Methode Sauvage Bloom Phase Red 2018

Bloom Phase is Methode Sauvage's take on the lighter, high-toned reds of the Southern Rhone. The 2018 is built around 70% whole cluster fermented Pinot Gris from Calaveras County in the Sierra Foothills, with 20% Syrah and 10% Grenache rounding out the blend. Pinot Gris, fermented on its skins with whole clusters, pulls double duty here: it gives the wine its pale ruby color, its aromatic lift, and the grip you'd expect from a red.

Calaveras County sits in the Sierra Foothills AVA east of the San Joaquin Valley, with vineyards planted at 1,500 to 2,400 feet on red clay and gravelly slopes over decomposed granite and volcanic soils. Warm days and cold nights driven by alpine air off the Sierra Nevada preserve acidity and keep the wine fresh despite the region's warm growing season.

Chad Hinds vinifies with native yeast, no added sulfites, and leaves the wine unfined and unfiltered. The result lands somewhere between a light red, a dark rosé, and a skin-contact white depending on how you serve it. Hinds describes it as the choose-your-own-adventure of red wines, and that framing is accurate.

At 12.5% ABV, Bloom Phase is an easy-reach bottle best served with a slight chill. The wine is bone dry, with lively acidity, a peppery and tropical nose, and a crunchy red fruit core that finishes clean.