2003 Chardonnay

Purchase 2003 Chardonnay

91 POINTS - Wine & Spirits
"Aubert de Villaine grows Chardonnay and aligore in the Cote Chalonnais, though he's perhaps best known as the managing director of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Carneros grower Larry Hyde and de Villaine developed a partnership ins 1999, this Hyde Chardonnay now their fourth release. The wine is complex and earthy, with mineral tones set into brisk, lemony flavor. Bright, golden delicious apple flavors come up with air, as does a lot of youthful oak influence. Drink 2008 through '10 with seared yellowfin tuna."

Winemaker Notes
The 2003 Vintage started as a cold, wet and late one. It was a vintage of contrasts. The cold and very wet spring may have interfered with fruit set resulting in relatively light yields ranging between 1.9 and 2.9 tons per acre. We dry farmed 90% of our blocks with the relatively slow and cool summer allowing the fruit flavors to develop beautifully showing great balance and sugar accumulation. In early August, a small rain increased the powdery mildew pressure in one of our blocks, but had little influence on the high quality and balance of the fruit.

Harvesting the blocks between September 10th and 20th resulted in well balanced and refined wines. The fruit was gently put through a very slow whole cluster press cycle. The wines then started fermentation in stainless steel to retain the minerality which is the hallmark of the Hyde Vineyard fruit. Fermentation finished in French barrels and “foudre” with only 25% new oak and aged on lees for 11 months. Acid balance in the wines is very good giving way to an intense and broad mid palate. No filtration or fining was needed for this vintage. The 1,598 cases produced should have excellent cellaring potential.

Stéphane Vivier
Winemaker
HdV Wines


The HdV Chardonnay is ready to enjoy now and should continue to improve for another four to six years.

Purchase 2003 Chardonnay