"How would you like to host a dinner for Aubert de Villaine?" asked my friend Gib Rockwood of Wilson Daniels, a wine importer. I had met Monsieur de Villaine years before at a Domaine Romanee Conti dinner when I was the Sommelier at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. He is charming, erudite and passionate about his wine. His humility in running Domaine de la Romanee Conti, arguably one of the top five wine estates in the world, is awe-inspiring.

I jumped at the opportunity.

The dinner was...

a celebration of the wines of Hyde de Villaine, a collaboration between Aubert de Villaine and Larry Hyde of Carneros. Monsieur de Villaine's wife is American and a cousin of the Hyde's, hence the relationship. No doubt, however, if Hyde wasn’t one of the premier vineyards in California, the alliance would never have occurred. The wines are the culmination of a long exchange of ideas on winemaking and viticultural practices between the Hyde family and Aubert de Villaine. The HdV proprietary blend is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, made by Stephane Vivier,, using 100% Hyde Vineyard fruit. The HdV Chardonnay is 100% Hyde Vineyard from a number of clones selected by Larry Hyde.

Earlier in the day, there had been an HdV tasting for the trade, so this dinner was meant for the wine collectors. The venue was Boulette's Larder, a small restaurant in San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Building that closes for small, private events in the evening. The room is intimate and inviting, and boasts a wood-burning fireplace at the head of the room. I went to Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley the day before and picked pine, California bay, chestnuts, persimmons and pinecones to decorate the table. We created one, long table to accommodate the 18 wine lovers, which included Larry and Beta Hyde, Aubert de Villaine, Lee Hudson (the other premier vineyard owner in California, as well as a friend of the neighboring Hydes, and a great admirer of Aubert), and a smattering of collectors from the Bay Area, and even one wine lover in from Chang Mai, Thailand!

The wines were dropped off to the chefs, Lori and Amaryll, to inspire artful food and wine matches. They rose to the challenge brilliantly.

Japanese custard with fresh local crabmeat
2000 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay
-lemon peel, almonds, minerals, round, medium acids
2003 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay
-citrus, vanilla, limestone, fleshy, full-bodied

Fireplace Grilled Marin Sun Farms Beef with Marrow and Squash
2001 Hyde de Villaine Red Wine
-red cherry, slightly austere, pencil lead, medium length
2003 Hyde de Villaine Red Wine
-dark fruits, dark chocolate, floral, mineral, full-bodied

Nut Tart with Scharffen Berger Chocolate
2002 Hyde de Villaine Syrah
-roses, purple fruits, earth, stone, medium to full-bodied

I offered to pour the wines for the evening. The bonus of acting as Somm at a great wine dinner is the ability to cork the open bottles and enjoy them at one's leisure. I dd so for the next several evenings, watching the wines unfold and gain complexity and character.