phenomenal wineries including Kenzo Estate and Futo Wines. Unfortunately, the Kenzo wines were way beyond my price point and too restrained for my likes, and the Futo wines were already sold out to their mailing list. At over $250 a bottle, I told myself it was for the best.That brings us to the sunny patio at Bouchon in Yountville, where we promptly ordered croque madame sandwiches with frites and a bottle of the 2009 De La Guerra Chardonnay.
Produced by Hyde de Villaine, a partnership between Larry Hyde (who owns vineyards in Carneros) and Aubert de Villaine (of the famed Domaine Romanee-Conti in Burgundy), this Chardonnay is crisp and clean with elegant green apple flavors, mineral, slate, and a slight nuance of citrus zest. With the rich, buttery sandwiches, it was an exceptional pairing.
When I tasted it again with Eddy in the Hyde de Villaine barrel room in Napa, this Chardonnay was just as delicious as I remembered it (after a full day of wine tasting, sometimes our taste buds and memory can become skewed). And it is easy on the wallet, too, at $40 a bottle.
The 2008 HdV Chardonnay is the fuller-bodied older sister to the De La Guerra. It is made from 19- to 29-year-old vines and aged in more new French oak. It is Burgundian in style, with more opulent tropical fruit flavors and a creamier mouthfeel.
To my surprise, HdV also produces red wines, too. We sampled the 2007 Californio (not a spelling mistake), which is a fruity Syrah, and the 2007 Belle Cousine, a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
I am thrilled to report that I enjoyed all four of the wines. Eddy was an informative and very hospitable host. Even if you're not a Chardonnay fan, HdV is definitely worth a visit.
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