The Wines of Hyde de Villaine: A Slice of Burgundy in the Heart of Napa!

de Villaine, Hyde & Vivier

During our trip to California last month, we had the pleasure of discovering a very special yet easily overlooked gem nestled among a landscape of grand entrances and impressive architecture in the Napa Valley.

Hyde de Villaine, or HdV, is an unassuming winery with a very impressive pedigree. It is first and foremost a family affair, representing a collaboration between Hyde Vineyards of Napa Valley and Aubert and Pamela de Villaine of Burgundy. The connection? Aubert de Villaine's wife, Pamela happens to be Larry Hyde's first cousin.

Larry Hyde was born into one of California's oldest farming families and brought his love of wine and soil to the Napa Valley over thirty years ago. In 1979 he made the decision to purchase the land in Carneros that would later become Hyde Vineyards, and his career has been devoted to the expression of Carneros terroir. Aubert de Villaine is one of Burgundy's most well-known and respected individuals. He is proprietor of one of the world's most legendary wine estates, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, also referred to as DRC, which produces some of the world's most renowned wines, which also happen to be some of the most expensive. In addition to DRC and HdV, he also owns and operates A & P de Villaine with his wife Pamela in Bouzeron. To their partnership in the Napa Valley, de Villaine brings the foundation upon which HdV bases its theory and practices.

Stéphane Vivier & Moi

During our visit to the winery we had the pleasure of meeting Stéphane Vivier, winemaker for HdV since 2002. The charming and affable Vivier was born and raised in France and has studied winemaking and viticulture in Burgundy a number of other countries around the world including Switzerland, New Zealand and California. His goal as winemaker is to channel the nuance and elegance of Burgundy through the prism of exceptional California fruit and Carneros terroir. HdV was established in 2000 and definitely falls into the category of a boutique winery. The winery's total yearly production is just 3,000 cases with all of the fruit being sourced from Hyde Vineyards. Vivier shared much about the history of the winery and guided us through a delightful tasting of the HdV wines. 

The Lineup!

There is a rich historic legacy behind the wines of HdV. Featured prominently on the bottles is a coat of arms representing the de la Guerra family, one of the oldest documented families in California. Pamela de Villaine and the Hydes are descendants of this family and the presence of the coat of arms is meant to symbolize the sense of tradition, family and winemaking history embodied in this endeavor.

Our tasting of the HdV wines began with the 2010 De La Guerra Chardonnay ($45). On the nose were inviting aromas of citrus and minerals followed by a fresh and focused palate featuring subtle nuances of oak that beautifully highlighted the wine's floral and citrus notes. Made from from 15-17 year old vines this wine was aged in  a combination of neutral oak, concrete egg and stainless steel for eight months. Vivier eschews the use of batonnage or lees stirring and has refrained from using it since 2005. His reason? To truly capture the Carneros terroir in the glass, not the winemaking. He likens battonage to makeup used to conceal flaws and stressed the importance of doing the work in the vineyard in order to avoid compensating through various winemaking techniques. This wine demonstrated a delightful integration of Burgundian elegance and California opulence.

Next was the 2009 HdV Chardonnay ($60) crafted from 20-30 year old vines. A study in restrained elegance, this wine had subtle notes of citrus, stone fruit and spice with a lovely mineral character. It was aged for 15 months, 12 months in oak (20% new) as well as stainless steel. Vivier stressed the importance of stainless steel in the production of his Chardonnays explaining how it, "brings focus to the wines." The '09 Chardonnay is also unfiltered and unfined further demonstrating his "hands-off" approach to winemaking that truly lets the exceptional Hyde vineyard terroir shine through. Like the '10 De La Guerra, this wine was beautifully balanced although with more complexity.

Our first red wine of the tasting was the 2007 HdV "Californio" Hyde Vineyard Syrah ($50) whose name refers to the early California settlers or "Californios" who brought Old World sophistication to the Western shores of the US. This lovely Rhone-inspired selection was crafted from 12-15 year old vines and was rife with notes of black currant, roasted herbs and black pepper as well as a lovely minerality. As with each wine before it, it was well-balanced and very approachable although it could benefit from some bottle age as well. When asked what dish he would recommend pairing with this wine, Vivier had two different yet delicious suggestions: Ahi Tuna with soy sauce and sesame oil, or the French classic Blanquette de Veau.

Our final wine of the tasting was the 2007 HdV Belle Cousine ($60) which translates to "beautiful cousin," so named for Pamela de Villaine, Larry Hyde's first cousin. A Bordeaux-inspired blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon this wine exhibited enticing notes of black currant, sweet cedar and spice along with firm, chewy tannins. Much like the Syrah the '07 Belle Cousine was approachable yet would also benefit from some additional time in the bottle. As with all the other wine we sampled, the Belle Cousine was deliciously food friendly and had me instantly craving roasted lamb.

If you are a fan of Burgundy or enjoy a more restrained, elegant style of wine, the wines of Hyde de Villaine are a definite must! A big thank you to Stéphane for taking the time to meet with us and if you happen to be out in the Napa Valley be sure to add a stop to HdV to your itinerary.

Cheers,

Interview with Wine Spectator Executive Editor Thomas Matthews: Part 3!

What are your thoughts on social media and how it has affected the wine industry? 

It seems right now that’s its still kind of a tempest in a teapot. I mean, there’s definitely a tempest, but it seems like it’s still kind of a small teapot. I’m sure as it develops it will have a broader and broader impact on culture as a whole and will be a more and more important part of a publication or media company that wants to get its message out and retain and interact with its readers. Wine Spectator has a Facebook Page and we're on Twitter, a few of our editors tweet but it's still kind of limited as we understand how people are using it. I would say our magazine readers are still not really social media people, and my guess is that most of our website users are not active either, but we do need to find a way to engage with the people who are engaged. I think the bottom line is real engagement with real people and how to really maximize that through social networks and we’re still experimenting.

Generally speaking, what are your thoughts on wine bloggers? 

You know people blog for so many different reasons from so many different angles that I think it's impossible to generalize. You have the trade people who are talking about the trade, you’ve got the explorers who are kind of learning and their blog mirrors their progress as they’re learning and that’s useful. Then there’s a few that are trying to be aggregators or pot stirrers so I don’t think you can really generalize, but it’s clear that some people are creating brands for themselves which they may or may not be able to monetize. I think, bottom line, the ones that I tend to go back to have a clear personal voice and point of view. They have a knowledge and a passion about wine you can see, and their content is educational enough so that there’s a reason to read it.
    

Was there one particular bottle of wine that sparked your love of wine? 

Many people have that epiphany bottle, but that never really happened to me. I mean really for me, I had drunk wine in college and after college and I thought I was learning about wine because I knew the difference between Margaux and Chateau Margaux but I had never really drunk any ‘great’ wine or nothing that really stuck in my mind. Just drinking the wine at the property [in Bordeaux] with the food that the woman cooked with the workers under the sun, that was enough. Since then of course I’ve had the great good fortune of drinking incredible wines and many of them have marked me in indelible ways but I wouldn’t say it was because of a bottle of wine that I fell in love with wine, it was really more the people and the place. 

What’s your favorite everyday wine?

A $15, 88-pointer from anywhere around the world. I mean I buy most of the wine that I drink. I have some very good retail shops in my neighborhood that I have good relationships with, so I’ll go in and ask them what they’ve tried that’s interesting, or I’ll read about something in a magazine that I’ll want to try, or I’ll just pick a wine because it’s from a place that I don’t know about. But on the other hand, my mother-in-law lives on our ground floor and she is a great cook and a real wine lover and unfortunately she’s developed a taste for Burgundy. So when I go down to her place for dinner, I have to take a Burgundy. I mean she’s ok with a Macon, but if I take a Chassagne she’s really happy, and if I take a Corton-Charlemagne she’ll cook me a Blanquette de Veaux. 

What are some of your favorite food and wine pairings? 

I like the classic pairings because I like the classic dishes and the classic wines like a Barolo with a Brasato, or a Burgundy with a Coq au Vin, or Bordeaux with lamb those are kind of where my tendencies go but I don’t feel like we should be that strict with ourselves most of the time. It’s fun to try to engineer a perfect match and it’s thrilling when it happens but I think random serendipity is also fun to try and some things happen that you wouldn’t really expect. When I was in Bordeaux I stayed for a night with my friends I met back in 1986 when I was living in the little village. He cooked fresh Brittany scallops that he does with a black pepper and bitter chocolate sauce and he served a 2007 Saumur Blanc. I mean that’s not a wine I would pick up off a wine shelf, and yet there was something about the mellowness of the Saumur that kind of nestled in with the sauce that was kind of hauntingly almost sweet and then there was the acidity that Chenin Blanc always has that picked up on the scallops so it just kind of "whoa"!

What would you like more people to know about Wine Spectator?

At Wine Spectator we’re critics yes, but we are educators first and foremost. Our goal is to help people understand the world of wine and find their way into it in a way that suits themselves. We’re not trying to lead anybody by the nose, we’re trying to encourage people to learn and engage and develop their own sense of joy and wonder and pleasure in wine. 

Secondly, we’re trying to be very professional about what we do. We have a big staff that takes a lot of resources, but we want to be fair and objective and authoritative in our wine reviews and balanced and authoritative in our stories. Really, it’s a mission of ours to be credible so that people will trust us as guides as they follow their own journey into wine. I think sometimes people see us as too commercial or as heavy-handed authorities, but we’re just a bunch of people who are passionate about wine who are trying to bring other people and ignite their passions for wine as well. I mean that’s been my journey, it was all serendipitous, it was kind of accidental and driven by passion and hope and risk and luck.

A big thank you to Thomas Matthews for sharing his fascinating story and helpful advice for those who are passionate about wine or interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry. To read the previous installments of this interview, please check out Part 1 and Part 2 here on The Glamorous Gourmet.
 

Cheers,

Meet the Boca Bacchanal Vintners: Burgundy's Maison Joseph Drouhin!

With the kickoff to the 10th Annual Boca Bacchanal just over a week away, I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce you to our wonderful vintners who'll be participating this year.

First up is Maison Joseph Drouhin hailing from Burgundy, France one of the worlds most renowned wine regions. Laurent Drouhin, one of Joseph Drouhin's four grandchildren, will be representing his family's wines at Boca Bacchanal this year. Laurent and his three siblings (Philippe, Véronique and Frédéric) represent the fourth generation of the family and are all involved in the operations of the family estate.

Laurent Drouhin

Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in 1880 and is one of the largest estates in Burgundy, including over 182 acres of vineyards in Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cotes de Beaune, and Cote Chalonnaise. More than two-thirds of the estate's vineyards are classified as Premier and Grand Cru and with close to 90 different appellations, the estate offers a very comprehensive array of Burgundy terroirs. Maison Joseph Drouhin is  known for crafting wines that are reflective of their individual terroir and vintage, and in a sincere effort to preserve the individuality of each appellation, the Drouhin firm constantly strives for wines of breed, finesse and elegance.

Responsible agricultural practices are also very important to the family, which subscribes to an organic and biodynamic approach. Only natural products are used in the vineyards and the soil which reflects the family's dedication "to bring natural answers to natural problems." In recognition of its ecologically responsible practices, Maison Joseph Drouhin was awarded Organic Certification for all grapes grown within its vineyards starting with the 2009 vintage. This certification comes almost twenty years after organic practices were introduced by Philippe Drouhin in the early 1990's, shortly after joining the family estate.

Laurent Drouhin and Me

I recently had the opportunity to meet Laurent and taste through Maison Joseph Drouhin's offerings from the 2009 vintage. Like many years ending in a "9" (1999, 1989, 1969, 1959 and 1949), 2009 proved to be quite exceptional. While not an "easy" vintage, the end result was wines with a lovely expression of fruit and great structure that beautifully reflected their respective terroirs. Although enjoyable now, the 2009's have excellent potential for aging as well. 

Some personal favorites of the 2009's were whites such as the Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir which Laurent suggested pairing with scallops or even tuna tartare with wasabi. For the deliciously creamy and divine Clos des Mouches Premier Cru Blanc he suggested the simple (yet decadent) flavors of grilled lobster with butter, salt and pepper. Among the reds, the Volnay was light and lovely and perfect for pairing with a selection of charcuterie while the elegant and seductive Chambolle-Musigny was a natural pairing for game. 

On Friday March 23rd, Maison Joseph Drouhin will be paired with Chef Ken Frank of La Toque for one of the six Vintner Dinners. You can also enjoy these Burgundian beauties and sample the stellar 2009 vintage at the Bacchus Bash on Saturday night and at Sunday's Grand Tasting. Hope to see you there!


Cheers,

Winesday with Gary Vee: a White Burgundy Sure to Make Shellfish Sing!

This week, Gary's got a hot tip on a lovely white Burgundy that's perfect for you shellfish fans out there! Check out what he has to say about the 2009 Domaine Gilbert Picq Chablis 1er Cru Vosgros:

 

"Nothing says summer like some mollusks. I absolutely adore shellfish of all kinds, especially west coast Kumamoto oysters. Now, this pairing might sound cliché… and as a general rule, I think it’s overrated… but this 2009 Gilbert Picq Vosgros Chablis 1er Cru is a quintessential “oyster wine”. It’s got great viscosity and weight, but all the acid to keep it food friendly. Many wine writers have criticized the 2009 vintage in White Burgundy for lacking acid for long term aging, but this wine will age into the next decade, no problem. I tasted more than fifty 2008 & 2009 White Burgundies in my most recent newsletter, and no other bottle was better fit for summer afternoons with a half-dozen bivalves!"

Gary's tasting notes: "Aromatically a little more interesting than the village level, with some fresh lychee and grassy components. Then on the palate this wine has beautiful viscosity and extremely focused fruit. I love the mid palate transition to the finish, which make it a very technically sound wine... like John Stockton in basketball. It also has wonderful integration of flavors. Word on the street is that the '09 Chablis don't carry the same acid that the '08s, however this wine will fool you into thinking otherwise. Cellar it 10-15 years easy. Picq continues to peak."

 

2009 Domaine Gilbert Picq Chablis 1er Cru Vosgros

100% Chardonnay

90+ points

$27 MSRP

"Quick" Coq Au Vin and a Fabulous French Red!

The other night, my friend Tony Ventura, wine writer extraordinaire and fabulous cook, mentioned he was making Coq Au Vin on a very snowy night in Buffalo, NY. With the cold weather finally upon us here in South Florida, I quickly asked him if he would be kind enough to share his recipe - I just knew it would be a good one. Wow, was it ever!

He shared a quick version of the classic French recipe which is a rustic, braised, chicken dish made with wine, mushrooms, and lardons (bacon). While Coq Au Vin is typically made with Burgundy, many regions of France have their own variations using their local wine including coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace), coq au Champagne, and so on. The most extravagant version is coq au Chambertin, but this generally involves Chambertin more in name than in practice. I have to say, the recipe was delicious, extremely easy to make, taking about thirty minutes from start to finish. I served it over egg noodles and it was the perfect dish for a wintery night in Buffalo or Delray Beach!

Despite the above-mentioned suggestions, I used a red wine from Southern France, specifically the Languedoc's Minervois AOC. The 2006 Gérard Bertrand Minervois is a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Carignan, rife with blackberry and roasted coffee with hints of mocha on the finish. The wine has great minerality, indicative of the region's soils, ample tannins and a food friendly acidity. It was a nice match for the Coq Au Vin and a great value as well! What's not to love about that?

So do yourself a favor and hit the store tonight, pick up the few ingredients you don't already have in your fridge and treat your family or friends to a delicious French dish. Also be sure to check out Tony's fabulous wine column "Tony's Tastings" on the website Ciao Italia with MaryAnn Esposito. Thank you, Tony!

Bon Appétit,



Coq au Vin (Rapide)

From Debra F. Weber, Your Guide to French Cuisine.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
12 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/3 cup diced Canadian bacon
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste

PREPARATION:
1. In a large zip-lock plastic bag, combine the flour, thyme, and salt. Add chicken and shake to coat.
2. Over med-high heat in a large non-stick skillet, heat oil. Add chicken and cook until browned ~ about 8 minutes. Remove.
3. Add mushrooms and bacon and sauté 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the wine, broth and tomato paste and cook 10 minutes.
5. Return chicken to the pan; cook 8 minutes.