($90; 15.8% alcohol) Bright yellow. More leesy complexity on the nose than the Hyde & Sons is showing today, along with aromas of stone and citrus fruits, baking spices and green tea. A step up in richness and depth, but with captivating lemony lift to the glyceral flavors of beeswax and pear. Finishes long and suave, with firm acids giving the wine excellent grip and lift.

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When I am tasting with Mark Aubert, it always seems to be that his personal favorite is the Lauren Vineyard. The 2008 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard is a big, dense wine that tastes like concentrated lemon and citrus oils intermixed with quince, honeysuckle and white flowers. Drop in a few pebbles and gravel and you have a full-bodied, beautifully textured, dense, powerful Chardonnay that admirably matches finesse with a larger than life size.

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Remarkable for its delicacy, finesse, grace and nuance, medium- to full-bodied, with complex pear, fig, hazelnut and melon flavors that gain depth and nuance, ending with a subtle mix of complex flavors.

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Probably best CA chard I have had. Richly flavored and textured without feeling cloying. May be perfect.