Park Avenue elicits thoughts of icons, history, towers, and titans. Nestled between our ‘Lauren’ and ‘CIX’ Estate Vineyards, Park Avenue was our fourth Estate Vineyard to be planted and fifth to come into production. It shares the same hillside and exposure as Lauren, but has a distinctly different stretch of ancient seabed and subsoils.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 Park Avenue is simply joyous. In the glass, bright green hues nod to the health and longevity of the wine. Boisterous aromas of lemon curd, mango lassi, and pear compote are interwoven with white pepper and cardamom for an exotic, compelling presentation. The palate is at once both luscious and ethereal, driven by an effusive minerality and acidity – classic Park Avenue. The wine can be enjoyed in this youthful and inviting state but will age beautifully over the coming 10-15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Powder House is the culmination of Mark Aubert’s 30+ years producing Chardonnay. Planted with one of our rarest Chardonnay clones, Powder House highlights the distinct, powdery Goldridge soils on this hilly site.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 Powder House is a study in minerality and persistence. True to its name, the wine bounds out of the glass with powdered lime zest and crushed seashell aromatics that frame notes of candied green apple and Madame Plantier rose. Sweet graham cracker and almond croissant perfectly knit with these lifted citrus and orchard fruits across the palate alongside an unfading, saline minerality. Structurally, the wine is poised and precise, with mouthwatering acidity characteristic of a true vin de garde. Enjoyable today, the wine will soar through the coming decade, and can be cellared over the next 10 to 15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
The Hudson Vineyard runs along a northern stretch of Carneros soils that are thin and rocky. As a result, these old vines struggle to produce even the most modest of crops. After a long, 10 year wait to join the Hudson fraternity, we are pleased to be working with a grower who shares with us a common vision and dedication to quality. It was worth the wait.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2019 Hudson is an enticing elixir of quince preserves, fresh almond, beeswax candle, apple turnover, and wet stone embellished with hints of musk rose and lavender honey. The concentrated palate is draped in white stone fruits, and its glycerin texture is braced by an exquisite mineral underpinning. This wine has more to reveal and will cellar confidently for 10-15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
The CIX Vineyard Chardonnay embodies everything we seek in a Chardonnay – distinctive aromatics, coupled with Goldridge soil that lends a varied richness and breadth. The aromatics reflect the soil influenced minerals with White Burgundian nuances.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 CIX is stately and opulent. Intense chamomile and honeysuckle florals mix with pure golden apple, wildflower honey, and crystallized lemon for a wine that is staggeringly complex and unified. On the palate, dusty minerals hint at the volcanic origins of the site, and toasty notes of almond baklava emerge from its dense core. Richly textured, the wine endlessly dances across the palate with both freshness and grás. Cellar this wine with confidence for 10 to 15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Our first ever Estate Pinot Noir, the CIX is Grand Cru Aubert. This Pinot is our most reminiscent of red Burgundy. This cooler site in Forestville creates an ethereal, delicate, and elegant wine.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 CIX Pinot Noir is sanguine and grounded. Heady marionberry, kirsch, and blood orange radiate from the glass. Complex, earth-driven tones of Ceylon tea, oyster shell and sous bois slowly unfurl with time. These hallmark earthy tones are the calling card of the elusive, white volcanic soils found here. A full body envelops the already polished tannic structure at the core of the wine. Suggested drinking window is 2024 through 2036.
Our passion for Eastside begins with its rocky slopes and cobbled soil, and is rewarded with the small, concentrated clusters that these vines struggle to produce each year. The distinctive site-specific undertones and complex fruit-driven overtones of this wine exemplify an Aubert Chardonnay.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 Eastside is a wine of focus and purity that offers a glimpse into the thin, rocky soils of this unique site through its hallmark minerality. The wine leaps from the glass with potent aromas of lime cordial, lemon zest, and golden apple crumble. This is a wine of tension and grace that slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal a complex array of citrus and orchard fruit suspended above a nervy mineral backbone. The stony character, driving acidity, and rich texture foretell of a wine that will age gracefully for decades to come. Enjoy over the next 10 to 15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
The vineyard has a simple moniker, “a warm spot in a cool place.” This unique climate allows us to achieve optimally ripe grapes with a vin-de-garde personality. The wine exhibits organic notes derived from the soil, while the palate reveals immense depth and complexity.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 Larry Hyde & Sons is a classic representation of Carneros terroir. Concentrated aromas of crystallized ginger, sweet alyssum, and white nectarine are framed by an electric streak of citron peel. The palate seamlessly weaves sweet, spring florals together with caramelized stone fruit and lemon oil. Chalky minerality and fresh acidity balance the full-body and rich texture for a finish that lingers for minutes on end. Enjoy over the next 10 to 15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Our first production of Lauren Estate wine was in 2003, and revealed our definition of perfection. Comprised of four distinct Chardonnay clones, this wine is a hypothetical blend of Sonoma Coast with White Burgundy. Fabulously concentrated and layered with density and extract, the aromatics and mouth feel are profound.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 Lauren is the highest expression of what is possible with heritage clones, site specificity, and vine age. The wine is beguiling in its complexity, unfurling in a wave of seductive aromas and textures. Concentrated lime and apricot oils bound from the glass alongside ripe heirloom apple and a complex mix of jasmine and lily florals. Lemongrass and cling peach continue to build across the palate to a harmonious crescendo. The wine is both rich and finessed, with palpable energy that radiates through its tightly woven structure. The wine will remain youthful and exuberant for many years to come and will age with finesse and stature well beyond 10 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
We set out to move a mountain; to narrow the stylistic differences between Napa and Sonoma Chardonnays. The clone specifically selected for our Rutherford site, Sugar Shack, is expressive of its terroir and can maintain high acidity levels. These qualities allow the resulting wine to express characteristics similar to its Sonoma cousins.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The radiant 2021 Sugar Shack is a tour de force. Dense yellow peach and apricot aromatics mingle with orange blossom, liquified river rock, and sweet lemon thyme. The dense, opulent mouthfeel is countered by a refreshing, lively acidity that is testament to the superb terroir of this site. This is a fabulous wine to enjoy over the next 10 to 15 years. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
The unique clay composition of the soils at the UV site is exhibited in this Pinot Noir’s perfumed aromatics and voluptuous texture.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2021 UV Pinot Noir is punchy and expressive, leaping out of the glass with wild strawberry, blackberry, and bright red plum fruits. The aroma is lifted by a bouquet of fresh violets and lavender, counterbalanced by an earthy and sweet terracotta minerality that echoes the brick-red clay soils of the vineyard. Mouthwatering acidity and supple tannins carry these complex aromas and flavors for a long, persistent finish. Suggested drinking window is 2024 through 2036.