Massican Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard 2023 750ml

Winemaker Dan Petroski sources this fruit from the eponymous Hyde Vineyard, one of California’s most famous and historic Chardonnay sites. It was founded by Larry Hyde in Carneros in 1979; the Musque clone of Chardonnay that Dan uses in this wine was planted in 1992. Honeyed aromatics show a tremendous depth bolstered by such lively acidity and brilliant saline character with seaspray lifting honey-drizzled peaches. The palate shows as Old World; fresh nectarines, smoky grilled lemon slices and a glorious sea salt are cut by a filigreed minerality that carries elegantly into the finish.

• Country: United States
• Region: California
• Appellation: Napa Valley
• 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.