The Wine Advocate – January 2021 – Spotlight on Aubert

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

California has maybe half a dozen of consistently extraordinary Chardonnay producers. That is to say, winemakers of this grape that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. Winemakers that do not make Chardonnay come to them but go where Chardonnay needs to grow, disregarding impracticalities. Those that year-on-year make your jaw drop with awe, no matter how challenging the vintage. Those that understand that great California Chardonnay and great White Burgundy are not the same, nor should they be. Visionaries that do not forge Chardonnays to follow trends, but have a no-compromise, “build it and they will come” attitude.

Mark Aubert is there.

The 2018 and 2019 growing seasons in Napa and Sonoma were not so dissimilar. Accordingly, the potential for quality in both years was high, providing that yields were kept in check in 2018. The personalities of the Aubert Chardonnays from these two vintages are, however, strikingly different. These 2018s are tightly coiled wines that possess great tension and are poised to burst with tons of energy. They should have fantastic aging potential, with layers of mineral, preserved citrus peel and savory nuances to be revealed after around four to six years in bottle. 2019 is all about opulence and flamboyance, packed with upfront hedonic fruit—much more in the classic Aubert style (which is probably why Mark slightly prefers this vintage). These gregarious show-stoppers will not disappoint followers of this estate, even if broached within a year or two after bottling and as avid collectors are waiting patiently for the 2018s to come ‘round.

2019 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

A tank sample, the 2019 Chardonnay CIX Estate comes bounding out of the glass with grapefruit, green mango and orange peel notes backed up by wafts of talc, chopped nuts and a lifted, aromatic, floral perfume. It is full-bodied and intensely flavored in the mouth with a lively backbone cutting through the taut, dense citrus and tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and fragrant.

2019 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 96-98 Points

A tank sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Eastside sails out of the glass with zesty citrus scents of lemons, kaffir lime leaves and mandarin peel with an underlying jasmine perfume and a waft of blanched almonds. The palate is tightly wound and very finely knit, delivering loads of nuanced layers and a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.

2019 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2019 Chardonnay Hudson (a tank sample) delivers a full-on exotic nose of tropical fruits, pineapple upside-down cake, beeswax and spiced pears with an undercurrent of cashews and brioche plus a touch of yuzu zest. Full-bodied, the palate is satisfyingly savory and multilayered, with tons of mineral sparks accenting the opulent fruit, and the long, decadent finish is beautifully offset by racy freshness.

2019 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97-100 Points

Whoa—the 2019 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons explodes from the glass with bombastic scents of sea spray, freshly shaved ginger, lemon curd and grapefruit plus emerging hints of green guava, lime cordial and coriander seed with a waft of struck flint. Full-bodied, rich and lively, the palate is remarkably fruity and yet possesses loads of mineral sparks and savory nuances, finishing very long and spicy. This vintage no doubt played to the strengths of this site beautifully in 2019, delivering a very impressive wine of amazing singularity and intensity.

2019 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-100 Points

The 2019 Chardonnay Lauren Estate (a tank sample) was fermented and aged in 100% new French oak. Unlike the other 2019 Aubert Chardonnays, this one needs a little swirling and coaxing to reveal the youthfully mute nuances of sea spray, crushed cashews, beeswax and allspice over a core of fresh pineapple, passion fruit, lemon meringue pie and toast. The full-bodied palate delivers the most gorgeous silken texture with tons of opulent spice-laced tropical fruit flavors and a refreshing line, finishing with incredible length and energy. Singularly stunning.

2019 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-100 Points

A tank sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Park Avenue leaps out of the glass with provocative notes of white peaches, fresh pears, lemon curd and chalk dust plus spicy hints of coriander seed, nutmeg and white pepper. The full-bodied palate is super intense with wonderful tension and lots of mineral accents to the concentrated flavors, finishing with epic length and long-lingering spicy kick.

2019 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2019 Chardonnay Powder House prances out of the glass with showy scents of fresh nectarines, pink grapefruit, lime leaves and preserved lemons plus hints of struck flint and wet pebbles. The full-bodied palate possesses an almost electric intensity with bags of nervy citrusy flavors and a very lively backbone, finishing with great length and oodles of minerals. This should age fantastically!

2019 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 96-98+ Points

A tank sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Sugar Shack has a fabulously flamboyant nose of juicy Bosc pears, ripe apricots and ginger cake with hints of orange blossoms, crème caramel and toasted almonds. The palate is concentrated, full-bodied and beautifully textured with loads of stone fruit and spice layers, finishing long with a chalkiness coming through on the finish.

2019 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

A tank sample, the 2019 Chardonnay UV-SL opens with compelling floral notes—honeysuckle and lime blossoms—over a core of red apples, green guava and honeydew melon with underlying suggestions of baking bread, allspice and marzipan. The full-bodied palate has a pleasant hint of phenolic grip to the texture with seamless acidity supporting the densely laden apple and tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and yeasty/toasty.

2019 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2019 Pinot Noir CIX Estate sails out of the glass with Morello cherries, raspberry preserves and rhubarb notes leading to a very earthy undercurrent of mossy tree bark, forest floor and truffles plus an emerging hint of wild blueberries. Full-bodied, rich, plush and dangerously decadent in the mouth, the palate delivers loads of cerebral layers with a very long cinnamon and spice-laced finish.

2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96+ Points

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the nose is wonderfully perfumed, featuring notes of red roses, underbrush, wild sage and menthol over a core of pomegranate, black raspberries and wild strawberries. The palate is softly textured and beautifully balanced with full-bodied, generous fruit and just enough freshness, finishing long with a red berry lift.

2019 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96+ Points

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it starts out with beguiling scent notions of crushed rocks, tilled soil, truffles and garrigue over a core of kirsch, red currant jelly and black raspberries before giving way to a spicy, fragrant perfume of cardamom, Provence herbs and lavender. The full-bodied palate is super intense and fantastically layered, offering a rock-solid backbone of racy freshness and firm, fine-grained tannins. It finishes on a persistent earthy/ferrous note.

2018 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay CIX Estate is wonderfully intense, exploding from the glass with lime cordial, apricot and mandarin peel scents of citrus, followed by suggestions of jasmine, honey toast and marzipan with a touch of coriander seed. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with expressive citrus and stone fruit layers, framed by an electric line of freshness and finishing long with amazing purity and precision.

2018 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 97 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay Eastside leaps from the glass with exuberant scents of grapefruit, lemon meringue, fresh lime juice and white blossoms, followed by hints of oyster shell, blanched almonds and white pepper plus a waft of nutmeg. The full-bodied palate is very finely knit, exuding finesse and possessing bags of vivacity and freshness, finishing long with enticing nut and spice box notes.

2018 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97 Points

The nose is redolent of butterscotch, baked apples, spice cake and chopped cashews with a core of baked pineapples and preserved lemons. The rich, full-bodied, decadently fruited palate offers layer upon layer of savory flavors with compelling lemony sparks and a seamless acid backbone, finishing seductively creamy and on a long-lingering honey-nut note.

2018 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 98 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons strides confidently out of the glass with a very serious nose of baked apples, pear tart, almond croissant and candied ginger with wafts of struck flint and sea spray. The full-bodied palate is impactful and yet achingly elegant, featuring loads of mineral sparks coming off the apple and pear flavors, delivering a long, satisfying, almond-laced finish. Give it a further year or two in bottle and drink it over the next 10 years.

2018 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 100 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay Lauren Estate comes barreling out of the glass with a knock-out nose of juicy nectarines, ripe Bosc pears and honeydew melon, backed up by nuances of butterscotch, crystalized ginger, pie crust and honeycomb. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and so, so seductive, the palate is as opulent as it is impeccably poised, finishing with epic length and depth.

2018 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay Powder House bursts with tantalizing notions of peaches and cream, orange sherbet and lemon pastilles giving way to a grounded, serious core of Bosc pears, beeswax and baking bread. Full-bodied with a gorgeous creaminess to the texture, it delivers loads of citrus sparks among the stone fruit background with a lively backbone and very long finish.

2018 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 97 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay Sugar Shack starts off a little closed at this youthful stage, soon unfurling to reveal notions of peach cobbler and pink grapefruit with an undercurrent of allspice, powdered ginger and chalk dust. The palate comes through with a powerful wall of concentrated stone fruit and baking spice flavors, supported by just enough freshness to lend balance and lift, finishing long and decadently toasty.

2018 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2018 Chardonnay UV-SL springs from the glass with wonderfully intense notes of candied orange peel, pink grapefruit and white peaches with suggestions of crème caramel and spice cake plus compelling sparks of yuzu zest and wet pebbles. The full-bodied palate is remarkably elegant with a gorgeous satiny texture and fantastic tension delivering a very long, energetic finish.

2007 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Bright, lemon-gold in color with a pale green rim, the 2007 Chardonnay Lauren Estate delivers earthy/stony notes of crushed rocks and damp soil to begin, giving way to provocative apricot preserves, pear tart and almond croissant notes with hints of acacia honey, struck flint and woodsmoke. Concentrated with a lovely oiliness to the texture, the full-on, full-bodied palate is bold and spicy, delivering a refreshing lift on the long, multilayered finish. I love, love, love Aubert’s Chardonnays when they are young, but this is absolutely why collectors should try and hold some back for a few years: it’s so crazy good!

This wine was tasted from magnum, sourced directly from Aubert’s library cellar.

2007 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Bright, lemon-gold in color with a slightly green tinge at the rim, the 2007 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard has a glorious nutty, baked peaches and dried apricot-scented nose with hints of lemon butter and cinnamon toast plus a waft of fresh hay. It has a savory-laced, full-bodied palate, completely coating the mouth with lemon curd and nutty/toasty notes, finishing on a persistent minerally note.

This wine was tasted from magnum, sourced directly from Aubert’s library cellar.

2005 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Bright, lemon-gold colored with a faint green tinge at the rim, the 2005 Chardonnay Lauren Estate is just a little closed to begin, soon blossoming into a spectacular array of key lime pie, preserved mandarin peel and lemongrass notes followed by nuances of straw broom, toasted almonds and wet pebbles. The full-bodied palate is characteristically rich and seductive with loads of zesty sparks and a very long, savory finish. The lesson here is that a decant before serving could well help this cellar-worthy beauty emerge from its slumber.

This wine was tasted from magnum, sourced directly from Aubert’s library cellar.

2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard has a bright, lemon-gold color with a slightly green tinge at the rim. The nose is beautifully perfumed, featuring jasmine and honeysuckle notes over a core of apple pie, poached pears and chalk dust with hints of praline and croissant. The palate is rich, decadently oily with tons of seductive apple and spice layers and a racy line, finishing very long and complex. Aging at a glacial pace, this Chardonnay still has a good decade of cellaring left at least!

This wine was tasted from magnum, sourced directly from Aubert’s library cellar.