Overview

Old World meets New World in this family partnership between the Hydes of Hyde Vineyard (Carneros, Napa), their cousin Pamela (née Fairbanks), and her husband, Aubert de Villaine, co-director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Burgundy). From the very first vintage in 2000, Hyde de Villaine wines have shown their pedigree, fusing the finesse and balance of Old-World winemaking with the exuberance of California fruit from the legendary Hyde Vineyard.

The Wines

Hyde de Villaine (HdV) Chardonnay is distinctive from its Californian counterparts for its minerality, structure and natural acidity, all of which provide a fresh, seamless wine that pairs beautifully with food. Sourced from older-vine blocks at Hyde Vineyard, the 30-plus-year-old vines produce a wine of character and concentration. This wine is aged in French oak (20 percent new) for 12 months, followed by three months in stainless steel and an additional 14 months of bottle maturation. Reminiscent of grand cru Burgundy, this wine will age gracefully for two decades.

Hyde de Villaine (HdV) Belle Cousine is a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from 22-year-old vines planted on the eastern edge of the Carneros District. Its name is a reference to Pamela Fairbanks de Villaine, Larry Hyde’s lovely cousin. It is Pamela who brings these visionary viticultural families from Burgundy and the Carneros region of Napa Valley together to make wines that express the character of place, with the rare minerality so dear to the Burgundian palate.

History

Old World meets New World in this family partnership between the Hydes of Hyde Vineyard (Carneros, Napa), their cousin Pamela (née Fairbanks), and her husband, Aubert de Villaine, co-director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Burgundy). From the very first vintage in 2000, Hyde de Villaine wines have shown their pedigree, fusing the finesse and balance of Old-World winemaking with the exuberance of California fruit from the legendary Hyde Vineyard.

Hyde de Villaine (HdV) represents the shared history, experience and vision of these two families. Bringing the rich traditions of France’s winemaking techniques, Aubert drives Hyde de Villaine’s viticulture and winemaking philosophy — one that espouses minimal intervention by the winemaker in order to express the varietal, the vineyard and the vintage. Larry brings a legacy of family farming in California and over four decades of experience growing wine grapes in Napa Valley, particularly Carneros. Aubert and Larry are both innovators with a desire for continuous improvement in the vineyard, and they have established a culture around the pursuit of excellence for Hyde de Villaine wines over the past 23 years.

The Coat of Arms

Hyde de Villaine’s labels bear the coat of arms of the De la Guerra family from which Pamela de Villaine and the Hydes descend. The De la Guerra family is one of the oldest winemaking families in California and traces its winemaking history back to a gold medal received at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Fair. This coat of arms symbolizes the sense of tradition, family and winemaking history that Hyde de Villaine embodies in its philosophy.