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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 214 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by lovemycab on 6/18/2023 & rated 92 points: This is still good and drinking well. Opened up more over the course of an hour. Oak is very present and much more dominant than the fruit. Time will continue to make this even more oak dominant. (488 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 11/20/2022 & rated 95 points: Outstanding over the course of the meal. Drink to enjoy. (827 views) | | | Tasted by JSW03 on 1/17/2022: Sold via Acker online auction (1323 views) | | | Tasted by SoundinBetween on 7/29/2021: Medium gold in color, with a nose of green apple, pear and lemon. Palate was firm and ripe, more than medium bodied and with well-integrated oak, not quite flabby but did lack a bit of acidity I would've liked. If there was one particular nit here, this bottle did not show any real sense of place. Drinking well today and immediately assertive, this did not change markedly over 2 hours. A well-stored bottle (obviously) so no issues with oxidation, though others bottles from this group have been spoiled by that.. (1599 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 4/25/2021 & rated 95 points: Wow. Delicious. Darker color, long lasting. (1712 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 2/27/2021 & rated 95 points: Stunning and better in the glass as the evening went on. (1549 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 2/13/2021 & rated 95 points: Brilliant color, fantastic btl, crisp acidity for its age. Delicious. Best yet. Drink/hold (1347 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 2/12/2021 & rated 94 points: What else can I say about these wines but they are awesome especially with age! Drink. (1050 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 2/1/2021 & rated 92 points: Dense and very powerful with so much stone and orchard fruit, well supported with sweet spice. So much here with enough energy to keep it fresh and bright. Much better/ fresher than the last time tasted 3 years ago. (1743 views) | | | Tasted by JoeDwine on 1/31/2021 & rated 93 points: With Parmesan Risotto and Wild mushrooms/Black Truffles.....Golden slightly cloudy. Mild citrus, pear, apricot. Some nice minerality and candle wax. Great mouthfeel Fruit leading with light buttered popcorn Lovely. (794 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 1/20/2021 & rated 93 points: PnP. Medium gold. Intense nose of citrus and marzipan. Medium weight with lovely balance which belies its 15.1% abv. Finish is all about citrus/lemon/lime and phenolic intensity with just a hint of heat. Quite remarkably good for age 13. Its never been clear to me how the Aubert Chards age, but this is quite good now but drink up I think. Much improved on earlier bottle. (831 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 1/16/2021 & rated 94 points: Really special (792 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 1/16/2021 & rated 94 points: Darker color, great palate, good finish. Great 12 year old wine. Drink (765 views) | | | Tasted by gtenser on 12/15/2020 & rated 95 points: This is drinking extremely well. Opened with a pasta/shrimp/roasted garlic/parsley on a Tues night...13 years is typically too much age for a Kistler, but Aubert Ritchie is absolutely singing. Cork disintegrated, which was a surprise - saved by the Durand. Definitely a 'drink up', but prepare for an upside surprise. Lovely bottle. (727 views) | | | Tasted by rdk8 on 7/19/2020 & rated 93 points: Citrus, melon, toasted coconut on the nose. Nice acidity and mouth feel. Finish of roasted nuts. A little too much oak for my taste but overall drinking beautifully. (843 views) | | | Tasted by ejca on 3/31/2020: Still very good (994 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 11/5/2019 & rated 95 points: Delicious, and drinking beautifully now, the 2008 Ritchie shows tons of citrus in the nose and flavor along with pears, apples, and melons, with hints of nuttiness and floral. A full bodied chardonnay with great structure and mouthfeel, nice acidity, and a long finish. Impressive! (1190 views) | | | Tasted by lovemycab on 6/9/2019 & rated 95 points: This was absolutely delicious. Enjoyed over an hour and everyone was thrilled. Everything was still there. Glad I have 2 more left. (1201 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 2/15/2019 & rated 91 points: No formal notes, except .... simply beautiful! (1266 views) | | | Tasted by slywka7 on 1/5/2019 & rated 94 points: Aromas of pineapple, mango, papaya, lemon meringue and butterscotch. Flavors of lemon pie, pineapple, banana, tutti frutti and a touch of pine nut. Ends with a big finish of 30-35 seconds with notes of roasted nuts. This is much improved since the last time I had it but think I might have missed the sweet spot I like on these. Starting to think it's abut 7-8 years. Still impressive nonetheless. (1361 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 11/14/2018 & rated 92 points: Darker color, evolved nicely in the glass. (1185 views) | | | Tasted by J @ y H @ c k on 9/6/2018 & rated 94 points: At Shiva. Some thought there was too much oak but I really liked this, although I just had a small taste and shared it with lots of others. (1371 views) | | | Tasted by jsmorris707 on 5/20/2018 & rated 95 points: SO'd for a few hrs, med. gold, lemon & pineapple & a touch of vanilla; delicious, ready to drink but no rush (1617 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 4/21/2018 & rated 94 points: Opulent and drinking well (1252 views) | | | Tasted by Naplesgolfer on 3/30/2018 & rated 95 points: sublime. But not going to get better. Drink up. Great right now. (1102 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2010, IWC Issue #150
(Aubert Wines Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/6/2010)
(Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard) Light medium lemon yellow color; pear, peach, floral nose; complex and tasty pear, lemon, tart peach, apple, tart pineapple palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Aubert Producer website2008 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie VineyardVineyard and Winemaking
The 2008 Ritchie Chardonnay reveals huge concentration and depth from the growing conditions of 2008. It took us nearly four weeks from the start of harvest to the last pick at Ritchie. We arrived at numerous lots that have depth and concentration that this 35-year-old vineyard is known for. The 2008 vintage has a very high level of ripeness and a wonderful natural age worthy acid backbone that dovetails well with our past vintages of Ritchie. We have drawn similarities that this 2008 reminds us a lot of the 2005 or even the 2007 Ritchie’s. In the 2008 vintage you will experience the wonderful ripe and balanced Chardonnay expression that is true Ritchie. Our final cuvee is vinified from 3 small blocks at Ritchie that we feel are some of the finest soils and vine exposures at the vineyard. These 3 different lots are aged in 100 percent new French oak barrels for 11 months, and then carefully racked to tanks. We let all of our wines rest and clarify in these tanks for another 3 months before bottling.
Bottled in December 2009 unfined and unfiltered
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The harvest at the Ritchie Vineyard commenced in early September and we made decisions based upon grape intensity that resulted in a wonderful ripeness track. The 2008 growing season with its low rainfall, cool nights and warm summer days added even more intensity by thoroughly retaining the natural acidity. During the harvesting of Ritchie we moved quickly to ensure that the grapes are hand picked and transported to the winery in our refrigerated trucks. That being said, so much of the fruit characters were preserved and once again, the telltale “Ritchie Vineyard” intensities—yellow hues and a green color on edge, definable tones of dried lemon and lime skins make up the aromatic profile of this wine. Wonderful uplifting changes in aroma and bouquet give a true expression of this fabulous vintage that is 2008. The mouth feel is very rich and the natural acidity gives the wine stability for continued bottle aging. The wine has a slight hazy clarity showing our commitment to minimal interventional winemaking. © Aubert Winery from 2008 Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Tasting Notes
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeRitchie VineyardRitchie Vineyard is legendary in Russian River Valley, widely regarded as one of the best Chardonnay sites in all of California. The vineyard was first planted in 1972 to a handful of heritage selections, including Old Wente, and sits on a rolling northwest facing hillside in the heart of Russian River Valley, near the intersection of Trenton-Healdsburg and Eastside roads. The unique soil profile, comprised of Goldridge series sandy loam and a layer of volcanic ash deposits, creates wines with great intensity, which exude a rare purity and sense of place. For more than forty years, Kent Ritchie has farmed this vineyard with passion, precision and a loving touch. He pays personal attention to the wishes of each winemaker working with his grapes because, like the best growers in the area, he understands that the relationship is as important as the quality of the finished product that bears his name.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountySonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast AVA (Wikipedia)
* Sonoma Coast AVA (Wine Institue) |
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