Winemaker Notes
-Wine Spectator
Dark, ruby red color; aromas of black cherry, espresso and nutmeg with hints of violets and dark plum; the flavors are cherry/blackberry and cola with fresh earth and mocha undertones, this is an elegant, fine grained wine with lots of supple textures, a rich creamy mouth feel and a long lasting berry and spice finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The next vintage tasted was the 2002 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard, which was a fabulous vintage in Northern California. Aged in 70% new French oak and 100% from the three Dijon clones of Pinot Noir, this wine, relatively powerful at 14.6% alcohol, showed notes of damp earth, sweet plum, black raspberry and forest floor, in a ripe, dense, surprisingly juicy, round, full-bodied style. This wine is in great shape and will continue to evolve for another 5-10 years.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.