Great to revisit a nicely aged bottle on Easter Sunday. Slight chill, decanted for about 20 minutes prior to drinking. Last bottle of this vintage from April 2021...
Medium/full gold color, cloudy. Nose showing signature citrus, candied fruits, dried floral notes, saline. Palate evolved over the course of the tasting - core flavors of orchard fruits, candied citrus/pineapple, lemon curd, lees(?). Secondary flavors of butterscotch, baked apple. Full body and long finish.
Great to see that is is still evolving. Should drink at this level for some time, however, its really worth opening right now. This bottle showed increased depth and complexity with the decant. If venue allows I would give it an hour - last sips were the best on this tasting...Outstanding showing
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Very pretty bright yellow. Nice mix of minerals, flowers and orange peel on the nose. Marzipan, peach, pear, Golden Delicious apple with a citrus finish
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This is awesome - rich, concentrated, pure, and perfectly balanced. I have no issue with endorsing Lisa Perotti-Brown's 100 point score as, for my palate, Chardonnay doesn't get much better than this. Honestly, I offer a score of 98 in order to leave room for something better, without the conviction that this is likely.
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Much better than the bottle I had previously. Acidity much more on point, fragrant on the nose, with apples, pears, honeyed notes on the palate and good acidity which was missing on the previous bottle.
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One of the finest Aubert Chardonnays we've tasted! Drank over two evening and amazed that the second was better than the first. There was more richness and a compelling mouthfeel such as we've hardly ever experienced in a wine.
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Pears, apples, peaches and citrus, with hints of honey, floral, and minerality in the nose. Apples, pears, and peaches in the flavor. An elegant wine with nice acidity and complexity, full bodied and a long finish.
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Was a last minute addition to the pre-picnic at the Hollywood Bowl prior to seeing the Kiss Fairwell (again) tour concert, so unfortunately no formal notes taken, but this was incredible!! No signs of age and just was so very enjoyable, bottle was gone in a flash... just glad there's one more left, but do wish i had some more!!
Absolutely no rush to drink these can rest comfortably for time to come.
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Drank over two nights with similar impressions. Decanted and poured into large bowl glasses. Opened up rather quickly with this approach. Great Aubert quality throughout with a wonderful mix of citrus and tropical flavors that remain pure to the end. Seems to be hitting its stride now.
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Nose showed nicely with white peach, tropical fruits, butter, oak. Medium acidity, full bodied as you would expect from a California Cabernet; good depth in terms of layers with Golden Delicious apples, pears, white peach. Medium long oaky finish was nice as well.
Overall, this Aubert was very enjoyable as you’d expect from a top producer. However, the wine fell a bit flat due to the medium acidity that did not really counterbalance the fruit and butter-oak of the wine. As a comparison, the Kistler Hyde Vineyard I had a couple months ago impressed me much more. Good, but hardly worth its price.
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Rich and oily, with butterscotch, vanilla, tropical fruit. A nice amount of acidity to balance all the rich attributes under the hood. Has a very soft and caressing feel along the creme brûlée' and vanilla laden finish. Ready to go, I would not hold. DRINK
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Mostly Domestic Wine Dinner (The Capital Grille at Tysons corner, VA): En magnum with the typical slightly cloudy light yellow color. Classic Aubert nose displaying intense deeply toned sweet yellow fruit, yellow peach, pineapple, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, butter popcorn, oyster jus, sweet spices and oyster shell. Exceptional concentration, layer upon layers of concentrated sweet yellow fruit, dense, rich and deeply toned but also showing very good balance, perfect amount of acidity and oyster shell mineral, and a long rich concentrated yellow fruit driven finish with butter popcorn at the end. For me, Aubert is the best Chardonnay made domestically. Aubert makes a big scale concentrated style of Chardonnay with a hint of heat. However, it consistently retains a very good balance and strong mineral expression which strangely reminds me a Corton Charlemagne. If you are a member of AFWE, just move on and if you are a fan of Aubert, you will love this wine.
This may be my favorite of the great Aubert chardonnays. Elegant very smooth and balanced. Not too acidic and no dominating fruit, though a bit more lemon-pear Outstanding finish It may be even better with a little air.
Ive been holding onto this since release to see how the aubert’s/Lauren’s age. First this was an amazing wine with a rich oily profile and more pear peach flavor profile. This wine is at peak with tannin fully resolved and drinking beautifully. I would drink in the next year. What was noticeable was that there wasnt the distinctive meyer lemon taste and smell of younger Lauren’s and the question is what profile you prefer because both young and old Lauren delivers a great drinking experience.
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Honeyed fruit, round, soft, full. Still refreshing. Resolved tannins. Not an austere or acidic Chard. In a great place. Drink near term, may evolve positively.
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This was the clear winner tonight, with 5 other Aubert's in the flight! Bright clear yellow with slight green hues (as opposed to the other more turbid Auberts); pure peach, apple pie, peach cobbler, rich, oily, seamless and balanced even with the high alcohol. Very appealing which is why it won 1st place. I thought it was clearly better than the other Auberts. Blind at the Dirty Dozen CA Chards Grand Harbor Seafood.
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PnP. Slightly cloudy gold. Tropical fruit nose with citrus overtones. Initially this is quite high in acid and the fruit not really balanced. With air the fruit which is dominated by pineapple and lemon drop comes out. Similar to last bottle - impressive but not that enjoyable. Addendum: this was stored in the fridge and became bette balanced with improved fruit density over the next couple of days. The alcohol is still there but perhaps this needs a decant to show its best.
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Dinner at Yans for Kathy and I, opened this Chardonnay and it was spectacular, nose of sweet fruit, candied lemon, minerals, spicy French Oak char, and a fragrant Old English Bouquet to stimulate your desire to drink this wine, big body, very tasty, elegant, 60% Chardonnay and 40% White Burgundy, mouth filling fruit, sweet and rich fruit, we both enjoy this style of Chardonnay, long finish and lovely aftertaste helps you to pour another glass, photo uploaded.
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Sam's 60th Birthday (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. Ripe apple with gingerbread in a rich combination with spice and floral charm. Clearly ripe, but this easily maintains its balance.
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Brought this one to Mezzaluna, dinner w Val/Chris/Stephanie. Slight chill, opened about 30 minutes prior to dinner.
Medium gold color. Nose showing candied citrus, baked apple, dried flowers. Palate of orchard fruit, apple, lemon curd, butter. Citrus and pear persist through mid palate. Texture true to the vintner, rich and "velvety" (descriptor for our guests). Full body, long finish.
First bottle of this vintage. Aubert Chardonnay benefits from some air (IMO), this was really shining on this evening. In a great spot now, should drink at this level for a while. Excellent 96+
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Easily a fav Aubert. Nose - candied lemon, butter, grassy qualities like a French rum. Palette has the sweet citrus and popcorn. Texture is smooth and plush, like a piece of gelatin. Rated following a 60m decant and paired to a perfect Alfredo dish. This wine begs for a pairing to butter and/or EVOO.
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In a perfect place right now, all I can say is WOW!! Great balance, ample fruit and wonderful texture....drink now and will likely stay in this posture for another 5 years.
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Rich, delicious citrus fruit with creamy, vanillin, and pine net flavors, excellent structure, long finish, great, great wine, Puligny Montrechet character
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Briefly decanted. 100 points on the nose. On the palate, not as good as others I’ve had, but I’ve been fighting my sinuses, so not going to score this bottle. The stuffing seems there, so plenty of time.
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Popped 30 minutes before service, no decant - which was probably a mistake. Even so. In the glass, cloudy pale gold. On the nose, Meyer lemon, ocean water, and a bit of lemongrass? On the palate, a creamy texture on the attack, with more lemon and clove (think curry, not Thanksgiving, and you'll be in the ballpark), with a subtle background of unidentifiable spices, followed by a strong acidic palate-cleansing finish. Between the beguiling flavor profile and the "iron fist in a velvet glove" palate shift, this is quite something.
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Plush, flavorful, and savory, but sluggish and saccharine-laced, with the glycol making for resinous and sticky effects from front to back. Even more "slow" than when I had a bottle six months ago. Cloying and sappy. It's a flavor-hound type of experience, if that's what you're looking for, but you can pretty much forget about descriptors like sophistication, complexity, verve, and cut when engaging in any sort of dialogue about this lemon gummy bear. I almost felt like this wine was made for a toddler who needed a Popsicle to stop from crying.
PnP. Slightly cloudy medium gold. Lovely nose of tropical and orchard fruits. Initially this was quite acidic on the palate but with air the lovely fruit appeared and the depth increased dramatically; finish is still intense with a combination of fruit and oak parrying each other. A good but not great Aubert at this point.
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This one has a definite acidity presence larger than the 2012. I think that Aubert - particularly Lauren Vineyard age better because of this acidity. Tonight I find strong presence of citric fruits. Immediate lemon and grapefruit sweetness and orange with a finish of lingering tangerines. Background of wood ever present in Aubert's exist here. Layered and simply Rich !!!
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Improved since last bottle opened and drinking very well: pronounced orange and ginger notes this time. Plenty of lemon, marzipan, almonds as before, but revealing more layers and nuances. Damn fine Chardonnay.
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Surprisingly advanced and a bit heavy on the frontal push of ripe, deep yellow citrus, juicy BBQ’d pineapple, petrol, burnt brown sugar, and lamp oil. Mid-palate stuttered for a bit and hit a sluggish stint, but managed to muster up enough energy to carry the flavors to the back end. Finishes slightly oxidative and reductive.
Drinks more like a white Rhône than a Sonoma Chardonnay. It still carries the signature Aubert plushness and savory elements, but delivers a broader shouldered profile. It tastes good and is a pleasurable mouthful; it just doesn’t taste like what I’d expect from a 2015 Chardonnay. Lacks some needed tension and verve. Added exposure to air enhanced this not-so-zippy affect. Drink now. 91-93 points.
Brilliant straw in color with a glint of gold. Nose of lemon curd, pear, and a hint of vanilla. Tastes of pear, apple jolly ranchers, autumnal spices, and hints of minerals and vanilla. Lovely balance. Pronounced fruit with only slight oak flavors despite using 100 new oak. Wonderful wine that is drinking really nicely now but should improve over the next 3-5+ years.
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A slight drop in score since my last bottle, primarily due to palate shift as I’ve been moving toward chardonnay with more acidity. The 15 Lauren is still a stunning wine, commanding attention with aromas of toasted brown sugar, cantaloupe, vanilla, and lemon curd. It is texturally elegant and balanced, but I wanted for more cut on the finish. I have recently compared several Corton Charlemagnes (PYCM, Girardin, and others) to Aubert’s wines, as they all have that beautiful brown sugar note and such varietal purity. But tonight the Lauren felt a little flatter than I want. Eastside and LH&S seem to have more tension FWIW. At this point, I’m going to hold a good long while and wait for some secondary development, which there isn’t much of yet
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Grapefruit and stone on the nose. Big mouthfeel, with lemon, a little vanilla (not too much) joining in. Very complex. A fair amount of sediment. Benchmark CA chard. Long finish. Drinking well now, I doubt it will get better, but more years left on the drinking plateau - very vibrant.
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Pnp, drank over 1 hour. Citrus fruits & sweet pear with minerals/rocks and a very slight oak finish. Delicious, smooth & elegant, yet has more time to evolve further.
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Near identical notes to last time. Green tinge in color. More sharply focused than most Aubert chard, but still with the opulence of CA. Lime sorbet and lemon meringue notes on the tongue. This had more memorable minerality than the other bottle - vivid crushed rocks, rain water leapt out. The fresh cut flowers in the florist shop came through as distinctly rose like this time, much more definable. Less salinity than I recall from last time. I am beginning to think I am scoring these too low because I am getting too used to Aubert excellence. This really is pretty awesome and not to be taken for granted. Just outstanding and pleasurable Chardonnay. Score : 93-94. Relative to expectations: +
Fantastic wine! Notes of honeysuckle, vanillin, peach pit and apricot on the nose. Hazy cloudy faint yellow in color. Hard to believe this was aged in 100% new oak, not showing any signs of that, totally absorbed by the fruit. Voluptuous wine on the palate, but by no means fat. Seductive in a precise package. Very good now with limited aeration, but has a very long window ahead of it.
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We decanted for about one hour before pouring. Light straw/golden color that was slightly cloudy. The nose consisted of lemon grass, pineapple, hay, hibiscus and pears. Wonderfully complex layers of lemon curd, pineapple, pears, green apples and honeydew melon. Terrific wine and great effort from Aubert.
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Another great Aubert Chardonnay, this one with a different green lime transparency in the glass. Visually made me think of GC Chablis. But the wine itself of course is very CA. Tons of lime sorbet, lemon meringue, mango. Not much minerality apart from a very light saline touch. Nose had this element of fresh leaves from a florists shop. Delightful to drink and even the high alcohol does not interfere. Less opulent but more focused than many Aubert Chardonnays. Will last a few years. Score : 93. Relative to expectations: +
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Another amazing Aubert Chardonnay. Super layered and concentrated wine with notes of tropical fruits, apple, lemon and a touch of butter. Perfectly integrated with a long finish that lingers for 30+ seconds...impressive for a chardonnay...another Aubert classic.
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A wine of density and power, with baked apple, pear, and tropical oak notes that unfortunately overpower an otherwise gorgeous wine. This needs time to come together. Drink starting 2022.
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Decanted half bottle for 2 hours and served at cellar temp (57 degrees). Continued to evolve over the next 2.5 hours. Saved half of bottle for following night and it continued to sing. One of my favorite chardonnays. Long life ahead.
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We popped and poured this wine. Loved this wine as I poured the first glass. A bit cloudy and straw colored. Wonderful layers of straw, lemon curd, pineapple, pears and green apples. Great mouthfeel and a wonderfully long finish. A very nice wine from Aubert.
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Needed to be decanted since it was closed and flabby reeking of malolactic fermentation. A night in the fridge made it better and more in line with prior tastings. Still annoyed by the 15% alcohol.
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This was an exquisite bottle of chardonnay. We poured it at a "steakhouse" themed dinner prepared by 5 couples and it was WOTN among stiff competition, including some fabulous reds.
No formal notes this time, but the varietal purity and textural delight of Mr. Aubert's chardonnays is unparalleled in my experience. They (and this bottle in particular) have that wow factor, that lynch/thiese sense of place. A wine that is alive and tells a good story of the place from where it comes. It turned the heads of several folks who are new to wine with comments like "wow, I didn't know chardonnay could be that awesome". And if I haven't been effusive enough, the real teller for me was that I poured a 2012 Mt. Eden estate chard afterward and... well, let's just say that sometimes you shouldn't pose next to uber attractive friends. The 2015 Lauren was the mean girl in this situation, making a really very good wine seem clunky.
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This is the most complete and graceful Chardonnay I have ever tasted - it is literally everything I could want in a modern white: fresh, rich, bright, layered, and just delicious. I am sure it will be better in another year, but the intensity and balance of this wine are breathtaking now.
Light yellow in color and full in body, this wine has an enticing nose of peach, white pear, lemon curd, and ocean air (and I could go on - it’s the kind of wine that has you before the first taste). The flavors are just as intense and layered: green apple, orange marmalade, lime peel, a hint of vanilla, the flavors go on (and change) with air. The finish was masterful: there is an oily, honeyed mouthfeel, but the acidity gave the wine a fresh lift as it left the mouth. Give this at least an hour to open up. 15% alcohol.
This is a powerful, nuanced, and balanced modern Chardonnay. It takes Aubert’s typical combination of viscosity, acidity, and complexity to a new, almost seamless level (at least for me). It comes across at times as a bit sour and raw - the only criticism I can come up with - but this smoothes our with air (and will resolve with time in bottle). For now, though, it is a flat-out amazing wine.
15.0%abv. Cloudy light green/gold color. Wonderful lifted nose of coconut marzipan, green apple, lemon, acacia petals. Med+ in mouth, not unctuous despite alch level. Slight acid, soft mouth coating tannins, turned sweet and smooth almost immediately. Finish goes on for full minute. Tremendous, classy and ageworthy wine.
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Decanted for an hour, thru Vinturi and then decanter. Cloudy.
On the nose, honeysuckle, canteloupe, honey, apricots, and a bit of earthy matchstick. On the palate this is sweet, rich, decadent, round, plush, even voloptuous. Flavors of honey, stone, peach. Given its size, this is clearly wine that will last and improve for years and years. I think three to five years is not too long to wait until the next bottle. It has red characteristics, but in a Chardonnay. Interesting and different and memorable.
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My first Aubert, but agree with all prior CT notes, other than to add there is no mistaking this for anything other than Cali Chardonnay, but simply stunning all around...and drinks like a pre 2010 vintage with only an hour decant, which is impressive for something so young.
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3/31/2024 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Great to revisit a nicely aged bottle on Easter Sunday. Slight chill, decanted for about 20 minutes prior to drinking. Last bottle of this vintage from April 2021...
Medium/full gold color, cloudy. Nose showing signature citrus, candied fruits, dried floral notes, saline. Palate evolved over the course of the tasting - core flavors of orchard fruits, candied citrus/pineapple, lemon curd, lees(?). Secondary flavors of butterscotch, baked apple. Full body and long finish.
Great to see that is is still evolving. Should drink at this level for some time, however, its really worth opening right now. This bottle showed increased depth and complexity with the decant. If venue allows I would give it an hour - last sips were the best on this tasting...Outstanding showing
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3/5/2024 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Golden yellow. Honey, lemon, marzipan, with tart tropical fruits mid palate. Finishing nicely.
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2/14/2024 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very pretty bright yellow. Nice mix of minerals, flowers and orange peel on the nose. Marzipan, peach, pear, Golden Delicious apple with a citrus finish
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1/14/2024 - peterk Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is awesome - rich, concentrated, pure, and perfectly balanced. I have no issue with endorsing Lisa Perotti-Brown's 100 point score as, for my palate, Chardonnay doesn't get much better than this. Honestly, I offer a score of 98 in order to leave room for something better, without the conviction that this is likely.
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1/11/2024 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 98 Points
As good as a California chardonnay can be. Very Burgundian in style.
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12/1/2023 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than the bottle I had previously. Acidity much more on point, fragrant on the nose, with apples, pears, honeyed notes on the palate and good acidity which was missing on the previous bottle.
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11/24/2023 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar impressions to the last bottle. Had for Thanksgiving dinner with a very special turkey meal.
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11/20/2023 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the finest Aubert Chardonnays we've tasted! Drank over two evening and amazed that the second was better than the first. There was more richness and a compelling mouthfeel such as we've hardly ever experienced in a wine.
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11/17/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pears, apples, peaches and citrus, with hints of honey, floral, and minerality in the nose. Apples, pears, and peaches in the flavor. An elegant wine with nice acidity and complexity, full bodied and a long finish.
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11/3/2023 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Was a last minute addition to the pre-picnic at the Hollywood Bowl prior to seeing the Kiss Fairwell (again) tour concert, so unfortunately no formal notes taken, but this was incredible!! No signs of age and just was so very enjoyable, bottle was gone in a flash... just glad there's one more left, but do wish i had some more!!
Absolutely no rush to drink these can rest comfortably for time to come.
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10/2/2023 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to the August 2023 bottle!
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8/28/2023 - jshufelt wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with our previous tasting note - an excellent chard.
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8/10/2023 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank over two nights with similar impressions. Decanted and poured into large bowl glasses. Opened up rather quickly with this approach. Great Aubert quality throughout with a wonderful mix of citrus and tropical flavors that remain pure to the end. Seems to be hitting its stride now.
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5/7/2023 - Beezc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well. No reason to wait.
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5/6/2023 - signotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious chardonnay. Rich style with classy oak but missing some of the elegance and magic of other Aubert chards I have had.
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4/7/2023 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose showed nicely with white peach, tropical fruits, butter, oak. Medium acidity, full bodied as you would expect from a California Cabernet; good depth in terms of layers with Golden Delicious apples, pears, white peach. Medium long oaky finish was nice as well.
Overall, this Aubert was very enjoyable as you’d expect from a top producer. However, the wine fell a bit flat due to the medium acidity that did not really counterbalance the fruit and butter-oak of the wine. As a comparison, the Kistler Hyde Vineyard I had a couple months ago impressed me much more. Good, but hardly worth its price.
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9/30/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
Rich and oily, with butterscotch, vanilla, tropical fruit. A nice amount of acidity to balance all the rich attributes under the hood. Has a very soft and caressing feel along the creme brûlée' and vanilla laden finish. Ready to go, I would not hold. DRINK
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5/13/2022 - bottles.and.bites Likes this wine: 93 Points
Honey suckle, jasmine, sweet lemon curd, ginger candy, saltiness. Complexity unfurls with air.
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4/28/2022 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Mostly Domestic Wine Dinner (The Capital Grille at Tysons corner, VA): En magnum with the typical slightly cloudy light yellow color. Classic Aubert nose displaying intense deeply toned sweet yellow fruit, yellow peach, pineapple, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, butter popcorn, oyster jus, sweet spices and oyster shell. Exceptional concentration, layer upon layers of concentrated sweet yellow fruit, dense, rich and deeply toned but also showing very good balance, perfect amount of acidity and oyster shell mineral, and a long rich concentrated yellow fruit driven finish with butter popcorn at the end. For me, Aubert is the best Chardonnay made domestically. Aubert makes a big scale concentrated style of Chardonnay with a hint of heat. However, it consistently retains a very good balance and strong mineral expression which strangely reminds me a Corton Charlemagne. If you are a member of AFWE, just move on and if you are a fan of Aubert, you will love this wine.
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2/21/2022 - dkwins Likes this wine: 96 Points
This may be my favorite of the great Aubert chardonnays. Elegant very smooth and balanced. Not too acidic and no dominating fruit, though a bit more lemon-pear Outstanding finish It may be even better with a little air.
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2/20/2022 - beau11 wrote: 98 Points
Ive been holding onto this since release to see how the aubert’s/Lauren’s age. First this was an amazing wine with a rich oily profile and more pear peach flavor profile. This wine is at peak with tannin fully resolved and drinking beautifully. I would drink in the next year. What was noticeable was that there wasnt the distinctive meyer lemon taste and smell of younger Lauren’s and the question is what profile you prefer because both young and old Lauren delivers a great drinking experience.
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2/18/2022 - Empirate wrote: 96 Points
Honeyed fruit, round, soft, full. Still refreshing. Resolved tannins. Not an austere or acidic Chard. In a great place. Drink near term, may evolve positively.
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1/30/2022 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was the clear winner tonight, with 5 other Aubert's in the flight! Bright clear yellow with slight green hues (as opposed to the other more turbid Auberts); pure peach, apple pie, peach cobbler, rich, oily, seamless and balanced even with the high alcohol. Very appealing which is why it won 1st place. I thought it was clearly better than the other Auberts. Blind at the Dirty Dozen CA Chards Grand Harbor Seafood.
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1/12/2022 - ginfizz wrote: 93 Points
Classic Lauren profile, touch of heat at the end. Seems young still.
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12/20/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Slightly cloudy gold. Tropical fruit nose with citrus overtones. Initially this is quite high in acid and the fruit not really balanced. With air the fruit which is dominated by pineapple and lemon drop comes out. Similar to last bottle - impressive but not that enjoyable.
Addendum: this was stored in the fridge and became bette balanced with improved fruit density over the next couple of days. The alcohol is still there but perhaps this needs a decant to show its best.
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11/13/2021 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of my favorite Aubert bottlings and drinking strong. It is shifting away from primary fruit. I preferred it a few years ago.
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10/17/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dinner at Yans for Kathy and I, opened this Chardonnay and it was spectacular, nose of sweet fruit, candied lemon, minerals, spicy French Oak char, and a fragrant Old English Bouquet to stimulate your desire to drink this wine, big body, very tasty, elegant, 60% Chardonnay and 40% White Burgundy, mouth filling fruit, sweet and rich fruit, we both enjoy this style of Chardonnay, long finish and lovely aftertaste helps you to pour another glass, photo uploaded.
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8/21/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Sam's 60th Birthday (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. Ripe apple with gingerbread in a rich combination with spice and floral charm. Clearly ripe, but this easily maintains its balance.
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7/4/2021 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 100 Points
Spectacular. Worthy of its top rating. Super long finish. Beyond superlatives.
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6/25/2021 - ginfizz wrote: 94 Points
Core of lemon oil and zippy acidity, young. Delicious, but better with 2-3 more years on it.
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6/18/2021 - PortFanatic wrote: 96 Points
Stunning! One of the best Chardonnays that I have from anywhere in the world in recent memory.
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5/11/2021 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote:
Excellent. Had with Baxter’s.
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4/9/2021 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Brought this one to Mezzaluna, dinner w Val/Chris/Stephanie. Slight chill, opened about 30 minutes prior to dinner.
Medium gold color. Nose showing candied citrus, baked apple, dried flowers. Palate of orchard fruit, apple, lemon curd, butter. Citrus and pear persist through mid palate. Texture true to the vintner, rich and "velvety" (descriptor for our guests). Full body, long finish.
First bottle of this vintage. Aubert Chardonnay benefits from some air (IMO), this was really shining on this evening. In a great spot now, should drink at this level for a while. Excellent 96+
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2/24/2021 - jc510 Likes this wine:
Maybe in a closed state, lemon citrus curd, creme brulee, well balanced.
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2/19/2021 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 97 Points
Easily a fav Aubert. Nose - candied lemon, butter, grassy qualities like a French rum. Palette has the sweet citrus and popcorn. Texture is smooth and plush, like a piece of gelatin. Rated following a 60m decant and paired to a perfect Alfredo dish. This wine begs for a pairing to butter and/or EVOO.
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1/23/2021 - JoeDwine wrote: 93 Points
young
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1/11/2021 - mru12000 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Citrus, stone, mineral, sweet apples on the palate with a long clean mineral finish
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1/10/2021 - CotoDC Likes this wine: 96 Points
In a perfect place right now, all I can say is WOW!! Great balance, ample fruit and wonderful texture....drink now and will likely stay in this posture for another 5 years.
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1/2/2021 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Rich, delicious citrus fruit with creamy, vanillin, and pine net flavors, excellent structure, long finish, great, great wine, Puligny Montrechet character
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12/24/2020 - BigTex22 Likes this wine:
Briefly decanted. 100 points on the nose. On the palate, not as good as others I’ve had, but I’ve been fighting my sinuses, so not going to score this bottle. The stuffing seems there, so plenty of time.
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11/10/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 95 Points
Popped 30 minutes before service, no decant - which was probably a mistake. Even so. In the glass, cloudy pale gold. On the nose, Meyer lemon, ocean water, and a bit of lemongrass? On the palate, a creamy texture on the attack, with more lemon and clove (think curry, not Thanksgiving, and you'll be in the ballpark), with a subtle background of unidentifiable spices, followed by a strong acidic palate-cleansing finish. Between the beguiling flavor profile and the "iron fist in a velvet glove" palate shift, this is quite something.
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10/24/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 97 Points
Fram a magnum. Just awesome and ready to go.
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9/5/2020 - Griffeyfan04 wrote: 88 Points
Cloudy wine with lots of bubbles and very uninspiring. Lots of acidity and lemon and some tropical fruits.
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6/19/2020 - csimm wrote:
Plush, flavorful, and savory, but sluggish and saccharine-laced, with the glycol making for resinous and sticky effects from front to back. Even more "slow" than when I had a bottle six months ago. Cloying and sappy. It's a flavor-hound type of experience, if that's what you're looking for, but you can pretty much forget about descriptors like sophistication, complexity, verve, and cut when engaging in any sort of dialogue about this lemon gummy bear. I almost felt like this wine was made for a toddler who needed a Popsicle to stop from crying.
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4/30/2020 - rosenst1 wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Slightly cloudy medium gold. Lovely nose of tropical and orchard fruits. Initially this was quite acidic on the palate but with air the lovely fruit appeared and the depth increased dramatically; finish is still intense with a combination of fruit and oak parrying each other. A good but not great Aubert at this point.
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4/1/2020 - tomoem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasting this tonight versus the 2012 Lauren.
This one has a definite acidity presence larger than the 2012. I think that Aubert - particularly Lauren Vineyard age better because of this acidity. Tonight I find strong presence of citric fruits. Immediate lemon and grapefruit sweetness and orange with a finish of lingering tangerines. Background of wood ever present in Aubert's exist here. Layered and simply Rich !!!
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2/3/2020 - smphelps wrote: 94 Points
Hazy off yellow. Pineapple and pear aromas with spice. Full and long in the mouth. Elegantly weighted.
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2/1/2020 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 96 Points
Improved since last bottle opened and drinking very well: pronounced orange and ginger notes this time. Plenty of lemon, marzipan, almonds as before, but revealing more layers and nuances. Damn fine Chardonnay.
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1/24/2020 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
Plenty of tropical fruit, mango and pineapple, with meyer lemon on the finish along with a touch of ginger.
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1/14/2020 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 96 Points
Damn good. Pineapple, ripe pear, some apple, citrus and a dose of petrol. Plush without being over the top. Good to go now.
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12/17/2019 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Surprisingly advanced and a bit heavy on the frontal push of ripe, deep yellow citrus, juicy BBQ’d pineapple, petrol, burnt brown sugar, and lamp oil. Mid-palate stuttered for a bit and hit a sluggish stint, but managed to muster up enough energy to carry the flavors to the back end. Finishes slightly oxidative and reductive.
Drinks more like a white Rhône than a Sonoma Chardonnay. It still carries the signature Aubert plushness and savory elements, but delivers a broader shouldered profile. It tastes good and is a pleasurable mouthful; it just doesn’t taste like what I’d expect from a 2015 Chardonnay. Lacks some needed tension and verve. Added exposure to air enhanced this not-so-zippy affect. Drink now. 91-93 points.
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12/14/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Rich, round, lush and loaded with vanilla, tropical fruit, pears, citrus, flowers and orange peel, this forward, juicy, luscious wine is ready to go.
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10/13/2019 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brilliant straw in color with a glint of gold. Nose of lemon curd, pear, and a hint of vanilla. Tastes of pear, apple jolly ranchers, autumnal spices, and hints of minerals and vanilla. Lovely balance. Pronounced fruit with only slight oak flavors despite using 100 new oak. Wonderful wine that is drinking really nicely now but should improve over the next 3-5+ years.
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9/29/2019 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
A slight drop in score since my last bottle, primarily due to palate shift as I’ve been moving toward chardonnay with more acidity. The 15 Lauren is still a stunning wine, commanding attention with aromas of toasted brown sugar, cantaloupe, vanilla, and lemon curd. It is texturally elegant and balanced, but I wanted for more cut on the finish. I have recently compared several Corton Charlemagnes (PYCM, Girardin, and others) to Aubert’s wines, as they all have that beautiful brown sugar note and such varietal purity. But tonight the Lauren felt a little flatter than I want. Eastside and LH&S seem to have more tension FWIW. At this point, I’m going to hold a good long while and wait for some secondary development, which there isn’t much of yet
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9/19/2019 - Winevestor wrote: 95 Points
Grapefruit and stone on the nose. Big mouthfeel, with lemon, a little vanilla (not too much) joining in. Very complex. A fair amount of sediment. Benchmark CA chard. Long finish. Drinking well now, I doubt it will get better, but more years left on the drinking plateau - very vibrant.
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8/3/2019 - patwjr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pnp, drank over 1 hour. Citrus fruits & sweet pear with minerals/rocks and a very slight oak finish. Delicious, smooth & elegant, yet has more time to evolve further.
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8/1/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Near identical notes to last time. Green tinge in color. More sharply focused than most Aubert chard, but still with the opulence of CA. Lime sorbet and lemon meringue notes on the tongue. This had more memorable minerality than the other bottle - vivid crushed rocks, rain water leapt out. The fresh cut flowers in the florist shop came through as distinctly rose like this time, much more definable. Less salinity than I recall from last time. I am beginning to think I am scoring these too low because I am getting too used to Aubert excellence. This really is pretty awesome and not to be taken for granted.
Just outstanding and pleasurable Chardonnay.
Score : 93-94. Relative to expectations: +
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7/13/2019 - rylanreynolds wrote: 94 Points
Well balanced, not overoaked or buttery.
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5/23/2019 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Belle quille apporté par l'ami Alfredo de la Floride.
Superbe, ample, frais, complexe et ciselé...tout est là.
Grand vin.
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5/11/2019 - bubbachumps wrote: 97 Points
Fantastic wine! Notes of honeysuckle, vanillin, peach pit and apricot on the nose. Hazy cloudy faint yellow in color. Hard to believe this was aged in 100% new oak, not showing any signs of that, totally absorbed by the fruit. Voluptuous wine on the palate, but by no means fat. Seductive in a precise package. Very good now with limited aeration, but has a very long window ahead of it.
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5/10/2019 - Snag One Likes this wine: 96 Points
We decanted for about one hour before pouring. Light straw/golden color that was slightly cloudy. The nose consisted of lemon grass, pineapple, hay, hibiscus and pears. Wonderfully complex layers of lemon curd, pineapple, pears, green apples and honeydew melon. Terrific wine and great effort from Aubert.
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4/22/2019 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich oaky Chardonnay
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4/22/2019 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich oaky Chardonnay
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4/14/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Strong citrus and minerality running through this from start to finish, great intensity and balance but could use another 3-5 years easy.
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4/2/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another great Aubert Chardonnay, this one with a different green lime transparency in the glass. Visually made me think of GC Chablis. But the wine itself of course is very CA. Tons of lime sorbet, lemon meringue, mango. Not much minerality apart from a very light saline touch. Nose had this element of fresh leaves from a florists shop. Delightful to drink and even the high alcohol does not interfere. Less opulent but more focused than many Aubert Chardonnays. Will last a few years.
Score : 93. Relative to expectations: +
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3/18/2019 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another amazing Aubert Chardonnay. Super layered and concentrated wine with notes of tropical fruits, apple, lemon and a touch of butter. Perfectly integrated with a long finish that lingers for 30+ seconds...impressive for a chardonnay...another Aubert classic.
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2/28/2019 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
A wine of density and power, with baked apple, pear, and tropical oak notes that unfortunately overpower an otherwise gorgeous wine. This needs time to come together. Drink starting 2022.
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1/15/2019 - Glencoewine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted half bottle for 2 hours and served at cellar temp (57 degrees). Continued to evolve over the next 2.5 hours. Saved half of bottle for following night and it continued to sing. One of my favorite chardonnays. Long life ahead.
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12/31/2018 - Snag One Likes this wine: 96 Points
We popped and poured this wine. Loved this wine as I poured the first glass. A bit cloudy and straw colored. Wonderful layers of straw, lemon curd, pineapple, pears and green apples. Great mouthfeel and a wonderfully long finish. A very nice wine from Aubert.
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12/15/2018 - robertek wrote: 95 Points
Possibly this one shows the biggest promise. Very Montrachet like :)
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11/11/2018 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Needed to be decanted since it was closed and flabby reeking of malolactic fermentation. A night in the fridge made it better and more in line with prior tastings. Still annoyed by the 15% alcohol.
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10/15/2018 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Yup. Pretty good.
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10/7/2018 - Bryan49 Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good as US Chardonnay gets. Great acidity, mineral and body with a long racy finish. Perfect with Chicken roasted with herbs, garlic and lemon.
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8/26/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 91 Points
excellent
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8/16/2018 - jviz Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was an exquisite bottle of chardonnay. We poured it at a "steakhouse" themed dinner prepared by 5 couples and it was WOTN among stiff competition, including some fabulous reds.
No formal notes this time, but the varietal purity and textural delight of Mr. Aubert's chardonnays is unparalleled in my experience. They (and this bottle in particular) have that wow factor, that lynch/thiese sense of place. A wine that is alive and tells a good story of the place from where it comes. It turned the heads of several folks who are new to wine with comments like "wow, I didn't know chardonnay could be that awesome". And if I haven't been effusive enough, the real teller for me was that I poured a 2012 Mt. Eden estate chard afterward and... well, let's just say that sometimes you shouldn't pose next to uber attractive friends. The 2015 Lauren was the mean girl in this situation, making a really very good wine seem clunky.
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6/16/2018 - robertek wrote: 94 Points
Young but oh so promising.
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5/19/2018 - msuwine wrote: 99 Points
This is the most complete and graceful Chardonnay I have ever tasted - it is literally everything I could want in a modern white: fresh, rich, bright, layered, and just delicious. I am sure it will be better in another year, but the intensity and balance of this wine are breathtaking now.
Light yellow in color and full in body, this wine has an enticing nose of peach, white pear, lemon curd, and ocean air (and I could go on - it’s the kind of wine that has you before the first taste). The flavors are just as intense and layered: green apple, orange marmalade, lime peel, a hint of vanilla, the flavors go on (and change) with air. The finish was masterful: there is an oily, honeyed mouthfeel, but the acidity gave the wine a fresh lift as it left the mouth. Give this at least an hour to open up. 15% alcohol.
This is a powerful, nuanced, and balanced modern Chardonnay. It takes Aubert’s typical combination of viscosity, acidity, and complexity to a new, almost seamless level (at least for me). It comes across at times as a bit sour and raw - the only criticism I can come up with - but this smoothes our with air (and will resolve with time in bottle). For now, though, it is a flat-out amazing wine.
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12/14/2017 - Plabella Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great wine beautifully balanced, long taste. A burgundy wine at its best.
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10/29/2017 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 95 Points
15.0%abv. Cloudy light green/gold color. Wonderful lifted nose of coconut marzipan, green apple, lemon, acacia petals. Med+ in mouth, not unctuous despite alch level. Slight acid, soft mouth coating tannins, turned sweet and smooth almost immediately. Finish goes on for full minute. Tremendous, classy and ageworthy wine.
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8/18/2017 - Papillon1112 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Everything to love about this wine!
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8/18/2017 - WineGold wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour, thru Vinturi and then decanter. Cloudy.
On the nose, honeysuckle, canteloupe, honey, apricots, and a bit of earthy matchstick. On the palate this is sweet, rich, decadent, round, plush, even voloptuous. Flavors of honey, stone, peach. Given its size, this is clearly wine that will last and improve for years and years. I think three to five years is not too long to wait until the next bottle. It has red characteristics, but in a Chardonnay. Interesting and different and memorable.
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8/10/2017 - City Squirrel Likes this wine: 96 Points
My first Aubert, but agree with all prior CT notes, other than to add there is no mistaking this for anything other than Cali Chardonnay, but simply stunning all around...and drinks like a pre 2010 vintage with only an hour decant, which is impressive for something so young.
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8/8/2017 - Bilbo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Unfiltered and fantastic. Nose lingers on and on. Same with the finish.
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4/23/2017 - knlowery Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful chard. unfiltered and unfined. The wine had a cloudy straw color appearance but the nose, palette and finish were all big and long
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4/17/2017 - KenPlace wrote: 94 Points
Very good, almost a wow wine. Impressed everyone.
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3/10/2017 - Papillon1112 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinks well for a young white wine may need to decanter up to an hour. Looking forward to the other Lauren wines over time.
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