Insider's Deal on Hyde Vineyard Library Chardonnay

2018 Mira "Hyde Vineyard" Carneros Chardonnay (Elsewhere $95) ($29.95)

93 points Wine Spectator: "Distinctive, fragrant and rich, with honeysuckle, jasmine and dried apricot flavors that are round and well-spiced, plus hints of clove, nutmeg and candied ginger in honey. Reveals fresh, mouthwatering acidity that balances all the rich flavors. (MW)" (07/2023)

92 points Wine Enthusiast: "This rich, full-bodied wine leads with a butterscotch aroma before poached pear and butter flavors coat the palate. Fermented and agedfor 24 months in French oak, the wine has a tangy, almost tannic texture that nicely balances the richness." (09/2023)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Buyer | Review Date: June 24, 2024

Here's something you don't see everyday. In fact, this is pretty much a unicorn wine at this price point! Top-notch Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay for under $30?! That's right, our exclusive Insider's Advantage price is more than $65 off the winery release price! This wine hails from one of the most highly regarded vineyards in all of Napa Valley. Hyde Vineyard, in the cool-climate sub-region of Los Carneros, produces some of the most sought-after Chardonnay fruit in the business, with a list of clients such as Aubert, Kistler, DuMOL, Ramey, Patz & Hall, Hyde de Villaine, and Paul Lato all lining up to get their hands on this magical and legendary fruit. When you see Hyde Vineyard designated on a wine, it's pretty much guaranteed to be excellent. It's also pretty much guaranteed to be $60-$100+ ... but not today! I was offered a parcel of this wine at a crazy good price. After tasting the wine to confirm my expectations of quality, I moved quickly to snap up every case available. The 2018 has phenomenal flavor concentration and power, but at the same time remains vibrant and racy even after a few years in bottle. The wine was given a long, two-year elevage in relatively neutral French oak (less than 15% new), so all the power and intensity of that immaculate Hyde fruit was focused into a long and linear wine with incredible persistence on the palate and the magic trait of richness and restraint that I find so irresistible in wines like this. Packed with windswept orchard blossom, baked golden apple, caramelized nuts, warm bread, ripe citrus fruit, juicy acid, and chalky minerals that linger for minutes. The wine is rich up front, but with a nicely chiseled, focused, long finish with plenty of verve. An excellent Chardonnay from a truly iconic vineyard.