Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, forest floor, earth, underbrush and dried nutmeg. The palate shows a beautiful, savory undertone throughout, which only adds to the enjoyment of the pretty berries, the bright acidity and the sturdy tannins. Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard is profoundly scented of black cherries, black raspberries and redcurrants with touches of forest floor, black soil, stewed tea and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it offers mouth-filling red and black berry flavors with a firm line of fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing spicy.
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Wine & Spirits
With its red-cherry freshness and cranberry crush, this wine lasts on sweet and vibrant fruit. There’s a warm earthiness to ground that high-toned fruit, followed with darker spice. This grows at the vineyard Larry Hyde established in 1979; it’s one of the sites that helped establish the identity of Carneros for pinot noir and chardonnay. He now farms it with his son, Chris.
As early as the 1970s Carneros became known as a source of terrific Pinot Noir, and was one of the first California regions to gain such a reputation. The combination of sunny days, cooling fog and thin clay soils are tailor-made for the variety. Another factor in Pinot Noir’s prominent place here is vintners’ willingness to experiment widely. The history of the grape in Carneros is marked by continuous research into clonal variations, viticultural techniques and site selection. Careful evaluation over time has revealed a signature flavor profile as well. Complex aromas and flavors of cherry, red berry, spice, earth and cola appear time and again in Carneros Pinot Noir. To this day the appellation remains one of California’s standard bearers for the variety.