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.

Robert Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate Issue 216

2013 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-100 Points

The potentially perfect 2013 Chardonnay CIX Estate comes from a vineyard planted with the Montrachet clone of Chardonnay. It is already showing incredible minerality along with notes of white peach, pineapple, oily citrus, apple blossom and lemon oil. This multidimensional, full-bodied, sensational Chardonnay should drink well for 10+ years.

2013 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2013 Chardonnay Eastside comes from a vineyard owned by Ulises Valdez and planted with the Montrachet clone. It is the rockiest site in the Aubert portfolio. Amazingly, it sees 100% new oak, but you would never know that from smelling or tasting the wine. Copious aromas of wet rocks, almond paste, honeysuckle, pineapple and white peach are followed by a full-bodied, stunningly rich yet crisp, vibrant, zesty Chardonnay that should drink well for a minimum of 10 years.

2013 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 92-96 Points

The 2013 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons reveals a greenish hue to its gold color as well as crisp acidity, hints of orange blossom, white peach, white currants and mangoes. This fresh, beautifully fruited, medium to full-bodied, rich wine should drink well for 10-12 years.

2013 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

Named after Mark Aubert’s daughter, the 2013 Chardonnay Lauren Estate is made from Old Wente clones as well as the Mt. Eden clone planted in Goldridge soils. This stony, mineral-laced, crisp yet full-bodied effort comes across as a California version of a Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. Citrus oil, tangerine skin, orange blossom, liquified rock, white flower and quince notes along with great fruit, a full-bodied, stunning texture, and a long finish with no noticeable oak suggest this prodigious Chardonnay will drink well for 10+ years.
At the end of our tasting, Mark Aubert conducted a mini-vertical of the Lauren Estate Chardonnay starting with the 2009 and going back to 2003. At 11 years old, I rated the 2003 96 points, and it remains a lively, exuberant, fresh, stunning wine. All of them were fabulous, with my favorite being the 2007, which I rated 99 points.

2013 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

From Aubert’s oldest vines, the 2013 Chardonnay Ritchie is made from the 40-year-old Chardonnay clone called Old Wente. Candied citrus, wet rocks, Granny Smith apples, white peach and honeysuckle notes are found in this full-bodied, prodigious Chardonnay with crisp acidity buttressing the viscous, full-throttle style. All of these 2013s have at least a decade of aging potential.

2013 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 95-97 Points

The only Napa Valley offering is the 2013 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate. A compelling effort, possibly the most powerful of these 2013 Chardonnays at nearly 15.5% alcohol, it comes from a vineyard planted with the Montrachet clone of Chardonnay that was sourced from David Abreu. This vineyard is next to the Dana Estate in Rutherford. Its gold/green color is accompanied by a stunning nose of liquified pebbles, tangerine oil, delicate pineapple, quince and hints of honeysuckle as well as subtle background oak. Full-bodied with terrific minerality as well as a superb, fresh, long finish, it should drink well for 10 years.

2013 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 92-94 Points

The 2013 Chardonnay UV-SL is made from two selections of Old Wente Chardonnay clones planted in classic Goldridge sandy soils. It exhibits the same greenish hue as its siblings, but is slightly more restrained and subdued. Notes of white currants, quince, poached pears, wet rocks and loamy soil nuances emerge from this terroir-driven Chardonnay.

2013 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95+ Points

Made from suitcase clones brought back from Vosne-Romanée and planted in Goldridge soils, the 2013 Pinot Noir Cix Estate displays lots of black raspberry, black cherry, licorice, Asian soy, and spice box notes as well as an intriguing tangerine-like character. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acids, this Pinot Noir should drink well for 10-15 years.

2013 Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

The full-bodied, dense ruby-hued 2013 Pinot Noir Ritchie, which comes from the Calera clone of Pinot Noir, reveals plenty of beet root, forest floor, Asian hoisin sauce, plum, blackcurrant and cherry notes, as well as terrific fruit and richness. Drink 2016-2028.

2013 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The rich, prodigious, full-bodied 2013 Pinot Noir UV, made from the Calera and Vosne-Romanée clones, is a denser, richer wine offering abundant notes of blueberries, blackberries, forest floor and strong hints of Asian hoisin sauce, dark fruits and forest floor. There is not a trace of new oak in this wine, which spent 10 months in 100% new barrels. Like all the 2013 Pinot Noirs, it has a decade or more of aging potential.

2013 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94+ Points

The 2013 Pinot Noir UV-SL, primarily made from Calera and Vosne-Romanée clonal material, boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blackcurrants, black cherries, forest floor and beet root. The complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, intensely concentrated, pure, seamlessly constructed red that should drink well for 10-15+ years.

2012 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

2012 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96 Points

2012 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98+ Points

2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

2012 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Napa Valley
Score: 99 Points

2012 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

Issue: Jun 15, 2014

2012 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 95
Designation: Highly Recommended

Delicious from start to lingering finish, this is rich, broad and exotic, with tiers of complexity built around smoke, fig, apricot, citrus peel and bubble gum flavors. Features a silky smooth texture and just the right amount of tannins. Drink now. 825 cases made. –JL

 

Issue: Jul 31, 2014

2012 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 93

Subtle, with understated smoke, apricot, poached pear and honeysuckle notes. This is full-bodied, elegant and graceful, gliding along on the finish, where the flavors echo ripe fruit and toasty oak. Drink now through 2020. 475 cases made. –JL

2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros 
Score: 92

This unfolds slowly, with a beam of lemon-lime citrus, green apple and honeysuckle flavors, and should reward short-term cellaring, showing hints of vanilla and cream on the finish. The greenest of the Auberts. Drink now through 2020. 875 cases made. –JL

2012 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95

Rich and graceful, with layers of anise, fig, apricot, pear and honeydew. This picks up a touch of smoke and hazelnut, ending with a long, sustained finish that reverberates with flavor. Drink now through 2021. 875 cases made. –JL

2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast 
Score: 94

Pure, rich and lively, with peach, nectarine, smoke and honeydew notes giving this a wealth of core flavors. The aromatics and graceful mix of balance, texture and subtlety give this extra dimensions. Drink now through 2020. 900 cases made. –JL

2012 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley 
Score: 94

Offers rich, deep, persistent flavors built around ripe apple, fig, honeysuckle and smoky oak notes that fill in the gaps on the finish. A new offering from Aubert. Drink now through 2021. 385 cases made. –JL

2012 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 93

Deep, rich and persistent, with tiers of elegant apricot, fig, pear, nectarine, honeydew and spicy oak. Finishes with a full-blown yet delightfully graceful finish. Drink now through 2020. 825 cases made. –JL

Mark Aubert is pretty emphatic in stating that 2012 is the greatest vintage he has seen in his 29 years of making wine. Good amounts of rain during the first part of the year put the vines in the conditions to set a healthy crop with no stress. The 2012 Chardonnays saw native fermentations that Aubert described as smooth. The wines were aged for about a year in barrel with no racking, followed by a brief period of about three months in tank prior to being bottled in December 2013. Extended macerations were the rule with the Pinot Noirs, which were aged about 14 months in barrel and also bottled in December 2013. As always, Mark Aubert aims for textural richness with his Chardonnays and Pinots, which tend to tip the scales in the 15.5% alcohol range. New oak levels are on the high side, but the wines rarely seem oaky, they are just incredibly textured. At their finest, the Aubert wines are super-intense, but not heavy. In order to show at their best, though, when young the Aubert wines need at least a few hours of air. These bottles were opened for 6-8 hours in advance, but even that wasn’t enough for some of the wines, which needed time in the glass to fully come together. In particular, I find the best Chardonnays compelling.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95+
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

The 2012 Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is one of the more focused wines in this range. There is plenty of Aubert richness in the glass, but the style is a bit more structured and broader on the palate, with a phenolic sense reminiscent of a red wine. I would prefer to give the 2012 another year or two in bottle to settle down. Today, the minerality is intense and imposing. CIX sits next to the vineyard that informs Aubert’s Lauren Chardonnay.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

Smoke, slate, yellow orchard fruit, honey and apricot notes flesh out in the 2012 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard, another of Mark Aubert’s sites planted with the Montrachet clone. The heavy presence of rocks in this vineyard gives the wines a sense of energy that balances the overtness of the fruit. Even with all of the richness, there is plenty of detail and nuance in the glass.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 94
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

The 2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons is wonderfully textured in the glass. Vivid and layered, the 2012 flows across the palate with hints of Chamomile, lemon curd, mint, wild flowers and a hint of honey. The 2012 was aged in 70% new French oak barrels, all of which it handles with grace. The finish is long and exceptionally polished.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

Almonds, hazelnuts, pastry and green orchard fruit meld together in Aubert’s 2012 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard. One of the more textured, layered wines, the 2012 impresses for its balance and overall sense of harmony. A racy, perfumed finish rounds things out.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

The 2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a wine of pure texture. Lemon, white flowers, dried pears, mint and spices meld together in the glass. Absolutely nothing is out of place here. The flavors are vivid, intense and layered. Readers may notice a slightly cloudy color in the 2012, which is the result of one tank that had an especially late malolactic fermentation. I tasted these wines right after bottling, and it is entirely possible over time the color will settle a bit. The wines are never fined or filtered here, so from time to time the color can be cloudy, as consumers who have bought these wines in the past know. In any event, the 2012 Ritchie is gorgeous.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 93+
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

One of the more explosive wines in the range, the 2012 Chardonnay Sugar Shack hits the palate with tons of depth and pure body. Readers who can put the wine aside for a few years should do so, as today the structure and intensity of the fruit are both incredibly intense. The style is rich, tropical, honeyed and voluptuous to the core. Sugar Shack emerges from a site in Rutherford, just outside St. Helena, planted by David Abreu with a Montrachet clone. This is the same wine that was labeled as Napa Valley in 2011. The vines are now seven years old. There is every reason to think the best lies ahead.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2022

Aubert’s 2012 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard, from a site owned by vineyard guru Ulises Valdez, is superb. Apricot, honey, mint, nectarine, butter and white truffles flesh out in the glass. The flavors are remarkably vivid and nuanced, with tons of richness and intensity, but no sense of heaviness. Here, too, the oak is 100% new. Bright veins of underlying salinity and minerality become more prominent over time, adding to the wine’s energy and vivid personality. Aubert fans will want to jump all over the UV-SL.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Carneros Appellation
Score: 89
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2018

Lemon, pear, white flowers, spices and almonds meld together in the 2012 Chardonnay Carneros. Soft, textured and inviting, the 2012 is open for business today. This is a fairly lifted, floral style for Aubert. In 2012 the Carneros emerges from a new, young-vine block within the Hyde vineyard planted with the Wente clone, but the flavor profile is a little brighter and more citrus-driven than is typically the case in most Wente Chardonnays.

2012 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Appellation
Score: 91
Drinking Window: 2014 – 2018

The 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is wonderfully saline and tense on the palate. Green apple, pear, slate, crushed rocks, mint and white flowers are all pointed and articulate in the glass. These vines are just four years old, so there is a lot to look forward to.

2012 Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 93+
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2022

Aubert’s 2012 Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard comes across as subtle and understated in this context. A wine of silkiness and texture, the 2012 is laced with expressive dark red fruit and gorgeous inner sweetness. The flavors are dark, racy and impeccably balanced. This parcel is planted with a Vosne-Romanee suitcase clone, which seems to give the wine a lot of distinctive aromatics.

2012 Aubert Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 92+
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2020

The 2012 Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard jumps from the glass with sweet red cherries, rose petals, mint, licorice and spices. This is one of the more floral, lifted wines in the range, but there is plenty of underlying structure. Today the tannins are imposing and a bit tight. Then again, the wine was just bottled a few weeks ago.

2012 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2022

A classic expression of the Russian River emerges from the 2012 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard. Sweet black cherries, hard candy, cloves, mint and spices meld together in a rich, sumptuous Pinot endowed with plenty of distinction. The flavors are dark, bold and juicy to the core. The 2012 will appeal most to readers who enjoy the exuberance of Russian River Pinots.

2012 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2015 – 2022

The 2012 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is the most complete of these Pinots. It is also by far the most intense. Dark red cherry, plum, spice and menthol notes all take shape in the glass. The style is broad, ample and super-ripe. Amazingly, with time in the glass, the wine comes together very nicely, but it really does need a lot of time. A juicy, boisterous finish rounds things out. The UV-SL is the Pinot that most clearly defines Mark Aubert’s deeply personal approach to Pinot Noir.

Robert Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate Issue 210

2012 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

A wine that stood out for its complexity and intensity was the 2012 Chardonnay CIX Estate. Planted with a clone originating in Montrachet, this vineyard is situated next to the vineyard from which Mark Aubert makes the Lauren Chardonnay. There are only 600 cases of this prodigious wine. The vines were planted in 2007, so this is only the fifth leaf, but wow, what a Chardonnay. Copious notes of pineapple, mango and guava along with wet stone, caramelized citrus, tangerine and orange marmalade characteristics are followed by a wine with full-bodied mouthfeel as well as remarkable purity, texture and intensity. One of the most individualistic and greatest Chardonnays I have ever tasted, this amazing wine should drink well for 7-10 years. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.

2012 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99-100 Points

The 2012 Chardonnay Eastside, a vineyard owned by top viticulturist Ulises Valdez, is a 1,000-case cuvee that reveals a liquefied wet stone character intermixed with notes of white currants, quince, honeysuckle, pineapple and peach marmalade. Strong minerality as well as a remarkable finish makes this a candidate for perfection. It should drink well for 6-10 years as well. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.

2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2012 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons (1,000 cases) comes from a 4-acre vineyard that produces nearly 1,000 cases. The straw color reveals a greenish hue, and the wine bursts from the glass with notes of exotic fruits, wet stones, limes and white peaches. It has a kinship to a great Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. Complex and full-bodied with stunning purity, richness and acidity, this killer Chardonnay should drink well for 6-10 years. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.

2012 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

We finished the Chardonnay portion of the tasting with Mark Aubert’s favorite wine, the 2012 Chardonnay Lauren Estate, which comes from rich Goldridge soils. There are 1,000 cases of this straw/greenish-colored beauty fashioned from various clones, including the Old Wente, Hyde, Hudson, Corton-Charlemagne selection and the Mt. Eden clones. It possesses more of a tannic backbone than its siblings because of its grip. Full-bodied with lots of honeyed citrus, orange marmalade and abundant fruit on the attack and mid-palate, this youthful Chardonnay seems barely touched by its oak aging. All of these 2012s will be irresistible when released in 2014, but should age beautifully for 6-10+ years. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.

2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95-98 Points

Mark Aubert farms 39-year-old vines in the famous Ritchie Vineyard. At 1,200 cases, the 2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is the largest production cuvee of these Chardonnays. It reveals a more evolved nose of smoky hazelnuts, honeysuckle, and tropical fruits, less minerality, and full-bodied unctuosity buttressed by crisp acids. It is a fatter, richer, complex, more California-styled Chardonnay that should drink well for 6-8 years. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2021.

2012 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Napa Valley
Score: 99-100 Points

From a 4-acre Rutherford vineyard planted with the Montrachet clone, the prodigious 2012 chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate (400 cases) exhibits notes of liquid stones, tangerine oil, peach blossom and a hint of pineapples with staggering minerality. Full-bodied with sensational purity, texture and richness, it was hard to spit this one out. It will age effortlessly for 10+ years. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.

2012 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95-97 Points

A tour de force in Chardonnay, the 2012 Chardonnay UV-SL was made from an Old Wente clone of Chardonnay. It exhibits copious aromas of mango, pineapple and subtle background wood, a voluptuous texture, beautiful acidity and terrific length and personality. As the wine sits in the glass a structured feel comes forth along with a notion of pears. It should offer delicious drinking over the next decade. Anticipated maturity is 2013-2023.