Reviews of the current Aubert releases by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, including the perfect-scoring 2021 Lauren Estate Chardonnay.

2022 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Hints of crushed stone accent ripe, lush notes of white peaches and pineapple. This full-bodied, opulent wine seems a bit lower in acidity than usual, but it still finishes crisp and long, with a delicate hint of mocha on the finish.

2022 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 96 Points

Scents of toasted hazelnuts, crushed stone, pear and tangerine appear on the nose of the 2022 Chardonnay Eastside. It’s full-bodied, generous and plush without being weighty, then intense and crisp on the lemon-lime finish, with echoes reminiscent of white pepper and ginger.

2022 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons delivers aromas of honeyed citrus and complex spice notes—even a hint of ginger—plus notes of melon and pear. It’s medium to full-bodied, plump, generous and expansive on the palate, then pulls itself together and tightens up on the finish.

2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate offers up notes of crushed stone, white peach and barely ripe pineapple. In the mouth, it’s full-bodied yet cool, concentrated but weightless, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Harmonious and elegant, this is really something quite special.

2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

Aubert’s 2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue offers up gentle notes of toasted hazelnut, brioche and almond, plus lime, pear and melon. It’s full-bodied, with waves of upfront fruit and generous on the mid-palate, then crisp and focused on the lingering finish.

2022 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Powder House features attractive notions of crushed stone, citrus oil, hints of tea and perhaps even bergamot. Medium to full-bodied, with great thrust and energy, this is zesty, clean and crisp, with terrific length.

2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 96 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack shows remarkable freshness given the site and vintage conditions. Crushed stone, lime and tangerine notes mark the nose, while the wine is medium to full-bodied in the mouth, lush and almost pillowy in texture, then bright and vibrant on the lingering finish.

2022 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

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. It’s serious stuff.

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2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate is a more classic example than the 2022 version, but there’s a strong familial resemblance. Crushed stone and hints of almond-hazelnut skin appear on the nose, alongside fruitier notes of pineapple and white peach. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, generous and rounded, then finishes fresh and vibrant, with a huge whack of energizing lime zest on the finish.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Eastside features scents of crushed stone and dried herbs, a hint of pastry crust and bright tangerine and lime fruit. Like the rest of Aubert’s Chardonnays, it’s unabashedly rich yet simultaneously cool and structured, with crisp citrus and complex spice notes on the lingering finish.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96 Points

The full-bodied 2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons features compelling scents of toasted hazelnut and pencil shavings, set against a backdrop of pear and pineapple. Like so many of Aubert’s Chardonnays, it juxtaposes layers of richness and freshness, generosity and crispness, finishing long and refreshing.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 100 Points

Scents of crushed stone, white peaches, ripe pineapples and fresh lime all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is plush and opulent, concentrated yet incredibly long, vibrant and mouthwatering on the finish. This is really special, a true “wow” wine that—at least for this taster—sets a new standard for how good California Chardonnay can be.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate kicks off with scents of crushed stone, lemon, black tea and some slightly richer notes of stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it’s quite liner and direct, with a long, mouthwatering finish.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Aubert’s 2021 Chardonnay Powder House features prominent notes of toasted hazelnut and crushed stone atop a base of white peaches, lemon-lime notes and cooling herbs. It’s medium to full-bodied and generous enough on the mid-palate but with a spine of bright, vivacious acidity and a long, zesty finish.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is a full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine laden with notes of peach and melon. It’s opulent and lush but with great length and energy on the finish, plus some complex floral-herbal notes reminiscent of flower-shop greens.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL is slightly fresher and more perfumed than the 2022, with seductive floral notes joining hints of crushed stone in accenting orange and bergamot citrus aromas. Full-bodied and plush, it’s harmonious, charming and elegant from start to finish.

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2022 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Aubert’s 2022 Pinot Noir CIX Estate delivers complex, mouthwatering waves of black cherries, accented by notes of roses and black tea. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and silky, the wine boasts awesome length and tremendous intensity without excess weight. Hints of tobacco, tea leaves and sous-bois bring additional complexity to the lingering finish. This is the real deal.

2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard bursts with cherries and raspberries, plus a hint of pie spice. Full-bodied, warm, supple and spicy on the palate, this is soft and appealing on the long, plush finish.

2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 93+ Points

Aubert’s 2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL is a bit floral and herbal, with those pretty notes accenting cherries and cranberries on the nose. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, tight and focused, finishing crisp and silky.

The recent releases of Aubert, including the perfect-scoring Eastside 2022.

2022 Chardonnay CIX Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

Aromas of candied lemons, apples, crushed stone and hints of lemon leaves follow through to a full body of pretty fruit with lemon flowers and hints of gunpowder. It’s solid and all there. Needs a year or two to come together. Best after 2026.

2022 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 100 Points

Intense aromas of apples, green tea leaf oil and cooked apple. Full-bodied yet so reserved and intense, with a tight palate and a long, long finish. The concentration is phenomenal, but it’s framed by near perfect phenolics. Tightly wound and weightless. So spicy at the end. Reminiscent of Montrachet. Grand cru quality. Goes on for minutes. This is fantastic now to understand it’s potential but will be even better in years to come.

2022 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97 Points

There’s so much sliced lime and green apple with hints of toasted oak and salt water taffy. Full-bodied with a solid texture and well-integrated phenolics that give such great length and focus. Fluid and so attractive on the palate. Delicious now, but will show more complexity with age.

2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

Purity of fruit, with dried apple skin, sliced pears, heather and lemon blossoms. Full-bodied, but it’s so textural with phenolics that spread across the palate and go on for minutes. Flint. Dense and very long. A wonderful expression of the essence of great chardonnay. Drinkable now but even better in three or four years and beyond.

2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

Aromas of gunpowder, grated lemon rind, lemon curd, hazelnut butter, salted butter and flint. So complex. Medium- to full-bodied. Deep and thoughtful, with such intellectual and visceral pleasure. Wow. Drink this whenever your can. But it will age for decades.

2022 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Aromas of candied lemons, crushed stone and sage with some cream. So gorgeous. Full bodied, with density, depth and a crunchy character. Complex and thoughtful, with an electric finish of lemon zest and dried apples. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Napa Valley
Score: 97 Points

Very complex, with heather and sliced apple notes and hints of spearmint, salt water taffy, stones and white cedar. Full-bodied with a fluid and beautiful palate. Delicious. Broad and open. Pure fruit to it. So hard not to drink now.

2022 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Lots of dried apple, pineapple, heather and seashell aromas with green pine needles. Full-bodied and dense with focused, layered fruit. Persistent and zesty. Oyster aftertaste. Drinkable now, but even better in three or four years.

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2022 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

Aromas of blackberries, black cherries, lavender, lemon peel and dark tobacco, with hints of oyster shells, dried seaweed and iodine. It’s decadent with notes of umami. Love this. Give this three to four years to mellow slightly, but so fascinating to drink now.

2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

An intense pinot with aromas of balsamic, plums and blackberries and hints of caramel, following through to a medium body with a beautiful frame of fine tannins. Solid and beautiful. Extremely long, gorgeous finish. Hard not to drink this now, but it will age beautifully.

2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

So aromatic, with notes of lavender, rosemary, dark cherries, dark strawberries, rose petals and blood oranges. The palate shows creamy, ultra-fine tannins that spread across the tongue, with superb texture that goes on for minutes. Hints of Provencal flowers. Hemmed in and held back. So good now, but even better in three to five years.

This recent tasting with Mark Aubert and his team was one of the most remarkable I have had in over a decade of visits. I was deeply impressed not just with the quality of the wines but also with the consistency of what I tasted across multiple vineyards and three vintages. I was not able to stop by Aubert last fall, as the timing of my Napa Valley trip coincided with a very late harvest, so this was my first time tasting the 2022s and the 2021s from bottle. I also took the opportunity to taste the bottled Chardonnays from 2019s, wines I missed because of the pandemic. As readers will see from these notes, the wines are absolutely brilliant.

Mark Aubert got the most out of 2022, a vintage that created numerous challenges for producers, although less so in Sonoma than in Napa. Harvest started in mid-August, 7-10 days earlier than 2021. Most of the fruit was in by the end of the month, although a few sites lingered into mid-September. Ferments were on the longer side, as much as 30 days in some cases. The Pinots were done with fully destemmed fruit. I imagine the 2022s will drink well with minimal cellaring.

The finished 2021 Chardonnays are every bit as special as they were when I tasted them from tank prior to bottling. Wines of energy and site expression, the 2021s clearly have the potential to age. I found the 2019 Chardonnays in great shape. Many Vinous readers have inquired about the 2019s in recent months. I see it as a superb vintage to start delving into. The wines offer notable complexity that has developed since bottling yet remain youthful and full of life. As attractive as the Aubert wines are young, my personal preference is to drink them with a few years of bottle age.

2022 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay CIX Estate is rich, ample and explosive. A classic Mark Aubert wine, the CIX is off the charts. Soaring aromatics and deep, layered fruit take hold of the senses and never let up. White orchard fruit, jasmine, lemon confit, white pepper and spice lend nuance to a Chardonnay built on textural resonance. The 2022 is arrestingly beautiful from the first taste.

2022 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 96 Points

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 stellar Chardonnay from Mark Aubert.

2022 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 95 Points

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.

2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96+ Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Lauren is a deep, powerful wine. It is also the most tightly wound and compacted of these Chardonnays. That won’t be an issue in a few years, but I would not be in any rush to open the 2022, as it very clearly needs time. Pear, ripe green apple and hints of jasmine linger.

2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue is laced with hints of orange confit, passion fruit and jasmine. This is one of the more exotic Chardonnays in the range, especially aromatically.

2022 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Powder House is a seamless, elegant wine. All the elements are so well put together. Lifted aromatics open first. Bright citrus fruit, dried flowers, chalk and crushed rocks follow in a Chardonnay that impresses with its sublime balance. The long, persistent finish is a thing of beauty.

2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is a powerful wine marked by more of a phenolic textural feel. Dried lemon peel, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks abound. This is an especially savory Chardonnay endowed with real palate presence and tons of class.

2022 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is a potent, driving wine. Readers should be in no rush, as the 2022 is quite reticent and in need of cellaring. Strong mineral and phenolic notes dominate, while everything else is in the background. Lemon confit, pear, ginger and white flowers open with some coaxing, but this needs time. The only question is how much.

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2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 100 Points

Once again, the 2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate finds Mark Aubert as his most brilliant. Explosive and racy to the core, the CIX possesses superb density and textural resonance from start to finish. The only problem with the 2021 is that it is way too young to be at its best. This is all class.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is ample, rich and explosive, with tons of tropical character and to play off its resonant personality. Orange peel, spice, butter, passion fruit and a kiss of French oak fill out the layers. What a gorgeous and complete wine this is. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde and Sons Vineyard is stunning, Bright, vibrant and explosive, the 2021 Hyde is fabulous. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, pear, lime and jasmine all race out of the glass. This chiseled, sculpted Chardonnay shows just how magical the 2021 vintage is. This is one of the most refined Hyde Chardonnays I have tasted from Mark Aubert.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98+ Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Lauren is going to battle it out with the CIX for the best wine in this range of Chardonnays. Dense and layered, with superb persistence, the Lauren is not as obvious as many wines in this range, but it is sublime. Dried pear, spice, ginger and chamomile add layers of dimension. Just wait.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue is one of the most powerful wines in this lineup. It offers a striking mix of orange confit with earthy, saline and mineral notes. Like all the 2021s here, the Park Avenue exudes textural intensity and persistence. The palate-staining finish is unforgettable.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95+ Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Powder House was quite closed when I tasted it from tank just prior to bottling. It comes across pretty much the same today. Readers are best advised to wait, or to at least give this a healthy decant. Pear, lemon peel, white flowers and crushed rocks open gradually, but the Powder House is in no mood to show its cards today.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 95 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack offers all the natural intensity that is typical of this site, but in this vintage, married to tons of citrus and saline-driven energy. The Sugar Shack is not one of the most obvious wines in this range, but it exudes persistence, tension and class. There’s real textural depth and presence here.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is a beguiling, complete wine. Floral notes mixed with hints of reduction, orchard fruit and citrus lend character to a wonderfully complex and complete wine. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is sublime in the way it marries richness with lightness.

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2022 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2022 Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard is fabulous. Dark, vibrant and vertical in feel, the 2022 offers a compelling mix of dark-toned fruit, menthol, cloves, licorice and incense. The CIX is dynamic and bursting with flavor. It is the most potent and virile wine in the range, and also the last to be picked.

2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is such a classy wine. Crushed flowers, mint, bright red-toned fruit and cinnamon are some of the notes that grace this layered, vibrant Pinot. All the elements are so nicely balanced. Floral notes perk up the finish.

2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

The 2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is laced with dark cherry, menthol, spice, dried flowers and blood orange. Medium in body, with terrific depth, the 2022 is another impeccable wine from Mark Aubert. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s breadth. This is the highest-elevation site in the Aubert portfolio.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

As fans know, Mark Aubert is a Chardonnay specialist and among the best producers of this variety worldwide. Since the beginning, Mark has been upfront and unwavering about his expression of Sonoma and Napa Chardonnay, delivering full-bodied, concentrated, textural wines…

2022 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2022 CIX Estate Chardonnay was tasted as a barrel sample. It comes bounding out of the glass with notes of freshly squeezed lemons, Granny Smith apples, freshly shaved ginger, and chalk dust, leading to wafts of coriander seed and white pepper. The full-bodied palate is tight-knit and racy with a chalky undercurrent to the citrus flavors, finishing long and minerally.

2022 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2022 Eastside Chardonnay was tasted as a barrel sample. Notes of chalk and crushed rocks open out to a core of ripe pears, yellow apples, and white pepper plus a hint of marzipan. The full-bodied palate has super tension with a silky texture framing the tight-knit apple and pear layers, finishing long and chalky.

2022 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2022 Larry Hyde & Sons Chardonnay, tasted as a barrel sample, rockets from the glass with intense notes of grapefruit essence, juicy white peaches, and fresh pineapple leading to touches of orange blossoms, candied ginger, and chopped cashews with a hint of honeycomb. The full-bodied palate bursts with concentrated stone and tropical fruit layers, supported by a refreshing backbone and creamy texture, leading to a lingering ginger ale note on the finish of this delicious wine.

2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2022 Chardonnay Lauren Estate was tasted as a barrel sample. Wow — you could just smell this all day, notes of candied orange peel, lemon tart, lime zest, pink grapefruit, and ginger tea emanate from the glass with hints of baker’s years, Marcona almonds, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate has beautiful tension and so much energy that it vibrates with citrus and mineral layers, finishing with long, lingering ginger and orange peel notes.

2022 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2022 Park Avenue Chardonnay, tasted as a barrel sample, wows as it wafts out with a gorgeous perfume of citron blossoms, yuzu, spiced apples, and ripe apricots, opening out to touches of nutmeg, almond croissant, and Earl Grey tea. The full-bodied palate explodes with citrus and spice fireworks, framed by a satiny texture and a racy line, finishing long and savory.

2022 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98+ Points

The 2022 Powder House Chardonnay, tasted as a barrel sample, is a bit shy to begin, needing a little shaking to wake up notes of tarte au citron, lime cordial, peach preserves, and baking bread, plus hints of wet slate and sea spray. The full-bodied palate is tense and intense, featuring a crisp backbone to define the citrus and mineral layers, finishing on a lingering marzipan note.

2022 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2022 Sugar Shack was tasted as a barrel sample. Wow — the nose pops with citrus notes of lime cordial, lemon curd, and kumquat giving way to hints of shaved almonds, jasmine tea, and beeswax with a touch of sea spray. The full-bodied palate delivers beautiful tension and a satiny texture, with tightly wound citrus and mineral layers, finishing long and chalky.

2022 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2022 UV-SL Vineyards Chardonnay was tasted as a barrel sample. Super intense notes of lime leaves, green mango, and green apples jump from the glass with hints of wet pebbles, honeysuckle, and allspice. The full-bodied palate is so light on its feet, with vibrant citrus and mineral sparks and a lively backbone to lift the long zesty finish.

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2022 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Deep ruby-purple in color, the 2022 CIX Estate Pinot Noir needs a swirl or two to coax out notes of kirsch, boysenberries, redcurrant jelly, and iris bulb, giving way to notions of red roses, sandalwood, clove oil, damp soil, and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is beautifully rich and opulent, with seamless freshness and velvety tannins, finishing long with loads of exotic spices hints.

2022 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2022 UV Pinot Noir rocks up with ready-to-go scents of black cherries, black raspberries, and mulberries, leading to suggestions of hoisin, star anise, and incense with a waft of rose oil. The full-bodied palate delivers fantastic tension, with bags of juicy black berry flavors and a beautiful, fine-grained texture, finishing long and spicy.

2022 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Deep ruby-purple in color, the 2022 UV-SL Vineyard Pinot Noir gallops out with powerful scents of wild blueberries, fresh blackberries, and pomegranate, leading to suggestions of violets, tar, and tilled soil with a touch of garrigue. The full-bodied palate is bright, energetic, and crunchy, featuring a fantastic backbone of freshness to lift the densely laden black and red berry layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins, finishing with epic length and fabulously fragrant.

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2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2021 CIX Estate Chardonnay wows with tropical fruit punch notes bursting from the nose, giving way to fragrant nuances of spice cake, candied ginger, lemongrass, and jasmine tea. The full-bodied palate shimmers with intense tropical fruit and baking spice layers, supported by a satiny texture and racy acidity, finishing long and layered.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 98 Points

The 2021 Eastside Chardonnay comes barreling out of the glass with notes of creme brulee, preserved mandarin peel, honeycomb, and pear tart, leading to a core of apple butter and crushed stones. The full-bodied palate is tight-knit and chalky, with loads of citrus and pear layers, finishing long and savory.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 100 Points

The 2021 Larry Hyde & Sons Chardonnay comes roaring out of the glass with explosive notes of lemonade, ginger ale, toasted almonds, brioche, and beeswax, plus a touch of sea spray in the background. The full-bodied palate remains so tight knit with a racy backbone and satiny texture, leading to epic length and a minerally finish to this mind-blowing wine.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 100 Points

The nose on the 2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate is so intoxicatingly powerful and gorgeous, with notes of orange blossoms, creme brulee, crystallized peel, lime cordial, and allspice, plus suggestions of acacia honey and dried persimmons. The full-bodied palate is magic – sparkling in the mouth with citrus, spice, and mineral accents, finishing with incredible length and depth.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Notes of honey-drizzled white peaches, wet pebbles, and grapefruit oil spring from the glass of the 2021 Park Avenue Chardonnay, leading to hints of Marcona almond, allspice, and brioche plus an intriguing waft of matcha. The full-bodied palate is invigorating and uplifting, with bright citrusy sparks and a racy backbone, finishing long and satin-textured.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Powder House Chardonnay is a little closed at first, with notes of wet slate and struck flint leading to a core of ripe pears, apple sauce, and fresh ginger with wafts of cashews and candied lemon peel. The full-bodied palate is more savory, with toasty, brioche notes coming through and a crisp line of acidity, finishing long and graceful.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 99 Points

The 2021 Sugar Shack prances out with flamboyant scents of fresh pineapple, lime blossoms, yuzu, and papaya, plus touches of toasted almonds and spice cake. The full-bodied palate has amazing freshness, giving it a sense of weightlessness and revealing layer upon layer of citrus and mineral flavors, finishing long and vibrant.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Lime cordial and tarte au citron notes jump from the glass of the 2021 UV-SL Vineyards Chardonnay, leading to suggestions of underbrush, struck flint, and fresh apricots with a hint of brine. The full-bodied palate is bright, tight, and refreshing, with a steeliness to the long, layered finish.

Mark Aubert Applies a Bordeaux Mentality to Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Aubert’s trio of 2021 single-vineyard Sonoma Pinots hits all the right notes, and a tasting of library wines reveals what to expect down the road.—James Molesworth

2021 Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96

Delivers a deep well of fruit, with lovely inner brightness, as gently mulled raspberry, mulberry and boysenberry fruit notes form a core that has nice underlying energy. Shows light wood spice, black tea, blood orange zest and savory accents that fill in throughout, with a mouthwatering mineral edge underneath it all. Reveals a late echo of wet earth, which caps the seriously long finish. For the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2034. From California.—J.M.

2021 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95

Gorgeous, with an inviting core of raspberry, blood orange and boysenberry puree aromas and flavors that stream through, flanked by singed apple wood, dried anise and black tea notes. Shows serious depth but also drive and freshness, as a racy mineral edge lends energy from start to finish. Best from 2024 through 2033.—J.M.

2021 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96

This has some “wow” fruit, with blackberry, black cherry and mulberry notes melded together nicely and infused liberally throughout with dark tea, blood orange zest and a sleek wet earth note. Exudes a gorgeous floral aspect as well, with hibiscus and iris notes in the background. Explosive in its range and pure in its delivery, with a pitch-perfect structure for a matrix of elements that will benefit cellaring. Best from 2024 through 2034. From California.—J.M.

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2015 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
The 2015 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV-SL Vineyard shows a beautiful array of sagebrush and sassafras, with a flash of menthol even, giving it a very open and alluring feel. The core is lush but has tension along the edges as the black cherry and blackberry fruit fans out. Black tea and mineral notes are inlaid through the finish. This seems to just be hitting its stride now at age 8.—J.M.

2011 Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
The 2011 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast CIX Estate feels fully mature, with a very expressive set of sage, chaparral and herb aromas. It’s silky in feel, with graceful red cherry and blood orange coulis notes stitched with a gentle cedar threading on the finish. At age 12, and from a less noteworthy vintage, it’s showing very well.—J.M.

2005 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
The 2005 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV Vineyard offers up a gorgeous plume of mulled raspberry, blood orange and damson plum fruit flavors that have steeped and mulled hints. It’s super refined and silky in feel, with flashes of green tea, sagebrush and warmed wood spice throughout. And at age 18 it’s still tightly knit, too, with racy mineral drive through the finish.—J.M.

This is a tremendous set of 2021s from Mark Aubert. The Chardonnays, which I tasted from tank prior to bottling, are marvelously precise and nuanced. Every wine is so well-defined. The Pinots might be even more impressive.

As has been the case the last few years, I also tasted a few older vintages for a separate report. For now, readers who have access to Aubert Chardonnays from magnum should jump on that opportunity, as the big bottle seems to be especially well suited to these wines, especially at the ten-year-plus stage. Two thousand twenty-one is one of my favorite recent vintages at Aubert.

2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-100 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate is the wine where it all comes together.  Aromatics, fruit, structure and acidity all meld together in a seamless, layered Chardonnay that opens beautifully in the glass. Nothing sticks out, instead the CIX Chardonnay, like the Pinot, is endowed with mind-blowing finesse. It is a super-classic wine from Mark Aubert. Magnificent.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 95-97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard marries textural richness and vibrancy in grand style. There’s terrific energy here, the result of poor, stressed soils that naturally limit yields. Bright acids and veins of minerality drive this focused Chardonnay. Citrus, orchard fruit, ginger and light tropical accents build into the intensely saline finish. Superb.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 93-95 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard is creamy, ample and wonderfully expressive. Lemon confit, mint, white pepper, candied ginger, orchard fruit and a kiss of new French oak all meld together. Bright acids lend vibrancy and nuance throughout. Give this a few years to come together.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Lauren is a rich, phenolic wine. Readers will have to be patient, as the Lauren is packed with fruit and structure. Orchard fruit, chamomile, dried flowers, mint, sage and dried pear build into the rich, palate-staining finish. The Lauren has a textural intensity that makes it feel almost like a red wine. Historically, the Lauren has been one of the best agers here.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95-97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue possesses tremendous textural richness and breadth, with plenty of orange peel, spice and tropical notes. Readers who like opulent Chardonnays will adore the Park Avenue. It’s an exquisite wine in every way.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94-96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Powder House is elegant, polished and also a touch reticent. That won’t be an issue in time… Strong mineral accents are front and center, while the fruit feels pushed into the background. Mark Aubert’s Chardonnays have historically aged quite well. I expect that will be the case here as well.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 94-96 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is a classic Mark Aubert wine. Creamy and ample in feel, the 2021 is super-expressive right out of the gate. Soft, silky contours frame lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed overtones that appear with aeration. All the elements are so well balanced. The Sugar Shack is one of the more immediate wines in this range and will drink well pretty much upon release.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95-97 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is one of the more exotic wines in the range. Initially a bit ethereal, the 2021 opens beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, where it shows tremendous breadth and notable mineral intensity. The UV-SL is not quite as obvious as some of the other wines in this range, but its pedigree is evident. There’s real density here, and tons of class.

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2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate is fabulous. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2021 possesses striking inner perfume and brilliant fruit. Sweet red cherry, plum, spice and pomegranate build into the heady, sumptuous finish. What a wine.

2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is bright, punchy and super-expressive. Bright red/plum, blood orange, rose petal, lavender, spice and strong floral/savory accents add nuance throughout. The 2021 is an absolute joy to taste. The UV was done with entirely destemmed fruit, but its aromatic profile offers quite a bit of whole cluster-like character.

2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is the darkest and most potent of the Pinots. It offers up copious dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and licorice. The 2021 possesses tremendous breadth and resonance. There’s plenty of power, but also the vibrancy that is increasingly a signature here.

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

My tasting with Mark Aubert was one of the most anticipated visits of my first year reviewing Napa wines for Robert Parker Wine Advocate. Having read years of previous reviews—and sampling the occasional bottle along the way—I had high expectations for the wines.

The Aubert Chardonnays are big, flavorful wines, dominated in their youth by ripe fruit flavors and balanced acidities—despite being aged in as much as 75% new French oak—wines that epitomize their West Coast origins. Personified, they’re the All-American, stereotypical California pinup on the surface, yet they have sufficient depth and complexity to get into Ivy League colleges and acquire layers of greater richness and discretion with age. Even if you don’t think that’s your type, there’s virtually no denying the matinee-idol-meets-deep-thinker appeal these wines possess.

2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

There’s just a hint of fumé character, those smoky, mocha notes accenting ripe peaches and bright lime pith. It’s characteristically full-bodied, generous, creamy and lush, yet with enough acidity to keep it clean and fresh on the finish.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 95-97 Points

Despite plenty of new French oak in the élevage, there’s only a faintly fumé, crushed-stone character on the nose, which nicely sets off the wine’s white peach and lime notes. Full-bodied and generous but sturdily built, with an imposing structure, the 2021 Chardonnay Eastside is powerful and long on the finish.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 94-96 Points

The coolest of Aubert’s Chardonnay sites, the 2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons boasts lovely aromas reminiscent of melon, citrus curd and lime zest. It’s full-bodied and creamy, with a silky, custardy mouthfeel and tremendous length.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2021 Lauren exudes power yet remains balanced. Hints of pencil shavings mark the nose, joined by effusive notes of lime and white peach, while the palate is full-bodied, rich and slightly oily in feel. Despite a sense of massive density, it remains fresh and lively, with great length and energy on the finish. It’s the crowning achievement among a stellar collection of 2021s from Aubert.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94-96 Points

There are attractive, intense notes of lime blossom, white peach, and citrus zest. Full-bodied, rich and round, it’s bright, zesty and long on the finish.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95-97 Points

Floral, non-fruity hints of crushed stone and talcum powder appear on the nose of Aubert’s 2021 Chardonnay Powder House, creating an attractive counterpoint to the wine’s honeyed richness and intense white-peach notes. Full-bodied and silky in feel, it’s a bit custardy in texture yet lithe, graceful and long, with an almost mentholated finish.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 93-95 Points

The 2021 Sugar Shack offers up attractive aromas of toasted hazelnuts and ripe peaches. Big, broad and fleshy in the mouth, it turns a bit angular on the finish, providing a bright, fresh counterpoint to the earlier opulence.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98 Points

There are 2,000 cases of this elixir, which offers up classic notes of toasted hazelnuts, white peaches and citrus zest. It’s full-bodied, rich and opulent yet contained and controlled, with great silky length and energy. Aubert describes the oak thusly: “The oak is perfect. It just kisses you with a bit of vanilla and cookie dough.” The wine is certainly delicious, and thinking back on it, I wonder if my rating is a bit conservative.

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2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95+ Points

Raspberry fruit predominates, accented by attractive sous-bois complexity in this bright, spicy effort. Medium-bodied, silky and crisp, it finishes long and softly dusty, with great length.

2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94+ Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard features bold notes of cherries, cinnamon and wood spice. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky across the mid-palate, finishing long and softly tannic. Nicely balanced and structured, it should age well for more than a decade.

2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96+ Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL kicks off with notes of alpine strawberries and lovely, almost garrigue-like notions. It’s delicate yet also the most generous and full-bodied of the three Pinot Noirs, with voluminous, silky tannins and terrific length and elegance married to a tense, wiry structure and intense fruit. Wow.

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2020 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Another terrific year for this bottling, the 2020 Chardonnay CIX Estate is lightly toasty, then tropical, with yellow peach, possibly even mango notes, balanced by bright, lime-like acids. It’s full-bodied, creamy and rich, yet not heavy at all, with great energy and lift on the finish.

2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons bursts with aromas of ripe, honeyed melon, balanced by bright lime notes. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, this is just a pleasure to drink, finishing long and zesty.

2020 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Hints of pencil shavings that accent white peach and pineapple—there’s tremendous fruit intensity here. Full-bodied and powerful, this blend of four heirloom selections remains exceptionally zesty, clean and fresh, with great length seamlessly allied to considerable richness. For now, I give a slight nod to the 2021 vintage, but this is a similarly terrific wine.

2020 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

Aubert’s 2020 Chardonnay Park Avenue is a lush, full-bodied effort loaded with ripe-tasting stone fruit, set against a backdrop of white nectarine and fresh lime juice. Plump and creamy in the mouth, expansive and generous, it finishes with a savory hint of mocha. Sandwiched between Lauren and CIX, it’s a parcel that should yield even greater wines as the vines age.

2020 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

Aubert’s 2020 Chardonnay Powder House comes across as a bit more crisp, focused and linear than many of the other wines here. Melon, yellow plum and lime notes appear upon the nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated, fresh and zesty. It’s an excellent wine…

2020 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 95 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Sugar Shack features intense scents of lime zest, honey and yellow peaches. Full-bodied, rich and ripe, it tightens up on the finish, adding more bright, refreshing citrus notes.

2020 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

Pronounced notes of crushed stone framing lime zest and white peaches. Full-bodied yet zesty, clean and refreshing, it’s a laser beam of bright fruit, seemingly without the typical Aubert fleshy curvaceousness.

The recent releases of Aubert lead the pack in this week’s tasting report with some fantastic chardonnays and pinot noirs.

2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

This has such gorgeous fruit character with dried lemon, pie crust, crushed stone, and hints of sea weed. Spicy, like sea salt. Persistent finish. Drink or hold.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 97 Points

This shows a seductive oily texture with pineapple, lime, lemon, cooked apple, and a little brioche. Some green mango. Lots of minerality. Full-bodied. Layered with amazing acidity. A very contrasting wine with richness and liveliness. Drink or hold.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97 Points

Yellow green color. A full-bodied and plush chardonnay with nougat, lemon, lime, hints of chalk. Ginger. Touch of raw pie crust. Vivid finish. Drink or hold.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Salty, lemon rind, lemon curd, stone, and blackboard chalk. Full-bodied. Tight, layered and really fine. Extremely long and compressed. Wonderful sophistication. Drink or hold.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Aromas of citrus, apple skin, grape skin, vanilla, and brioche. Full-bodied with an oiliness and acidity that runs so long. Sort of rock and roll here. Tight on the finish. Flinty. Needs time to open. Better after 2023 to 2024.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Love the aromas of lemon-lime, gunpowder, kiwi, and dried lemons. It’s full, phenolic and solid. This is like red wine in structure. Long and persistent. One for the cellar. Give this some time. Best after 2025.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Napa Valley
Score: 98 Points

So much gunpowder to the lemon rind and cooked apple aromas. Goes flinty. Lemon curd. Some sliced pineapple. Full-bodied with a compacted palate and a glossy texture to it. Very, very creamy. Honey. Candied lemon. Oily, but then goes fresh and zesty. Drinkable now, but will age beautifully.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

Pie crust with brioche, lemon meringue, lime leaf, and blackboard chalk. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, with terrific structure and incredibly complex on the finish with seaweed and umami. Sea breeze, iodine and oyster finish. Superb wine. Drink or hold.

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2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

Very dark fruit here with blackberries, blueberries, salt, mineral, and dark earth. Tile. Full-bodied, with tight and polished tannins. Super depth and structure. Great wine. One for the cellar. Better after 2025.

2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

Very intense blue fruits with blackberries and hints of licorice. Flowers, too. Some pepper. Full-bodied with lots of bark, mushroom and forest floor. Creamy and polished tannins. Drink or hold.

2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

This is so open with black cherry aromas jumping out of the glass with orange peel coming out. Black ink. Iodine. Oyster shell. Asian plum sauce. Mille-feuille. Medium to full body. Compacted palate with layers of fine tannins.

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2020 Chardonnay CIX Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

A tight and fresh white with sliced pear and apple. Light cream and cooked apple. Medium body. Crisp acidity and a subtle finish. Drink now.

2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96 Points

A big and juicy white with cooked apple, pear, honey, and mineral. Flint. Full and layered with a flavorful and delicious finish. Drink now.

2020 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

Linear and very structured with very fine and structured tannins that give this wine tension and focus. Medium body. Hints of stone and pear. Medium finish. Drink now.

2020 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 94 Points

A tight and linear chardonnay with dried apples, lemons, honey, sea salt, and white pepper. Medium body. Solid and beautiful. Candied lemons. Drink now.

2020 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Sonoma Coast
Score: 95 Points

A linear and very fine white with lemon pie, nougat, almond, and flint. Medium-bodied, refined and beautiful. Dried lemon and hints of honey. Pretty and delicious. Drink now or hold.

2020 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Napa Valley
Score: 95 Points

A solid and full-bodied wine with dried apple, pineapple, lemon rind, Full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Delicious finish. Drink now.

2020 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

A spicy and salty white with cooked apple and honey character. Light vanilla and pie crust. Medium to full body. Flavorful and very long, Excellent intensity and focus. White pepper and fruit at the end. Drink or hold.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

One of a handful of the USA’s greatest Chardonnay producers and right up there with the top Chardonnay estates in the world, Aubert knocks it out of the park again with their latest line-up of 2020 and 2021 releases…I found the newly bottled 2021 Pinot Noirs to be the finest Aubert has produced.

2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay CIX Estate was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It swans out of the glass with notions of ripe apricots, juicy pears, and quince paste, plus suggestions of grapefruit oil, lemongrass, and toasted almonds with a touch of beeswax. Full-bodied, rich, vibrant, multi-layered, and flawless, the palate is a seamless, complex, creamy powerhouse that is impossible to put down. The finish goes on forever.

2021 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard Russian River
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Eastside was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It comes barreling out with bold notes of fresh peaches, lime cordial, and orange blossom with touches of crushed rocks, toasted almonds, and honeysuckle. The full-bodied palate delivers compelling tension with taut, tightly knit layers, culminating in a wonderfully exotic, pineapple and guava-laced finish.

2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It springs from the glass with electric scents of lemon and grapefruit juices, leading to suggestions of fresh ginger, crushed stones, and brine. The full-bodied palate delivers beautiful seamlessness, with a silken texture and wonderful lift on the long, long finish.

2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98-100 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Lauren Estate, tasted as a tank sample due to be bottled in December 2022, was made with 100% new oak – though it doesn’t show. It prances out with showy scents of ginger tea, lemon meringue pie, grapefruit oil, and sassafras with touches of allspice and sea spray plus a hint of jasmine. Full-bodied, rich, opulent, and spicy / savory, it has an amazingly satiny texture with electric tension and incredible length. So thick and yet so ethereal, this is a jaw-dropper.

2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Park Avenue was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of ginger ale, sassafras, lemon curd, coriander seed, and crystallized orange peel with a hint of white pepper. The full-bodied palate is satiny smooth with layers of citrus and stone fruits, supported by a lively backbone, finishing long and minerally.

2021 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96-98+ Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Powder House was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It soars out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of peach cobbler, apple blossoms, and honeydew melon, leading to suggestions of persimmons, quince, spice cake, and almond croissant with a waft of honeycomb. Full-bodied, the palate is so fragrant and graceful, with a fantastic seamlessness and silken texture, leading to amazing length and depth on the finish of this gorgeous wine.

2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 96-98 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It rolls effortlessly out of the glass with alluring notes of juicy nectarines, honeydew melon, and lemon pastilles, plus wafts of sassafras and marzipan. Full-bodied, the flavors build in the mouth, stacking layers of citrus, melon, and spices, finishing opulent.

2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97-99 Points

The 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL was tasted as a tank sample, due to be bottled in December 2022. It opens with compelling struck flint and wet slate wafts before going full-throttle with grapefruit, green mango, and pineapple scents, leading to suggestions of lime and yuzu zest. The full-bodied palate is powerful, muscular, and dense with a creamy texture and a fantastically long honey and hazelnut-laced finish.

2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it slowly unfurls to offer glimpses at cracked black pepper, Ceylon tea, garrigue, and mossy tree bark with a core of pomegranate, fresh blackberries, and kirsch. Full-bodied, taut, and muscular, it has a nice graininess to the tannins and seamless freshness supporting the earth-laced red and black fruit layers, finishing long and lifted.

2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it comes bounding out with youthful scents of black cherries, black raspberries, and wild strawberries, plus suggestions of violets, chocolate mint, wild sage, and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is fantastically light on its feet, with beautiful freshness and ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and savory.

2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2021 Pinot Noir UV-SL was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with powerful notes of mulberries, black cherry compote, and wild blueberries with hints of raspberry leaves, crushed stones, and underbrush plus a hint of cardamom. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seductive, with beautifully velvety tannins and a lively backbone, it finishes long, with loads of floral notes coming through.

2020 Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay CIX Estate comes bounding out of the glass with youthful notes of fresh lemons and lime, grapefruit oil, and chalk dust, with wafts of paraffin wax, lily of the valley, and wet pebbles. The palate is full-on full-bodied and fantastically textured, with viscous ripples of flavor and seamless acidity, finishing with a lingering spicy kick.

2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Carneros
Score: 97 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons bursts form the glass with notes of lemongrass and ginger tea, orange blossoms, and lime cordial with wafts of yuzu and struck flint. The full-bodied palate shimmers with energy, framed by a racy backbone and creamy texture, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of citrus sparks.

2020 Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 100 Points

The nose on the 2020 Chardonnay Lauren Estate starts off with a beautiful briny / sea spray character, leading to intense grapefruit oil, lemonade, and ginger tea scents, plus wafts of lime leaves, ginger ale, and crushed stones. The full-bodied palate delivers fantastic tension with a lively backbone cutting through super-intense, tightly wound citrus and stone layers, finishing long and so, so fragrant.

2020 Chardonnay Park Avenue Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Park Avenue comes galloping out of the glass with energetic notes of mandarin peel, Golden Delicious apples, honeysuckle, and toasted almonds, plus suggestions of lime zest, powdered ginger, and wet slate. The full-bodied palate delivers a rock-solid structure of racy acidity and creamy texture, supporting the muscular layers of citrus and spice flavors, finishing with incredible length and depth.

2020 Chardonnay Powder House Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 99 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Powder House rockets out with powerful notes of key lime pie, jasmine tea, and candied orange peel, plus notes of oyster shell, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and citron blossom. The full-bodied palate is viscous and opulent with layer upon layer of citrus and savory flavors, lifted by a refreshing backbone, finishing long with loads of mineral nuances.

2020 Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Napa Valley
Score: 97 Points

The 2020 Chardonnay Sugar Shack strolls out of the glass with confident notes of apple pie, peach cobbler, fresh Bosc pears, and allspice with touches of limes leaves and green mango, plus a hint of marzipan. The full-bodied palate delivers loads of apple and pear layers with spicy accents and soft acidity, finishing soft, satiny, and decadent.

2020 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 98+ Points

The 2020 Chardonnay UV-SL charges out of the gate with vibrant notes of grapefruit, lemon tart, and coriander seed, leading to wafts of struck flint, sea spray, yuzu zest, and peach blossom. Full-bodied, rich, and densely laden in the mouth with lemon and lime oil layers, it has just enough freshness and a pleasant suggestion of oiliness to the texture, finishing long and lifted.

Mark Aubert showed me a set of stunning 2011 Chardonnays during our most recent tasting, all from magnum. Over the years, I have learned that the Aubert Chardonnays start to show their best with at least a few years in bottle, and they age spectacularly well in magnum. This tasting only reinforced those views. If you are on the Aubert list, do yourself a favor and sign up for magnums. Drinking these wines from the big bottle is one of the great experiences in wine!

2011 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 97

The highlight in this range from Aubert, the 2011 Chardonnay CIX Estate is fabulous. Bright and focused, the 2011 remains wonderfully fresh and vibrant for a wine of its age. The magnum format surely helps, but wow, what a wine! Lemon peel, crushed rocks, mint, white flowers and white pepper lend tons of brilliance. Readers who are cellaring the 2011 should be thrilled. This is another stunning wine from Mark and Teresa Aubert.

2011 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 96

The 2011 Chardonnay Lauren comes across as shockingly young. The aromas and flavors are those of a wine with some age, but on the palate it is incredibly tight. The 2011 needs quite a bit of time to be at its best, and to release all of its aromatic intensity. As always, the Lauren has a textural dynamism that is incredible distinctive. Tasted from magnum it is fabulous.

2011 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95

The 2011 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is laced wit hints of dried pear, orange peel, mint, spice, ginger and caramel. The Ritchie appears to be a bit more forward than the other 2011 Chardonnays in this tasting, but has tremendous richness and the viscosity that is such an Aubert signature. Tasted from magnum.

2011 Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Score: 95

Tasted from magnum, the 2011 Chardonnay UV-SL is gorgeous. Tangerine oil, mint, dried flowers, dried herbs and chamomile lend striking aromatic and flavor complexity to this oily, luscious Chardonnay. This is a remarkable showing from vines that were just six years old at the time. The 2011 is a wine to drink now and over the next few years.