April 23, 2023 - Bottle in excellent shape with less than 1 cm of ullage, and no signs of amber on edge. Drinking perfectly now with a good balance of fruit and tertiary notes. Nose a bit atypical in more dark fruit than most Pinot. Very big PN and wonderful balance. Excellent bottle of wine but not one I would identify as PN -- may have even called it a top So. Rhone?
January 30, 2022 - Same great wine and similar flavors profile and amazing finish that I experienced 8 years ago. Wine has aged effortlessly and is still showing incredibly well
December 18, 2020 - Slightly corked making it hard to enjoy
February 2, 2020 - This was the first Aubert I've consumed and I'd be happy to have more. Style is very similar to Peter Michael Le Caprice, which I also really enjoy. Lots of dark fruit and very pleasant nose to finish, even on a short decant. I think with more decant time (only about 30 mins and from a 1.5L) this would have been even better.
December 25, 2019 - This is simply a great wine. Dark cherry with a little spice. Leather. This is a deep, dark Pinot. Long finish.
August 11, 2019 - I don't know if we just happen to catch this particular bottle at the absolute height of it's drinking period, but the only other California Pinot we ever scored this high was the 2009 Marcassin Vineyard. This was a perfect pairing with grilled pork chops, just delicious! Tons of rich, concentrated black fruits, black raspberries, black cherries, plums, currants, and earthiness in the nose and flavor. An elegant pinot noir, perfectly balanced, with nice complexity, and a long lingering smooth finish. I had high expectations when we opened this bottle, but those expectations were far exceeded. Wow!
May 11, 2019 - Blind Tasting...Wines That Don't Suck (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Clearly New World Pinot with its ultra ripe character, but this also showed good balanced structure and charming combination of sweet and savory spice. I am rarely a fan of Aubert Pinot Noir, but tonight's was very enjoyable, even if not such a good value wine.
May 11, 2019 - Blind. Pretty clearly New World on the nose with sweeter raspberry and cherry notes with a healthy dose of spice. The palate has good richness and intensity to the riper and sweeter fruit. Reasonably balanced. Was very surprised by both the age and producer. Holding on well, if a bit heavy for my preferences.
May 11, 2019 - "Wines that don't suck" (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Probably new world pinot, based on that hint of orange peel on the nose, as well as the black cherry and mild dose of earth. It's definitely a very big wine, but seems to hold its alcohol well; there's a fair bit of spice as well that adds some complexity. Not my generally preferred style, but this isn't the worst example of pinot I could come up with.
September 1, 2017 - This was missing until it was found. How do you lose a magnum? Past the ostensible drinking window by a year, I opened it for a dinner party, did not decant but let it sit with the cork out for 2 hours. The cork seemed a bit loose, but smelled fine. Five drinkers with cocktails and white wine (Kosta Browne 2013 Chard-I didn't have any) first. Poured from the bottle to accompany a David Chang style pork butt. OMG! Much lighter than the 2008 Reuling I poured when this was gone. Reticent nose of cherries, cedar and funk. Great legs in the glass. This was so much more sophisticated on the palate than most Auberts, which tend to be among the larger style pinots. No extraction at all, tannins fully resolved, sweet, smooth red fruit and not a hint of alcohol. Long finish. I have had burgundies at three times the price that did not show as well. The guests agreed and the magnum was gone before the food. Opened the 2008, which had a higher rating and it was a much more typical of Auberts-a big wine with alcohol and extracted flavors. After the magnum nobody paid any attention. I would say drink now to those who still have bottles of this wine.