Jeb Dunnuck – June 2026 – “2024 and 2023 Sonoma County”

One of the most compelling tastings of my trip was with Mark Aubert. On paper, many of these wines sound as though they should push beyond the limits of balance, yet the reality is quite the opposite. Across the range, the wines are remarkably consistent and represent some of the highest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir I tasted during my visit. More than simply impressive, they are singular wines that defy easy comparison and remain among the most distinctive expressions of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir being produced today. It was one of the most inspiring tastings of my trip. – Audrey  Frick

2024 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay CIX Estate comes from vines planted in 2008 and offers a compelling mix of richness and precision. Bright yellow in hue, it reveals notes of peach, orange sherbet, hazelnut, pastry cream, and graham cracker spice framed by flinty reduction and toasty complexity. Creamy and supple on the palate, it possesses terrific depth, texture, and length while retaining freshness throughout. Drink 2026-2041.

2024 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 98 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard comes from a site planted by Ulises Valdez in 2008. Green apple, lime candy, white flowers, and refined stony earth define this focused and elegant wine. Though among the warmer sites in the portfolio, it possesses a distinctly Burgundian sensibility, emphasizing purity, energy, and mineral precision over sheer power. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers impressive refinement and persistence. Drink 2026-2040.

2024 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is initially reserved, opening with notes of Marcona almond, candle wax, and flinty reduction. With air, the fruit expands to reveal ripe peach, melon, salted pineapple rind, and oily richness. Charming and approachable, it combines generosity with freshness and should benefit from another year or two in bottle. Drink 2026-2038.

2024 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 100 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons is exceptional. Sourced from a vineyard Aubert has worked with since 2008, it reveals aromas of pineapple, citrus oil, toast, and saline minerality. Despite its richness and concentration, the wine remains crystalline and vibrant, with outstanding freshness, precision, and length. It’s among the finest wines I have tasted from Carneros and this vineyard. Drink 2026-2038.

2024 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Lauren Estate comes from the estate’s oldest vines, planted in 1999. It opens with citrus stems, petrichor, wet asphalt, and orchard fruit aromas. Deep and layered, it possesses a Grand Cru-like sense of scale while remaining remarkably weightless. Pear, lemon verbena, spice, oils, and a chalky mineral backbone unfold across the palate. This is not the most immediately expressive wine in the range, but it may be among the most transparent to its site and is going to be worth holding back for a couple of years to allow it to develop further. Drink 2027-2040.

2024 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate is sourced entirely from estate fruit and already shows impressive complexity. Raw hazelnut, gunflint, and orchard fruit aromas lead into a palate that combines glycerin-like richness with terrific acidity and lift. Full-bodied and concentrated, it nevertheless maintains outstanding balance and weightlessness. Deeply layered and remarkably long, it carries substantial intensity without ever becoming sweet or heavy. Drink 2026-2040.

2024 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Powder House Estate reveals aromas of Mt. Eden brioche, wet stones, spice, and green Williams pear. Rich and intense on the palate, it balances its concentration with remarkable purity and freshness. Lime oils, green apple, and a subtle toasty lift emerge. Mark attributes the reductive character to be vineyard-derived rather than oak-driven, and the estate’s two rootstocks contribute both sappy richness and vibrant acidity. Despite reaching 15% alcohol, it carries itself with the finesse and balance of a much lower-alcohol wine. One of the stars of the range. Drink 2026-2045.

2024 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 97 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate is a powerful yet remarkably balanced effort. Chamomile, citrus oils, and saline minerality frame a palate packed with texture, depth, and richness. Full-bodied and hedonistic without ever becoming sweet, it possesses the most flesh and amplitude in the range while maintaining freshness and purity. It will benefit from decanting if opening over the near term. Drink 2026-2038.

2024 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2024 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard comes from vineyards perched above Occidental and marks fifteen years in the estate’s 25-year history. A blend of clonal material including Hyde Montrachet, it delivers remarkable depth and complexity without excess weight. Williams pear, green apple, orange blossom, savory earth, and crushed stone all emerge from this multidimensional effort. Despite its concentration, it remains weightless on the palate, showcasing tremendous clarity, salinity, and transparency. Drink 2026-2038.

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2024 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2024 Pinot Noir CIX Estate is a complete and compelling wine. Grenadine, Luxardo cherry, blood orange, spice, and bright salinity all emerge from the glass. Full-bodied yet vibrant, it possesses exceptional length, focused acidity, and a deeper tannic framework than many of its siblings. The finish lingers effortlessly, suggesting a long evolution ahead. Drink 2026-2050.

2024 Pinot Noir Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2024 Pinot Noir Park Avenue Estate is deeper and broader in profile, revealing black cherry cordial, ripe tannins, resinous earth, sage, and crushed violets. More full-bodied than many wines in the range, it offers graphite, iron, and Sebastopol clay-driven richness beneath its fruit. Extended maceration contributes additional structure and depth. This should become increasingly brooding and complex with time in bottle. Drink 2026-2046.

2024 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

Marking the estate’s twentieth vintage, the 2024 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard offers tremendous charm and immediacy. Cherries, pie spice, and bright red fruits lead into a palate that is balanced, fresh, and beautifully even. Fine tannins and a seamless texture make this highly appealing today, though it possesses sufficient structure to evolve gracefully over the next 15 or so years. Drink 2027-2043.

2024 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2024 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is one of the standouts in the lineup. Raspberry coulis, evergreen, redwood, and sweet spice are accented by pronounced marine influence and striking salinity. The palate combines focus and verticality with notes of wild raspberry, sweet orange, and crushed volcanic stone. Energetic, layered, and exceptionally long, this brilliant Pinot Noir captures both the power and freshness of the site. Drink 2027-2047.