This is a predominantly Balance & Finesse wine, but it shares structural nuances of Rich & Full as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
Full bodied with plus acidity, this is an extroverted, yet elegant wine displaying ripe apple, melon, and toast, with more subtle citrus, ginger and mineral notes.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13.6%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Chardonnay may be the most versatile white wine grape, often seen as a blank canvas. It displays various flavors and aromas depending on where it is grown and more specifically, how it is made. It can range in Palate Character from Bright & Crisp to Rich & Full depending on the climate. It is also particularly malleable and highly affected by winemaking choices like as malolactic fermentation, lees stirring, barrel fermentation and ageing practices.
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.
Melon
Toast
Ginger
