Wine Spectator – June 2023
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.
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.
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Articles and Reviews
- Wine Spectator - November 2024
- Wine Spectator - September 2024 Issue
- Wine Spectator - July 2024 Issue
- The Wine Advocate - July 2024
- James Suckling, Weekly Tasting Report - June 2024
- Vinous - May 2024
- The Wine Independent - September 2023 - Location, Location, Location
- Wine Spectator - June 2023
- Vinous - January 2023
- The Wine Advocate - December 2022 - Spotlight on Aubert
- James Suckling, Purity and Zest from Napa and Sonoma - November 2022
- The Wine Independent - September 2022 - The Citrus Circus
- Vinous - May 2022 - 2011 Napa Valley at Age Ten
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Press Archive
- Wine Spectator - Spring 2021 - Producer Spotlight
- The Wine Advocate - January 2021 - Spotlight on Aubert
- Vinous - January 2021
- James Suckling, Weekly Tasting Report - December 2020
- Wine Spectator - Spring 2020 - Producer Spotlight
- Vinous - January 2020 - 2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth
- The Wine Advocate, Issue 245 End of October 2019
- Wine Spectator - July 31, 2019 - Annual Chardonnay Report
- Vinous - May 2019 - Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond
- James Suckling, The Good and the Bad of Sonoma - November 2018
- The Wine Advocate, Mid-October 2018 New Releases
- Wine Spectator - July 31, 2018 - Annual Chardonnay Report
- June 2018 - Jeb Dunnuck
- Jan 2018 Vinous - Antonio Galloni
- The Wine Advocate Issue 233, October 2017
- May 2017 - James Suckling
- Jan 2017 Vinous - Antonio Galloni
- The Wine Advocate Issue 227, October 2016
- Jan 2016 Vinous - Antonio Galloni
- The Wine Advocate Issue 222, December 2015
- Jan 2015 Vinous - Antonio Galloni
- The Wine Advocate Issue 216, December 2014
- Wine Spectator Insider - July 30, 2014 Semi-Annual Report
- Jan 2014 Vinous - Antonio Galloni
- The Wine Advocate Issue 210, December 2013