This wine is of very limited quantity. As such, the Digital Somm did not get a taste, but you can! Unfortunately, while that means there is limited detailed information and no Digital Somm recommendations associated with rating the wine, you do still receive loyalty points, so cheer up!
Cabernet Sauvignon origins are from the Gironde in southwest France, but is now planted across the world in climates that accommodate this late ripening grape. It is the dominant grape in wines made in Bordeaux’s Médoc and Graves regions. This small, thick-skinned grape, produces darkly colored wine, high in tannin and relatively high in acidity with hallmark aromas of blackcurrant and can stylistically change from austere in its youth to lush depending on the region, and winemaking style.
Merlot
20%Mer-LO
It would be easier to detail where Merlot is not grown than vice-versa, as it is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. Depending on the terroir, the style can vary quite a bit. Generally, Merlot is fleshy and more fruit driven and with less aggressive tannins than its oft more austere blending partner, Cabernet Sauvignon, which also makes it more accessible in its youth. The quality and character can vary from crowd pleasing sweet plummy fruit to extraordinary complex velvety texture of a great right bank Bordeaux.
Hyde de Villaine unites two titans of the winemaking world, Larry Hyde and Aubert de Villaine, who is married to Pamela Hyde, Larry’s cousin. Marriage (and complementary skill sets) brought these two families together where they now make wine in Carneros under their HDV label.
Hyde de Villaine produces wine primarily from Larry’s Hyde Vineyard, located in Carneros. The 100-acre property, founded in 1979, is a sustainably farmed and biodiverse vineyard planted on shallow loam soils and cooled by coastal breezes.
Hyde de Villaine showcases some of the finest California terroir through a limited range of wines with a focus on chardonnay. Stylistically, the wines are bold yet nuanced, buttressed by ample acidity and minerality, revealing the complexities of California’s terroir.
