Winemaker Notes
This wine opens with enticing aromas of citrus zest, honey, and spice. The palate is lively and textured, featuring flavors of crunchy green apple, lemon cream, and a touch of sea salt for a balanced and refreshing finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fermented and aged in 100% large new-oak barrels, this is a tradition-breaking, linear wine from the famous Hyde Vineyard in Carneros. Using Musque clone vines, it brings a slightly floral, peachy, jicama-tasting wine that’s light-bodied, mineral laden and energized with acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Abundant flavors of mixed citrus are deepened by crushed and spiced almonds and a hint of toasted pecan. Impressive concentration greets the palate with generosity, yet no heaviness, followed by a lengthy, compelling finish.
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Wine Spectator
Opens with a distinct note of sea salt minerality on a sleek and juicy frame, with an intense core of Meyer lemon and green apple, plus hints of pear, pomelo and fresh citrus zest. White tea, apple blossom and ginger details linger on the fresh finish. Drink now. 547 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay Hyde was matured for six months in 100% new French oak. It opens with youthful touches of crème caramel over a core of yellow apples, jasmine and saline. The palate balances bright, linear acidity with a rounded, mouth-coating texture. It offers concentrated, mineral-driven flavors and has a long, salty finish.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard shows the brighter side of this well-known site. Even so, it retains lovely textural nuance. Dried lemon peel, spice, mint, chamomile and dried flowers all grace this super-expressive Chardonnay.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.