Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From the cooler Carneros region of Napa Valley, the 2018 Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard is another Chardonnay that’s up with the crème de la crème of California. Lots of ripe peach and nectarine fruits, subtle tropical notes, plenty of spice and brioche, medium to full-bodied richness, and a juicy, lengthy finish all make for a killer wine to enjoy over the coming 5-7 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard was made with full malolactic fermentation and aged in 80% new oak. It opens with notes of iodine and crushed shell with notes of jasmine, spices and preserved lemon. The palate is powerful but weightless, concentrated but lively, with minerally notes and loads of floral perfume, finishing long and pure.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.