Hye Society -- Updated May 14, 2012

Today was another William-Chris Hye Society release. As always, they made their wine club members feel loved. Hugs were easy to come by, as well as lots of friendly conversation. When I come here, I always feel welcome and a part of a greater community. In this day and age, this feeling os one I cherish. This winery always does something special.

Today, we tasted the three wines that will make up the 2011 Enchante. Bill -- the William in the name -- treated us to barrel tastings of Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Then, we tasted the the wines together. The 2011 Enchante will be a wine to remember: fruit forward for a red blend with lots of complex flavors. The 2011 drought made the grapes full of depth and flavor. I know I'll be buying extra bottles and storing them for years to come.

The May Hye Society shipment: Hunter 2010 & Cab Franc 2010.

Today also had a number of new surprises. The Hye Society Cabernet Franc is smooth and rich. Despite the heat, it hits the spot. A bit smoother and fruitier than a Sauvignon, a real delight. [Since the party: I opened one of my bottles this past week. I found the wine to be a bit wanting; I have no idea why it was so good at the party. It felt a bit unbalanced and lacked the depth flavor. I realized though, this red is VERY new. It needs some time to sit. I have my other bottles stored in my make-shift cellar. I'll take them out after the summer. I feel the wine will be better once it has time to age. It still has great potential. I suggest buying this one and letting it sit (much like a French, which it resembles).]

Current and Mary Ruth

Then there are the two new summer wines -- Current, a blush, and Mary Ruth, a Muscat blend. The Current (check out their video) is a great blend; as my mother-in-law would call it, a kook-aid wine. It is a great blush for summer. I am saving mine for a hot day. It has been good that the weather cooled dramatically, but that means I have kept the wine stashed away. I know the coming weeks will provide ample opportunity for drinking. On the other hand, the Mary Ruth is lighter than a typical Muscat, so it will be a great warm weather wine. This wine can be drunken in more situations -- compared to a traditional Muscat -- which will make it a great early evening sipping wine.

Good music, good food -- grilled shrimp, carrots, and corn made by the staff there. We also had a chance to meet new folks. We ran into a new acquaintance from the Bending Branch Derby party, as well as other Bending Branch attendees. And in William-Chris style, we met new people. In fact, we were introduced to a new member with the job of sharing our experiences. What a nice thing for a winery to do -- almost like a mentor program. This is definitely a place where they want their visitors, new and old, to feel a part of something. As always, a great day.