Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from what Hyde calls "Small Cluster Clone" vines, producing very small yields, this wine went through natural primary and malolactic fermentations in Saury and Damy barrels. It is due to be bottled without fining or filtration. A barrel sample, the 2018 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard bursts from the glass with electric lime cordial, green mango and fresh grapefruit notes plus nuances of honeysuckle, coriander seed and lemongrass and a waft of chalk dust. Medium-bodied, elegantly styled and yet super intense in the mouth, it has a beautiful satiny texture and a wonderfully racy backbone, finishing very long and mineral laced.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Cuvée Susan has a ripe, lush bouquet of pineapple, peach, honeysuckle, and toasted spices that just jumps from the glass. This carries to a rich, textured, beautifully layered Chardonnay that has good acidity, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s another impressive Chardonnay from this team.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
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.