2025 Aubert - Chardonnay Russian River (750ml) [PRE ARRIVAL]

Aubert Wines traces its roots to 1999, when Mark and Teresa Aubert set out to make Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the mold of the great white and red Burgundies that first captured Mark's imagination. His early training under Helen Turley at Peter Michael, followed by time at Colgin and Bryant Family, instilled a discipline built around low yields, native fermentation, and site-specific bottling. The Russian River Valley holds particular significance for the winery, since its very first vintage in 2000 was a Chardonnay sourced from the celebrated Ritchie Vineyard there. That origin still informs the appellation-level Russian River Valley bottling today, offering a broader expression of the region alongside the winery's more limited single-vineyard releases.

This Chardonnay is sourced from multiple sites across the Russian River Valley, drawing on the cooler, fog-influenced pockets of Sonoma County that Mark Aubert has favored throughout his career. As with the rest of the portfolio, the fruit is barrel fermented and aged predominantly in new French oak, with full malolactic fermentation used to build texture and roundness. The winemaking follows the same meticulous, hands-on approach applied across every Aubert vineyard, prioritizing ripe, concentrated fruit balanced by the acidity that cool-climate Russian River sites can deliver.

The wine shows lime oil, apricot, and gardenia aromatics, with river stone minerality and a bright, lifted acidity running through a generous, full-bodied palate. Toasted hazelnut and a whisper of vanilla round out a long, textured finish. It suits grilled swordfish, roast turkey, or a simple butter-poached lobster.