqueur, lychee, lees...mousse is of a nice marsala/ginger creme...somewhat soft, but doesn't really coat the palate, and dissipates quickly. Dried candied fruits aren't melding well with the dry, non flavored, citrus acidity.
What I'm not liking here in this wine is...it's harsh. The bubbles are harsh, almost like carbonation...there is no elegance, no fine bead texture...more like chugging a 7up with a mouthful of pop rocks! Very disjointed...and when you keep burping after just about every sip???
Not the worst wine I've ever had...I actually do get some enjoyment out of this wine...and know the quality that Rhys seeks in their wines are of the utmost highest. I'm just a HUGE Ultramarine fan, and unfortunately I'm going to use them as a benchmark here in this category of high end Ca. Sparklers...and Rhys has a long way to go.
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8/4/2020 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Put me in the in between camp here. Not a great first start here for Rhys with this bottling, but not horrible either. I ordered the next vintage and have confidence that the kinks will be worked out. This bottle was fine for a causal drinker out by the pool on a hot summer day. Comes across as a bit too sweet, but otherwise pleasant enough with some hope for filling out with some years.
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8/1/2020 - Nutty08 Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Eh, nice flavor profile with green apple and some toast notes on the nose. Unfortunately rather flat and plump on the palate and quickly fades. Minimal depth here. And rather fatiguing on the palate in the Texas heat. Reminded me a Loire sparking chenin blanc. Poor QPR.
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6/12/2020 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Apple and a strong dough flavor; it sort of tasted like an apple turnover. Maybe I should call it "brioche" to make it sound fancier. I don't have a lot of experience with sparkling wine or champagne, so I'm not going to rate it. It wasn't nearly as complex as the Krug I had, but it was much more pleasant than the Cristal, which was a lemon bomb. Pleasant tasting (apple turnovers are a nice memory), not really complex. It probably should have been sold at a lower price. I don't understand the complaints about sweetness, though. It was fruity, for sure, but not sugary. It may be a translation issue to compare wine made from a region that, until recently, had significant difficulties ripening grapes, to California, which has no such difficulty.
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5/24/2020 - gharter wrote: 85 Points
I can see both sides of this wine. It starts with good aromatics of green apple, citrus and stone fruit. Good bubbles. But the nose fades rapidly as do the bubbles. Similar flavors. Comes across as very simple. Lacking acidity.
Chardonnay with bubbles. Nothing more. From this producer and at this price point, I expect a lot more. See no reason for future purchases of this.
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4/19/2020 - Bumper Does not like this wine: 50 Points
i have been championing Rhys for 15 years here in Chicago. WE all know their commitment to quality. So when they put out a dog like this- it's not so much a disappointment as it is an abomination. There's no other way to describe the absolute money waste and money grub happening here. This is a disgrace!! The wine is foamy then flat in two seconds!!! it lacks acidity or structure and is gone in a minute. Even as flat chardonnay it lacks anything worthwhile. It was disgusting. And I was embarrassed to to serve it to my friends after talking up a new cuvee from Rhys.. both bottles over two days. I have never felt this ripped off.
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3/28/2020 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nutty, slightly sherried nose, rich on the palate with a soft mousse, gentle acids, and a nice bitter lift at the back. I don't normally do tasting notes on sparkling wines, I'm usually just quaffing them, but this is quite lovely and very much its own thing, nothing like Champagne or any other sparkling wine. Like a chardonnay with bubbles, which, of course, is exactly what it is.
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3/18/2020 - 10centpower wrote:
PnP. Crowd pleaser. Lots of fruit (bright and crisp), citrus/berry mix so much so that it almost tasted Demi-sec. smooth mousse. Goes down easy but not the most complex.
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3/4/2020 - LSussman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very enjoyable sparkling wine with elegant bubbles and color. Lacking the yeasty nutty character of fine champagne but better than many Cali sparkling wines. It is a bit pricey for what it is. Still, liked it a lot.
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3/1/2020 - jlm wrote:
I see why others have been disappointed in this bottling. To my palate, however, the issue is not that the wine is overly sweet, but rather than it lacks acidity. Without a firm spine of acid on the mid-palate, the wine comes across as empty in the middle. I don't think it's lacking stuffing or is dilute, just not entirely balanced. Once you acclimate to it, there is a clear vineyard signature here: yellow apples and stone, which is most apparent on the finish. The nose has decent breadiness to it, and while the mousse could be a touch finer, it's not bad. Even while I wish this were a lot better than it is, especially for the price, I don't think it's indicative of a major miscalculation during blending. I do hope that future versions will find more tension than this one though.
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2/29/2020 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
The Ravenswood Library Wines (M/M Blue Oval's): Courtesy of tlv. Pale color. Bouquet and palate ar dominated by apple. It picks up an earthy clay tone on the palate that is rather nice. Fine bead. Very good. 89-90 pts.
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2/16/2020 - huevosconvino Does not like this wine:
Drank my other bottle. One dimensional, apples and sugar. Tastes like sparkling apple cider with sugar added. Disappointing. How is this Chardonnay? I hope future releases have less dosage, or at least better balance to let the terroir/grapes shine through.
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2/2/2020 - t_moderne wrote: 87 Points
Pop (literally) and pour.
Light color, with just a slight hint of straw.
Nose offers some apple but not much in the way of yeasty/bread notes.
Good wine, with apple and some under-ripe pear notes and a slight white grape element. Slightest touch of sea-spray saline element, but you really have to look for it.
The bubbles did not add much. While the wine itself was enjoyable and tasty, the wine lacked the energy and excitement one expects from a quality sparkling wine.
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1/25/2020 - Aravind Asok wrote:
This was a real disappointment. Maybe the fruit is too ripe or something, but this came off as flabby, simple and sweet. At $80, this is awful qpr...
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1/23/2020 - LoireFan wrote: 91 Points
Starts off weird but very nice with a large opening time. I would buy again if this was $30-35. Ridiculous at $80.
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1/17/2020 - azb Does not like this wine: 86 Points
As many other Rhys fans have noted, this was a big disappointment. Not ready for prime time. Good nose but dissipating very quickly, taste lacking in complexity, more like a simple chard with added sugar. I was really surprised by the low effervescence, maybe I got a badly sealed bottle or maybe they lost all the CO2 during disgorgement. In either case, not worth the price. I also have a magnum, I'll try it soon to see if it fares better.
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1/17/2020 - Varchas wrote: 80 Points
I'm a Rhys fan but sorry, this is pretty dreadful. I'm supportive of the project and willing to bet they figure it out down the line but charging $80 for this is borderline criminal.
Nose is decent enough (some apple, brioche, etc) but palate had the perception of being cloyingly sweet with a bitter finish. It reminded me of the kind of sparkling wine an average hotel leaves in your room as a welcome gift: you drink it because it's free and there but after 1/3 of the bottle you have a headache and need some water to wash out the taste.
Maybe I'm being too harsh because it is a work in progress but this is no better than a $15-20 sparkling wine you can find at your local liquor store and for that Rhys deserves criticism for releasing it.
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1/14/2020 - LikeABC Does not like this wine:
don't put in a blind tasting with Champagne. It comes across as a cocktail bubbles that is overtly sweet. On it's own, it could be fine for those who like that style, but it's not my cup of tea at this point
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1/12/2020 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Rhys @ My Place--Part 5 (My House In The South OC): My first bottle of two that I bought. I have been eager to try this wine, to see how the Rhys sparkling project was coming along. In addition, I am aware of the early mixed reviews on this so my intent was to block out that distraction and assess the wine for what it is. I also realize there is some bias danger here, both because I dig the Rhys wines big-time, and I also buy and drink a lot of true Champagne so the additional effort to stay transparent and fair in my own assessment here is top of mind. I tasted this wine in two stages. The first yesterday, during our Rhys tasting event at my house, using this wine as the opener for the event. My notes yesterday say steely nose, green sour apple, honeyed stone fruit and pear, and a perception that I was drinking Berarwallow Chard with bubbles, but not a wine that used Bearwallow fruit to create a sparkler. My point is that the wine yesterday seemed more like a still wine that had bubbles added rather than a wine that was seeking to express a total experience, integrating fruit and bubbles to create something more than its parts. Fast forward then to today, the wine is mostly still from the few ounces left in the bottle. Aromatically, I still dig that part of the wine, as poured blind, you could fool me this wasn't from Avize or Vertus. Tasting the wine, I do find the wine to be lacking in complexity, today expressing an apple sauce core with a good dollop of honey mixed in, along with oranges and green apple. For me, this doesn't remind me of the sparkling I want to drink, as it does translate to something that is perceptibly sweet. So, while I like the aromatic, I find the palate lacking in compleicity. Knowing the winery, this is a work in process, and for context, damn this is their first try. But for those who want yet another honest opinion, you now have mine.
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1/11/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
Pale, golden yellow color. Straightforward Gala apple on the Nose, which was not complex. Medium bodied on the palate, with a much greater sense of sweetness than I prefer on my sparklers. Rich, medium-heavy; Red Delicious apple; short finish; 12.9% alc.. Overall, this wasn't bad; in fact, I'd even say "good" --- let's call it 85 – 87 points. It was quite accessible, which was nice, but it was just too heavy and sweet for me. The biggest problem here, however, is price --- this was released at $79, which is right in line with some very serious Champagnes, which, quite frankly, are better than this wine multiple times over for my palate. I think $30 - $35 for this would be appropriate, but I still wouldn't be a buyer because it's simply not my style.
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1/11/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Rhys Alpine/Horseshoe Tasting at Frank's (Frank Murray's Casa): Very strong white grape aromas. Sweet flavored fruits on the palate. Not much in the way of doughy, citrus or autolytic characters. Much more in the vein of a lighter sparkling wine than something like a Champagne. Sort of big round fruit expression versus the smooth regalness of higher end bubbles. We ended up with a vintage Bollinger on the table next to this which really brought the differences between a classic Champagne and this wine into focus. A nice, decent sparkling wine but nothing more. The low dose is remarkable though given the sweetness of flavor. As a low dose skeptic I think the decision to hold back helped keep this wine from being a caricature and let the fresh fruit show itself off.
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12/31/2019 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Served with lobster as part of a New Year’s Eve dinner, this was average at best. Had it been a $25 sparkler I would have been reasonably happy, but for the actual sticker price it was a pretty big let down. Blind I would have pegged it as the $20 Roederer Estate (my wife said the same thing before she saw the label), as the sweetness level was reminiscent of that wine, and the fruitiness on the same scale. OK for how we used it, but I feel somewhat ripped off that Rhys released such a simple wine for a high price.
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12/31/2019 - mdefreitas wrote: 86 Points
Meh... Very simple, with a rather sweet, grapey flavor profile. Inoffensive, easy drinking and passable. Just not much excitement here, especially given the price.
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12/31/2019 - rama wrote:
Citrus and lacto on the nose, candied lemon on the palate. That's about it.
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12/25/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Hint of brioche with lots of tart lemon on the nose. More tart citrus on the silky palate with a fine mousse. Really refreshing, good long finish, a charming wine that is highly approachable now. Great new offering from Rhys.
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12/16/2019 - dcwino wrote: 89 Points
A small impromptu dinner - 08 Champagne and Chateau Margaux (Clarity - Vienna, Virginia): This is fresher and cleaner compare to the 2014 Ultramarine. Unfortunately it lacks complexity and richness. The nose is straightforward, apple ad a hint of smoke. Medium concentration, coarse abundant mousse, fresh apple fruit, good acidity and mineral and a medium finish. It reminds me cremant de Loire. It is fresh but sharp and not terribly interesting.
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12/8/2019 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Sunday afternoon wines (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. From magnum. I thought this was a passable, unoffensive entry level champagne. The odd thing here was the sweetness, like some really poorly balanced dosage or something along those lines. I also thought this was a blend, as it didn't have the citrus purity of a blanc de blancs. Fine for what it is, but much less interesting once price is taken into consideration.
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12/1/2019 - Tree512 Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Tastes like a decent $20 cava. Clipped finish, fruit too ripe, no complexity. Zero relationship in style or quality with the rest of the Rhys portfolio.
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11/25/2019 - huevosconvino Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very sweet mouthfeel, candied lemon peel and toffee apple. Very lightly effervescent. Pink lemonade and yellow plum, and it stays really sweet. Fun to drink, but not very French in style...and that's fine! I liked it.
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11/16/2019 - dresden wrote: 93 Points
I agree, no brioche and great acidity with very nice mouthfeel. I think that this will be great in a few years, but it was excellent tonight. Will buy more next year. Would love to have this in 375 mL as I would drink it more often.
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7/26/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
July 2019 Rhys Visit--Taste The 2017s and some new stuff (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): Tasted at the winery. The bottle we tasted was hand disgorged and dosaged, as part of the dosage blending trials for the upcoming 2015 disgorgement. Neutral wood, around 13% ABV. Aromas of toast and some light lees. The core of this is about acidity, a brisk lemon. Green banana, orange/citrus and then closing with lime into a finish with good length. The texture here is round and just fuller in tone as compared to say the Mousse Les Varosses Anecdote I had this week from Cuisles, which was also Bdb. I am cognizant too of the risk here in trying to see a new project like this one from the context of Champagne. These are not the same wines, nor is CA=Champagne. With that context in front of me, what this first effort of Bearwallow shows is a wine that is brisker, with terrific acidity, expressing a CA feel. Exciting to see Rhys take on a project like this and work to find the inspiration of Champagne into the context of CA.
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7/26/2019 - brigcampbell wrote:
Full disclosure - this was a bottle made for the dosage testing and not the final bottling. It was hand disgorged and dosage was 1g/l which is the final dosage level for this vintage. The wine was cloudy because of the hand disgorgement but I noticed after an hour that much of the yeast and other particulate had settle in the bottom of the glass. This sat in neutral oak. There's a faint yeast aroma but was that from the critters floating in the glass or the wine itself and will it show in the final? No brioche either. Don't know the answer. There's yellow apple and lemon aromas. The texture of the wine is very fine, an elegant mouthfeel. Palate flavors, for me, were driven by unsweetened lemon curd, grapefruit, and blood orange. Rhys guys are very excited about this wine and I would agree, can't wait to trying the final results of all their efforts.
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