Jan 2015 Vinous – Antonio Galloni

I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at Aubert this year. Mark Aubert told me the conversions from sugar to alcohol were a bit lower than normal, which means the 2013s are in the low 15%s in alcohol. I found remarkable energy, focus and site specificity in both the Chardonnays and Pinots. Aubert bottled the Chardonnays in December and the Pinots in July, which is early but he wanted to preserve freshness. I should add that the wines are not fined or filtered. At times, the Chardonnays can be a bit cloudy, but the 2013 are quite clear. As I left, I couldn’t help wonder if 2013 might usher in an era of slightly less bombastic wines here. The 2005 I tasted suggest these Chardonnays age just fine, but the 2013s, well, they have a level of nuance and finesse I have never seen in an entire range here previously.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

The 2013 Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is another reticent wine, but there is plenty of depth, volume and raciness. With time in the glass, deeper, soil-inflected notes, graphite, chamomile and honey open up, adding considerable complexity and nuance. Bright, saline notes punctuate the finish. The CIX starts off slow, but then really accelerates with air.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 95+
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

The 2013 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is one of the most tightly wound wines in this range. White pepper, crushed rocks, smoke, mint and lemon peel gradually open up, but only with great reluctance. Today, it is the wine’s energy and tension that stand out above all else. A vivid, mineral-drenched finish rounds things out in style

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2021

The 2013 Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons is gorgeous. Lemon curd, white flowers, white pepper and mint lift from the glass. Effortless, gracious and lifted in the glass, the 2013 impresses for its brightness and tension, but there is plenty of the trademark Aubert richness in the glass. The Hyde finishes with notable energy and subtlety.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

Apricot pit, peach, wild flowers and honey meld together in Aubert’s 2013 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard. The soft contours are shaped by 100% new French oak, all of which is already fully integrated. Sweet, voluptuous and layered, the Lauren captures the essence of Mark Aubert’s style. Even with all of its obvious opulence and texture, the Lauren needs time in bottle. I also tasted the 2003 and 2005 on this visit, two wines that are peaking right now.

2005 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2020

Aubert 2005 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard opens with the most striking bouquet imaginable. Orange peel, almonds, smoke, orange peel and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that come alive in a fresh, vibrant Chardonnay that still has at least a few years of superb drinking ahead of it. Crystalline and beautifully nuanced, the 2005 Lauren is superb today. Layers of flavor build to the explosive finish.

2003 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2017

Expressive tropical notes, hazelnuts, honey, butter and orange blossoms meld together in the 2003 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard. Layered and nuanced to the core, the 2003 has aged very well. It is perhaps just a touch less exciting than the 2005 tasted alongside it, but not by much. The 2003 is peaking, so I wouldn’t push my luck too much further, although I seriously doubt there are too many bottles of this sublime Chardonnay resting in cellars at this stage.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

The 2013 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is translucent and weightless, yet also magnificent in its depth. Graphite, slate, smoke, incense, lemon and white peach emerge from the glass, but only with great reluctance. The Ritchie is the most reticent wine in this range, but it is in many ways the most intriguing. Intensely mineral and nuanced, the 2013 Ritchie will thrill those lucky enough to own it for another decade-plus. I can’t wait to see how this develops in bottle. The 2013 was done in 100% new oak, yet there is virtually no trace of oak at all.

2005 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2017

It’s interesting to taste the 2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard next to the Lauren. Here the flavors are quite a bit more mineral-driven, with plenty of graphite and crushed notes. Hints of orange peel and white truffles add the final layers of nuance. The 2005 Ritchie is a bit more forward than the Lauren, and has also aged with a bit less overall finesse, but that is a pretty small critique at this level.

2003 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2018

Once again, the 2003 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is imbued with the essence of salinity and minerality. The fruit is now a bit faded, with more honeyed notes that dominate, but there is plenty to admire. Orange peel, flowers and savory herbs open up nicely in the glass. The Ritchie is a bit brighter than the 2003 Lauren tasted alongside it, although it is a bit less suave on the palate. Still, there is no question the 2003 has developed beautifully in bottle

2013 Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

Rich, round and creamy, the 2013 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is all about texture. The Sugar Shack emerges from a parcel in Rutherford next to Aubert’s home. Lemon curd, mint, wild flowers, apricot pit, Chamomile and lightly honeyed notes flesh out on the super-expressive, nuanced finish. This is one of the more complete wines in a lineup of impressive Chardonnays. The Montrachet clone works wonders on this site, which sits adjacent to Dana.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2017 – 2027

Dried pear, apricot pit, spices and crushed rocks blossom in the 2013 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard. Here the flavors are vivid, nuanced and resonant to the core. Brighter, saline-infused notes emerge as the wine opens up in the glass. This is another striking Chardonnay endowed with magnificent balance of generous fruit and explosive energy. Readers can look forward to a decade-plus of exceptional drinking.

2013 Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95+
Drinking Window: 2016 – 2028

One of the darker wines in the range, the 2013 Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard races across the palate in a compelling mélange of dark red and purplish stone fruits, graphite, wild cherries, new leather and smoke. The combination of Calera and Vosne-Romanée clones is magic here, as the CIX presents a super-intriguing interplay of intense fruit and structure influenced by this cool site in Forestville.

2013 Aubert Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2016 – 2028

The pedigree of site comes through loud and clear in Aubert’s 2013 Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard, a wine that stands out for its combination of intense fruit and pulsating acidity. Lavender, plums, mint, pine and wild flowers blossom in a dark, extroverted wine that captures the personality of the Calera clone. The 2013 retains striking freshness for such a big wine. I imagine it will be fascinating to follow for the next decade or so, perhaps longer.

2013 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94
Drinking Window: 2016 – 2028

The 2013 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is a wine of immediacy in that it shows most of what it has to offer right away. Layers of intense fruit seem to cut through a wall of tannin as this dark, virile Pinot shows off its considerable personality. Dark red cherries, plums, violets and lavender are some of the notes that wrap around the powerful, enveloping finish. These red, clay-rich soils yield Pinot Noirs with distinct exuberance.

2013 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2016 – 2028

The 2013 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is the most opulent and extroverted of these Pinots, but it is also the most compelling. Endowed with huge fruit, and an explosive mid-palate, the UV-SL captures the very best of this style of Pinot. Layers of dark, inky fruit built to a crescendo of intensity and juiciness. Hints of lavender, spices and violets wrap around the finish, with plenty of support from beams of underlying tannin.

2013 Aubert Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Appellation
Score: 93
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2025

The 2013 Pinot Noir is fabulous. Pliant, supple and expressive, the Sonoma Coast is a window into this collection of superb Pinots. Dark red cherries, white flowers, mint and spices are some of the notes that caress the palate in this perfumed, exquisite Pinot Noir from Mark Aubert. At many estates, the Sonoma Coast would be the top of the line; here it is the entry-level bottling.