Chardonnay
Often described as "very Burgundian", our chardonnays are distinctive among their California counterparts for their unique minerality and balance. Aged in French oak, the minerality and natural acidity of these wines provide a remarkably crisp wine which pairs beautifully with food and ages with elegance. Our chardonnay blends selections which each provide a unique palette of characteristics:
- Calera selection is certainly the heart and soul of the wine. With excellent natural acidity and emanating the Hyde Vineyards' defining mineral qualities, the Calera selection lends the freshness and structure to the wine.
- Coming from vines up to twenty-five years old, our Hyde selection gives this wine enormous breadth and roundness with wonderful concentrations of fruit.
- Robert Young provides a youthful, sensual, almost sexual component with noticeable characteristics of tropical fruit and ripe summer apricot.
"...a wine hinting of a bold new direction in top California Chardonnay." Ron Wiegand Restaurant Wine
2006 HdV Chardonnay
The 2006 vintage was a year of eventful extremes. Despite significant flooding in parts of Napa Valley, winter rains did little damage at Hyde Vineyard where the shallow soils drain extremely well. Rain continued into spring delaying bud break by a few days. Mid-spring provided improved weather, as Hyde Vineyard experienced bloom along with a near perfect fruit set. A ten-day heat-spike in July caused sporadic sunburn on various exposed clusters shutting down growth and hindering maturation for nearly two weeks. Sunburned clusters were carefully removed before veraison. Finally, the weather normalized through the month of August and the remainder of the season, consisting of morning fog and flavor concentrating winds.
The nose exudes intense fruit characteristics ranging from ripe peach and apricot to tropical lychee and wet stone aromas. Powerful and complex flavors contrasted by a pure and refined structure. Similar to the 2004 HdV Chardonnay, the 2006 vintage is balanced with a tense acid structure providing finesse and purity. The mouth feel is broad and seamless giving way to a serious finish. The wine expresses an abundance of Hyde Vineyard fruit while maintaining the trademark HdV minerality. Recommended pairing with a wild mushroom or seafood risotto for a balanced dining experience.
-- Stéphane Vivier, Winemaker, HdV Wines
2007 de la Guerra Chardonnay
The overriding theme of the 2007 season was the consistent dry weather. The characteristic temperate Carneros climate conditions existed through harvest only supported by extremely low amounts of early season precipitation. Fortunately, we did not endure heat spikes normally associated with August and September. The reward was small berries and clusters magnifying the brilliance of Hyde Vineyard. As a consequence, our 2007 vintage emphasizes concentration and depth in accord with the HdV trademarks of elegance, balance and minerality. Simply put, it was a vintage for the ages...
The nose expresses a litany of pure, bright Chardonnay characteristics rarely found together: Pear, cinnamon, clove, roasted peach, lime rind, honeydew with hints of grapefruit. A strong core of minerality and acid exist providing a rich mouth-feel of orange and nectarine with a finish of sweet spices. The 2007 de la Guerra is balanced, elegant and persistent leaving your palate refreshed.
-- Stéphane Vivier, Winemaker, HdV Wines