2012 Aubert, Larry Hyde & Sons Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Magnum (1.5L)

RP96 "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." RP Dec 2013

Robert Parker writes, "Mark Aubert is one of the contenders for California’s finest practitioner of Burgundian-styled, yet classic, California Chardonnays. His offerings are all made like grand cru Burgundies with full malolactic, the use of French oak and lees stirring, but the purity of fruit, the textural dimensions, and the stunning singularity of these Chardonnays can only be matched by a handful of other Chardonnay producers in the world. He’s that good. Aubert’s 2012s, which I have enjoyed multiple times out of bottle since I purchased most of them, merit the scores I gave them last year.
I have seen the brilliance of Mark Aubert from many different perspectives from his time as chief winemaker at Peter Michael, then at Colgin and Futo, and now at his own estate on the Silverado trail south of Calistoga. He is clearly at the pinnacle of his profession. Kudos!" Published: Dec 29, 2014