Aubert noted that this is his coolest site and usually the last to be harvested. Located near the Hyde Estate winery, by virtue of chilly afternoon breezes, it is indeed among the coolest sites on the Napa side of the Los Carneros AVA. This section is pla...
A barrel 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 kn...
Sugar Shack is produced from Montrachet clone vines grown in Rutherford AVA. It is aged in French oak barrels, 70% new. A barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Sugar Shack has a fabulously flamboyant nose of juicy Bosc pears, ripe apricots and ginger cake wi...
The 2024 Chardonnay Lauren is the most refined and sensual of the 2024 Chardonnays from Mark Aubert. Soft, caressing contours frame a core of apricot, lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine oil and chalk. This vivid, structured Chardonnay has a very br...
The 2024 Chardonnay CIX Estate is seriously impressive. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2024 hits the palate with layered, intensely mineraldriven fruit. Orange peel, chamomile and floral-infused honey all build in the glass. Readers will find a deep, pot...
The 2024 Chardonnay Sugar Shack offers tons of immediacy right out of the gate. Orange confit, roasted apple, pastry notes, tropical overtones and a kiss of French oak are dialed up nicely. I imagine this will be one of the Chardonnays that drinks well...
The 2022 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is a complex, racy wine. Oily and viscous, with a touch of reduction, the Eastside is a wonderfully complex, layered wine. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, ripe pear and a kiss of French oak abound. This is a stella...
The 2022 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is elegant, gracious and beautifully lifted. This is an especially floral, refined version of Hyde, made all the more remarkable because this was the last fruit picked in 2022. It’s a style I find quite appealing.
The 2022 Chardonnay UV-SL hints at powder-sugared brioche on the nose, backed by lemon-lime notes and some apple-ish fruit. From multiple rootstocks and clonal selections, it's full-bodied and expansive on the palate, generous, rich and long. Don't be foo...