I absolutely adore great California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with great terroir. One of the hallowed sites in the Carneros region, the ‘Hyde Vineyard’ is a site used by some of the great wineries in California including Ramey, DuMOL and many more. The vineyard is a historic site first planted in 1979. Hyde Estate wines are very young, with their first vintage in 2009. Finally in 2017 their winery and tasting room was opened, located in Napa. Today the ‘Hyde Vineyard’ totals 200 acres and works with over 30 wineries in the valley. Larry Hyde still manages the vineyards with the help of his son Christopher, and serves as a director on the Napa Valley Grape growers, Issues Committee and GWISS committee.
Hyde Estate makes a range of wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Syrah. I tried three of their wine that were awesome across the board. I loved the 2018 Hyde Estate Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is sinfully good with its salty terroir and ripe tropical and citrus fruits. I also was very impressed with their 2018 Hyde Estate Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which has a soft texture and wonderful range. Learn more about this outstanding winery at https://www.hydewines.com Here are the great new wines by Hyde Estate.
2018 Hyde Estate Chardonnay- The 2018 Hyde Estate Chardonnay is a downright awesome new bottling from this storied, 192 acre site in the Carneros AVA. Butterscotch and Meyer lemon cream fill the nose with baking spices and roasted pineapple tones. The palate shows off a downright sexy texture. Layers of buttercream, mango and lemon zest infused Challah bread all come together brilliantly on the palate. With great viscosity and length, this outstanding new Chardonnay will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2030- 94
2018 Hyde Estate Pinot Noir-A whiff of saline drenched Bing cherry immediately impresses on then nose, with cran-pomegranate and orange rind tones with hints of cola rounding out this beautiful bouquet. The palate is fresh and vibrant with wonderful viscosity. Layers of bright cherries and raspberries mingle with minerals, cola and underbrush tones on the palate. Fantastic in its youth, this outstanding new wine will cellar well for a decade or more. This is silky and concentrated Carneros Pinot Noir. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2016 Hyde Estate Merlot- the 2018 Hyde Estate Merlot shows lovely cherry tomato tones alongside mocha and tar with milk chocolate covered blackberry on this beautiful nose. The palate is elegant, showing good freshness and mid-palate ripeness. Layers of espresso bean and wild blackberry cobbler mingle with scorched earth and a light saline streak. The long finish lingers. Drink 2020-2033- 92