Vinous – May 2019 – Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond

Mark Aubert’s 2017 Chardonnays are every bit as remarkable from bottle as they were from tank. Interestingly, the Labor Day heat spikes had the effect of blocking some of the maturation of the vines. So, in a very warm and dry year, the 2017 Aubert Chardonnays are lower in alcohol, lower in pH and higher in acidity than is the norm, something further accentuated by lower conversions of sugar into finished alcohol in the wines. This range is positively stellar. There is not much else I can add to that.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97
Drinking Window: 2021 – 2032

The Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is yet another positively brilliant wine in this line up of 2017 Chardonnays from Mark Aubert. Lemon oil, tangerine, dried flowers, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes all meld together in a rich, ample wine endowed with tremendous purity and textural depth. Tropical overtones add further shades of nuance. In a word: stunning.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 98
Drinking Window: 2021 – 2031

The 2017 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is one of the more overt wines in this range. Lemon confit, tangerine, marzipan, white flowers all develop in this overt, plush Chardonnay. This Russian River site…yields wines of real distinction. The 2017 was breathtaking when I tasted it from tank prior to bottling. It is all that, and more, today. What a wine!

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2020 – 2029

The 2017 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is a real pleasure to taste now that it has been bottled. Creamy and unctuous on the palate, with striking depth, the Hudson has so much to say. Baked apple, orchard fruit, white flowers and whole range of bright aromas and flavors develop in a bright, super-expressive Chardonnay.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2019 – 2029

The 2017 Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons is just as impressive from bottle as it was from tank a few months ago. In 2017, the Hyde stands out for its creamy, harmonious personality. Lemon confit, marzipan and dried pear and floral notes all meld together in this beautifully textured, open-knit Chardonnay from Mark Aubert.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98
Drinking Window: 2021 – 2032

One of the highlights in this range, the 2017 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard is also the most gracious and lifted of Mark Aubert’s Chardonnays. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint, chalk and white pepper give the wine lift and perfume. Delicate, understated and classy to the core, the Lauren has it all. The 2017 is a stunning wine. It’s as simple as that. Don’t miss it.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2019-2027

The 2017 Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard is bright, punchy and full of life. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and almond all race out of this plush yet vibrant Chardonnay. There is so much to like in this striking, delineated Chardonnay. The Powder House is the one wine in this tasting that is far showier from bottle than it was from tank. It is also the most approachable of the 2017 Chardonnays. For that reason, I would choose to drink it ahead of the other Chardonnays in the range.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2021 – 2029

The 2017 Chardonnay Sugar Shack has a ton of tremendous up-front appeal and but perhaps a bit less in the way of persistence. In exchange, though, readers will find a Chardonnay will be ready to drink with only minimal, if any, cellaring. Hints of apricot, honey, almonds and mint linger on the inviting, expressive finish.

2017 Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97
Drinking Window: 2021 – 2031

The 2017 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard bright, aromatic and focused, with a palpable sense of vibrancy that is its key signature. White flowers, lemon confit and mint all open up in the glass, with distinct saline underpinnings that give the wine freshness, verve and a strong marine influence that is impossible to miss.

2017 Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95
Drinking Window: 2022 – 2032

The 2017 Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard is a rich, sensual wine. Red cherry jam, blood orange, pomegranate, and rose petals all flesh out in this lush yet mid-weight, incredibly appealing Pinot Noir. The 2017 is succulent and juicy in style, and yet it also retains terrific freshness. There is so much to look forward to.

2017 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96
Drinking Window: 2022 – 2032

Aubert’s 2017 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is pliant, open-knit and super-expressive. Sweet tobacco, cedar, mint, earthiness, dried flowers and cherry fruit are all laced together in this very pretty, nuanced Pinot. Despite its recent bottling, the 2017 UV is bright, lifted and super-expressive. The blend of Calera and Vosne-Romanée clones works beautifully.

2017 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94+
Drinking Window: 2022 – 2032

…Dried herbs, cedar, tobacco and menthol add striking aromatic nuance, but today it is the wine’s tannin profile that makes the strongest impression. This hillside site above Occidental yields Pinots of real distinction. I imagine the UV-SL will be the slowest of these wines to reveal itself, but it has plenty to say. Lavender, rose petals, blood orange and spices add an exotic flair to this embryonic Pinot.