2014 Hyde Vineyards Blanc de Blancs (1 x 750 mL)

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Larry Hyde founded Hyde Vineyards in 1979 on the Napa side of the Los Carneros AVA. During the past three decades, Hyde has mastered how the climate patterns, soil makeup and farming practices make a difference in his fruit, and in doing so essentially set a standard for Carneros grapes. Larry's son Chris has taken on a lead role in recent years. Hyde Vineyards have been listed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the "top five California vineyards" and they have long been hailed as grand cru-caliber.

This Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine is made exclusively from Hyde Chardonnay grapes. Small lots of malolactic- and barrel-fermented wines are added for complexity, and the wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for about four years prior to disgorgement. With its vibrant, fruitful and crisp nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, even decades following its initial release.

The Chardonnay vineyards surround the Hyde's house, located on the north side of Bayview Avenue just off of Sonoma Highway 12/121. Here the vines naturally produce exceptionally small crops of grapes with very small berries.The grapes produce juice with intense flavors and aromas. A gentle sun exposure and cool maritime influence preserves the acids, resulting in world-class Chardonnay fruit. The vibrant flavors and structure that come from the grapes of the Bayview Avenue area play a major role in our best Schramsberg wines year after year. We've enjoyed working with the Hyde family since the mid-1990s, consistently blending lots produced from their vineyards into our top Tête de Cuvée blends: J. Schram, Reserve and J. Schram Rosé.

Napa Valleys harvest of the 2014 vintage was unusually early, not surprising given the states ongoing drought. Substantial rain in late February and early March relieved most of the stress and set up the vines for a vigorous start. Early was the key word all season, from budbreak to veraison to harvest. Thankfully, the hotter months proved milder than most expected. Quality of the fruit was outstanding, with intense aromatics and great character.

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Tasting notes

This Blanc de Blancs delivers generous aromas of peach, lemon and pear, followed with hints of candied orange peel, honey and shortbread. Green apple, lime zest and lemon curd flavors give way to mid-palate notes of pineapple, toasted almond and ginger, leading to a zippy line of acidity on the finish.- Winemakers Sean Thompson and Hugh Dvies

Reviews

94 Points
Made entirely from Chardonnay from the famous site, this is a beautiful bottling, offering jasmine, wet stone and oyster shell on the nose. On the balanced palate, expect a richness of pear, apple and a touch of peach, with seamless acidity throughout.- Wine Enthusiast (May 2020)
93 Points
There's an attractive sense of complexity here with fresh, yeasty and biscuity aromas, as well as grilled lemons and peaches. The palate is packed with vibrant peach, pear and lemon flavors. Gently savory, fresh cashews at the finish.- James Suckling (January 2020)
92+ Points
The 2014 Blanc de Blancs Hyde Vineyard is a lovely sparkling with intense mineral character underlying notes of fresh bread, toast, baked apples and lemon cream on the nose. In the mouth, it has a medium weight and is dry with savory fruit character opposed by bright acidity and rocky notions. It has a rounded, creamy texture from its classy mousse and finishes long and understated.- Wine Advocate (Augut 2020)

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