($60) Medium yellow. Smoky, musky nose features complex sulfides, minerals and nuts; funky in a positive way. Fat, dense, round and sweet but with lovely lightness of touch. The apricot and nut oil flavors are broad and rather powerful, yet at the same time almost magically weightless. Finishes with sneaky persistence and lovely grip. Kistler pointed out that the Hyde, Hudson and Durell vineyards are all within a half-mile of one another.

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Sophisticated yet somewhat closed aromatically is the 2003 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard. This can be a show stopper, so I was surprised that it didn't jump from the glass. Orange blossom, crushed rock, lemon zest, and tropical fruit all make an appearance in this impeccably well-made, medium to full-bodied wine that is more generous in the mouth than the reticent aromatics suggest. It should drink well for 5-7 years.

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