Napa Valley Red Wine
A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a wine that we craft true to the terroir. Year after year the winds of the Carneros shape this wine by encouraging transpiration of water from the fruit. This transpiration concentrates both the acidity and flavors that, in turn, create structure and a capacity for aging not often found in California wines.
A blend of three selections of merlot and one selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is developed around a core of merlot with a strong infusion of Hyde Vineyards' unique Cabernet Sauvignon characteristic of gentle elegance.
Because the market requests it, we release the wines after only a couple of years, however we strongly encourage three to five years of cellaring to begin to understand the potential of this wine.
2004 Belle Cousine
Five years of viticultural dedication amidst the HdV Merlot and Cabernet vines at Hyde Vineyard has produced a wine worthy of a new name: "Belle Cousine." The name honors our beautiful cousin who linked the two families of HdV when she departed the shores of California for a life amidst the vineyards of Burgundy.
Ten days of unusually warm weather in early March jumpstarted the 2004 growing season to a three week head start. The season then slowed. In late spring, the weather at Hyde Vineyard was cool and unsettled, but rain free. Finally, the quintessential Hyde Vineyard weather appeared, foggy mornings and warm afternoons with gentle winds - enough to concentrate flavors and sugars. The young Merlot selection was harvested just before the temperature soared in early September. The remaining Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon withstood the heat and the result is a concentrated and aromatic wine.
In the glass, this wine opens into an intense mosaic of spice, blackberry, red fruits, and sweet vanilla. Following this aromatic performance, the wine surges forth with a dense core of black cherry and hickory smoke. Peppered with notes of spice, red fruits, and sweet vanilla, soft mineral tannins accompany the black cherry core through the mid-palate and on to a long finish. The 2004 HdV Belle Cousine currently favors decanting an hour before serving. It should continue to improve for another six to twelve years.
--Stéphane Vivier, Winemaker, HdV Wines