Winemaker Notes
Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay was the first wine produced under the Ramey Wine Cellars label. Hyde Vineyard is on the Napa side of the Carneros District. Summer temperatures are kept relatively cool by marine air flowing through the Petaluma Gap. Ancient creek beds provide drainage and add a scattering of rocks.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is age-worthy and expressive—the aromatic intensity is turned up and flavors are notably pure and in focus. It unfolds scents of lemon oil, Greek yogurt, petrichor, flint and underlying wafts of cheese rind as it spends time in the glass. The palate is youthfully taut, displaying the saline and tanginess characteristic of youthful Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay—this will require plenty of time to unwind in bottle.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard offers inviting notes of ripe pear, toasted brioche, and flinty reduction. The palate is structured and fresh, with melon, stone fruits, and delicate baking spice.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful and sleek up front, showing Honeycrisp apple, lemon blossom, Asian pear and Sumo orange flavors that are bright, fresh and heightened by crisp acidity. Delivers sea salt, white tea and nutmeg details on the finish, with a touch of fresh lemon thyme for aromatic flair. Drink now.
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.