2020 HDV Vineyard Ygnacia Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

James Suckling 94 Points - "Aromas of blackberries and spices, as well as iodine, hibiscus and wet earth. Full-bodied with plenty of fruit and tar and spices. It’s flavorful with lots of blue fruit and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold."

Vinous 92 Points - "The 2020 Pinot Noir Ygnacia Hyde Vineyard is an attractive wine. The 2020 has a slightly gamy quality and the fruit is a touch muted, but all things considered, this is a very good wine for the year. Bright red/purplish fruit, spice and lavender open with a bit of coaxing. In 2020, the Ygnacia is not quite as effusive aromatically as it can be."

About Winery

Hyde de Villaine (HdV) is a prestigious winery in Napa Valley, born from a collaboration between two legendary winemaking families: the Hyde family of California and the de Villaine family of Burgundy, France. The partnership was solidified through the marriage of Pamela Fairbanks, cousin of Larry Hyde, to Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), one of the most revered wine estates in the world.

Founded in 2000, HdV combines Old World finesse with New World vibrancy, producing wines exclusively from the Hyde Vineyard in Carneros. This vineyard, established by Larry Hyde in 1979, is renowned for its cool climate and loamy soils, ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. HdV’s winemaking philosophy emphasizes minimal intervention, allowing the vineyard’s terroir to shine through. They employ organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices, and their wines undergo full malolactic fermentation to balance the naturally high acidity of the fruit.

HdV’s wines are known for their refinement, minerality, and age-worthiness, often described as more French in style than Californian. The winery’s label features the de la Guerra family crest, honoring Larry Hyde’s ancestral lineage, which traces back to one of California’s earliest winemaking families.