Description
One of my favorites in the lineup was the 2016 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard, which comes from 23-year-old vines planted in one of the reference point vineyards in Carneros. Lemon, apricot, spice, flower oils, and tangerine skin are just some of the nuances here, and it builds with time in the glass. Deep, awesomely concentrated, and structured, yet still seamless and weightless, give it a year or two, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the coming 10-15 years.
- Country: United States
- Region: California
- Appellation: Carneros
- Size: 750ml
- Color: White
Varietal
Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.