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Wine Details
Price:
$55.00 per bottle
Description:
The 2003 Vintage started as a cold, wet and late one. It was a vintage of contrasts. The cold and very wet spring may have interfered with fruit set resulting in relatively light yields ranging between 1.9 and 2.9 tons per acre. We dry farmed 90% of our blocks with the relatively slow and cool summer allowing the fruit flavors to develop beautifully showing great balance and sugar accumulation. In early August, a small rain increased the powdery mildew pressure in one of our blocks, but had little influence on the high quality and balance of the fruit.
Harvesting the blocks between September 10th and 20th resulted in well balanced and refined wines. The fruit was gently put through a very slow whole cluster press cycle. The wines then started fermentation in stainless steel to retain the minerality which is the hallmark of the Hyde Vineyard fruit. Fermentation finished in French barrels and "foudre" with only 25% new oak and aged on lees for 11 months. Acid balance in the wines is very good giving way to an intense and broad mid palate. No filtration or fining was needed for this vintage. The 1,598 cases produced should have excellent cellaring potential.
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Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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