The 2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons (1,000 cases) comes from a 4-acre vineyard that produces nearly 1,000 cases. The straw color reveals a greenish hue, and the wine bursts from the glass with notes of exotic fruits, wet stones, limes and white peaches. It has a kinship to a great Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. Complex and full-bodied with stunning purity, richness and acidity, this killer Chardonnay should drink well for 6-10 years. (Not yet released) As many delicious wines as I have tasted from Mark Aubert, who has now moved into a beautiful winery on the Silverado Trail in northern Napa, I don’t think I have ever tasted a greater group of Chardonnays than his seven cuvees of 2012. All of them had been moved from barrel to bottling tanks and should be bottled before the end of 2013. Mark Aubert previously worked at Peter Michael, where he apprenticed under his most famous mentor, Helen Turley, followed by stints at Colgin and Futo, two very high-end cult Cabernet Sauvignon producers. His Chardonnays have become enormously popular and sell out as quickly as they become available to consumers. Aubert has made a strong effort to purchase estate vineyards, of which there are now two, the Sugar Shack estate in Rutherford and the Cix Estate on the Sonoma Coast. The following seven 2012 Chardonnays are about as thrilling as wine gets. Interestingly, Mark Aubert said that 2012 was the greatest vintage he had ever seen during his entire career. Aubert uses high percentages of new French oak in the upbringing for his Chardonnays, but you would never know that when tasting. These wines- are all simply remarkable. The four 2012 Pinot Noirs I tasted were all scheduled to be bottled in a few months. The amount of new French oak used in all these cuvees is as follows: the Hyde, Sugar Shack, Cix and East Side see 70%, the UV-SL sees 80%, and the Lauren sees 100%. Also, 80% of Mark Aubert’s production is Chardonnay and the other 20% is Pinot Noir. His production in his new winery has increased to 10,000 cases, virtually all of which is sold out upon release. Tel. (707) 942-4333

The 2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons is wonderfully textured in the glass. Vivid and layered, the 2012 flows across the palate with hints of Chamomile, lemon curd, mint, wild flowers and a hint of honey. The 2012 was aged in 70% new French oak barrels, all of which it handles with grace. The finish is long and exceptionally polished.