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HdV- California wine's tour de force

By Darryl Beeson

Established in 2000, HdV stands for Hyde de Villaine, a partnership between the Hyde family of Napa/Carneros and the Villaine family of Burgundy. "Wines of the greatest quality are always an expression of the terroir from which they originate," explains winemaker Stéphane Vivier. "These great wines are not created in the winery."

Aubert de Villaine, married to the Hyde's cousin, Pamela F. de Villaine, is one of Burgundies most recognized players. As the proprietor of his own wine, A. & P. de Villaine, and as co-director of the important Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Aubert has spent his years with viticultural and enological practices. Though tradition and history may run heavily in his veins, his uncompromising desire to experiment and learn has brought him to the Napa Valley to work with his cousins.

Aubert was introduced to the wines of California in 1964, when he spent six months in the Napa Valley and interviewed Robert Mondavi for articles Aubert would write for the French Magazine Revue du Vin de France. At the time, Mondavi was the only one who had the vision for California and predicted the incredible growth that California would achieve. Aubert's interest to participate in the creation of HdV can partly be attributed to these times when he had the opportunity to share Robert Mondavi's vision during the long hours spent with Mondavi in his wagon at Charles Krug Winery. Learn more at
www.hdvwines.com.

HdV Chardonnay, Carneros 2003
Price $55
Rating 95
The sip is complex, lilting with hints of marmalade, butter and balanced oak. The length is rich and very long, powerful like a "velvet hammer" throughout. Serve this important white wine with thick, flame seared salmon steaks, or with sauteed veal in a rich butter and truffle laced sauce. This wine is crisp and well suited for complex foods.

HdV Syrah, Carneros 2004
Price $60
Rating 96
Scents of exotic aromas, textures and the rich color of HdV's Syrah are impressive. "A mélange of characteristics develop from the four clonal selections," explains winemaker Stéphane Vivier. "The wine is 100 percent Syrah; 50 percent of the grapes are fermented in open-top fermenters (to give elegance and balance) and 50 percent in closed top (to impart Syrah's distinctive austerity). The components are then blended in February and aged in 35 to 40 percent new French oak for 13 months (principally cooperages Rousseau and François Frères) and use of 30 percent puncheon barrel aging. Beginning with the 2004 vintage, the wine is unfined and unfiltered."

From one of the oldest farming families in California, Larry Hyde came to the Napa Valley more than 30 years ago with a great love of wine and the soil.  Larry first attended University of California, Berkeley, before moving onto University of California, Davis, to study chemistry. Larry got his first wine industry job as a vineyard worker at Ridge Vineyards in 1970, and in 1972, he bought a small wine press (from the owners of a small vineyard in Woodside) to explore home winemaking. Over the next five years,
he worked for several respected wineries gaining experience. In 1977, Larry left his job as a cellar worker at Joseph Phelps to purchase and transform the Carneros soils into what is now known as Hyde Vineyards. Nearly three decades later, Hyde Vineyards has become renowned for the unique expression of its Carneros terroir.

HdV Proprietary Red, Carneros 2002
Price $60
Rating 97
This is a "Right Bank" Bordeaux inspiration, being 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry resounds in the nose with complex mineral aspects. A sip shows the velvety tannins to be powerful, but in balance in the crisp array of fruit flavors. This powerful red will require time to show its stuff. At this point, decant and let the wine breath for a bit. Otherwise, give it a few years in the cellar.

"This wine is shaped by the winds of the Carneros which encourage transpiration of water from the fruit. This transpiration concentrates both the acidity and flavors that, in turn, create structure and a capacity for aging not often found in California wines," boasts winemaker Stéphane Vivier. "A blend of three selections of Merlot and one selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is developed around a core of Merlot with a strong infusion of Hyde Vineyards' distinct Cabernet Sauvignon characteristic of
gentle elegance. The wine is typically around 90 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, which can vary from vintage to vintage. Each selection is vinified individually, each seeing approximately 45-55 percent new French oak (cooperages: François Frères, Saint-Martin and Taransaud) for six months before the final blend is created and aged in 25 percent new French oak for approximately 12 months. The wine is gently fined and unfiltered prior to bottling."

Joining the HdV venture in 2002, winemaker Vivier brings refined skills in vineyard management and winemaking from around the world. Born in 1974 and raised in Meloisey, a small village near Saint-Romain in France's Burgundy region, Stéphane's skills were cultivated in the vineyards and cellars of Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet and further expanded through his work in Switzerland, New Zealand and finally in California's Sonoma Coast.

"The secret at Hyde Vineyards is its terroir - the vineyard produces ripe grapes with vibrant acidity, soft tannins and a distinctive minerality,"  says Vivier. "In Carneros, we make wines with the acids. Up valley, wines are made with the tannins."

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Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., "Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it."

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