2014 Hyde de Villaine Belle Cousine

The 2014 Belle Cousine is a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Hyde. Dark, pliant and inviting, the 2014 opens with a compelling range of floral and savory aromatics. Dark cherry, plum, lavender, violet and licorice infuse this deep, fleshy wine. The tannins need at least a few years in bottle to soften, but the purity and vibrancy of the fruit is striking. Put simply, the 2014 is absolutely delicious.

Now ten years old, the 2014 Belle Cousine Hyde Vineyard is in fine shape today. A heady, rich wine, it offers up an exotic mélange of dark macerated cherry, leather, spice, tobacco, incense, blood orange and French oak. It’s a big wine, done in the larger-scaled style favored ten years ago, and yet all the elements are very nicely balanced. Slightly forward notes in the bouquet suggest the 2014 has arrived at its first plateau of maturity.