Fall Release Hyde Vineyard Clare Chardonnay
2013

Winemaker’s Notes

From the exact same vines as its 2012 stable mate, but a very different wine and a pure reflection of this precise, structured season. The wine has great natural density and obvious power but it’s delivered in a manner that emphasizes clarity and precision, to an extent that’s rare in any chardonnay. It’s a wine of complementary contrasts: plush yet angular, broad but crisp, multi-layered yet dynamic and saline. The iodine/quinine complexity these mature vines deliver is on full display and the wine has a tannic persistence on the finish that reminds me of the 2004 Clare vintage, another early-ripening season. It’s rare for us to actually bottle all the wine we make each year as we tend to declassify individual barrels prior to blending, but in 2013 we made thirty-nine barrels of Hyde Chardonnay and each one is present in this final blend. Don’t miss this spectacular young chardonnay. It sets a new standard for us – the wine of the vintage.

Spicy savory aromas: juniper, wild sage and fennel before fruit arrives. Fresh crunchy apple, stone fruits, apricot and melon. Richness builds but always a slate, sea shell edge. Intense lemon/lime oil palate, white pepper then richer oatmeal and almond paste. Coursing mineral vein from start to finish. Mid-palate opens up with obviously depth and power but always tense, energetic structure and long lingering persistent acidity. Drink between 2016 and 2021.

Andy Smith