Hyde de Villaine 2022 Chardonnay “De La Guerra” 96 Points

The De La Guerra Chardonnay from Napa Valley’s Los Carneros region is sourced from 35-year-old vines in the Hyde and Firetree vineyards. It features clones 4, 76, and 96, with a south-south exposure on Haire clay loam soil. This wine is aged for 15 months in 30% new French oak barrels and is unfiltered and unfined.

In celebration of the early years of the Hyde family’s winemaking history, this Chardonnay pays tribute to the Hyde family patriarch, Don Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, who built the adobe “Casa de la Guerra” in Santa Barbara in the early 19th century. The casa served as the social, cultural, and political epicenter of Santa Barbara, where the de la Guerra family began making wine, eventually receiving a gold medal at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Fair.

This wine showcases vibrant aromas of Asian pear, ripe pineapple, and yellow apple, with floral jasmine and mineral notes. The palate offers toasted almond undertones, tangerine zest, and a balance of weight and bright acidity, celebrating the rich tradition of California winemaking.

FMW 96 Points: “The 2022 HDV “De La Guerra” Chardonnay offers up flinty and bright fruit aromatics.  This lush, full-bodied white showcases an elegant body, loaded with pure fruit,  lime zest, green apple,  umami richness, and a whiff of minerality.  This lush wine offers both power and elegance. The final chapter offers bright, freshly-styled crushed white flowers, more apple fruit, and a touch of toasty vanilla to form a pleasant crescendo for this great youngster’s long finish.”