Any tasting notes? It’s available for an absurdly low price at a local store.
How low?
$20 to $25? If so, it’s worth a gamble on 1 to try. I thought it was a little green.
Good guess! $19.
Honestly, that’s a very fair price for the wine. It’s kind of a paradox though. Massive ripe fruits, with some underlying green qualities. Report back, would be interested to see if it settled down since the last time I had it.
Hyde & de Villaine Belle Cousine Hyde Vineyards 2005. Los Carneros, Napa, Merlot and Cabernet. 14.7% alkie
Went ahead and opened it and used the modified Andouze/Beacham method, which sorta means I opened it poured a couple of glasses and let them sit there for 30 minutes or so.
Dark but not opaque, purple-red. Nothing jumps out on the nose. Herbal mostly at this point with a little heat. The GF says tar and I get some of that – I like tar, she doesn’t. A little green pepper but not a problem. Better in the mouth, rich, medium to full-bodied but good acid, firm but not overwhelming tannins. The acid cuts through the ripe fruit. Finish shows substantial tannins but they’re not totally mouth puckering. Some smokiness and lovely and yummy ripe plum, a bit of anise and Med spices. Nice finish, smooth and somewhat elegant.
I’m betting this wine improves over the next 5 years and turns into something pretty nice if not exceptional. Got better over the course of the evening. The 2005 vintage was cool and foggy in Carneros so the green notes that Ian found aren’t surprising. But maybe the ripeness (come on, 14.7%) is tempered by the acid. At $60, the suggested retail, this is big time pass. At $19 I’m going back for 6 bottles to drink over the next 5-10 years.