Merryvale Chardonnay, Hyde Vineyard, 2009
| Vintage: | 2009 |
| Wine Type: | White Wine |
| Varietal: | Chardonnay |
| Appellation: | Carneros |
| Alcohol %: | 14 |
Our 2009 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay is a wine that blends power with elegance. The signature minerality and intensity of the Hyde Vineyard are showcased along with aromas of ripe pear, fig, almond, toasted hazelnut, pineapple, tangerine and candied guava. The mouthfeel is creamy and elegant with very good acid. This is a chardonnay that will reward those with the patience to cellar it for a couple years before optimal drinking.
For most of the 2009 harvest in Napa Valley, things went smoothly. Early-ripening whites—Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc—and reds, namely Carneros Pinot Noir, were picked at optimal ripening levels, capping a summer of mild, steady weather. Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed the same ideal growing conditions until October, when a pair of strong storms dumped enough rain to worry growers. Wineries that waited out the deluge faced a mixed bag, but those who picked before the storms, including us, are very excited about the young wines’ overall quality and ripeness at slightly lower alcohol levels.
Hand sorted, whole-cluster pressed; 100% barrel fermented, 100% native yeast.; 100% malolactic fermentation, 100% native yeast; 17 months in French oak (47% new); Bottled without fining or filtration
Larry Hyde farms some of the most sought after grapes in the cool Carneros growing region of Napa. This wine is a blend of two blocks of Chardonnay from the Hyde Vineyard. The grapes are hand-picked, carefully sorted, whole cluster pressed and barrel fermented. The wine goes through 100% malolactic fermentation and spends 17 months in 47% new French oak.