Winter Release Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay
2022

Winemaker’s Notes

We select the upper two thirds of our 3.5-acre hillside parcel at Hyde Vineyard for this bottling – where the soil is leaner and the grapes smaller, offering maximum intensity. We’ve worked in this block since 2002, so we know the vines intimately – they're like family. And the Hyde team does a world class job of custom farming the vines to our precise organic specification. The fruit itself and wine it produces has a “Grand Cru” presence that is rare - anywhere. We harvest relatively early to capture all the vibrant detail and intensity of the vines - the driving mineral character that elevates quality and style. Each year this is a world class Chardonnay experience, and almost always, among the wines of the vintage.

The wine is beautiful in its deft balance between power and elegance with aromas and flavors akin to lemongrass and bee pollen, flint and green herbs, quince and white peach. The palate is electric, tangy and savory with tense mineral acidity, obvious density, and chewy texture. You could decant this for an hour before serving to hasten its development. Drink between 2025 and 2030 and serve no cooler than 55º F.

Andy Smith