Fantastic wine: symbiosis of power and elegance! Deep yellow, on the borderline to gold. Delicate but also voluptuous nose. Supercomplex on the palate with tropical fruits, lychee, applecrumble, brioche, honey, vanilla. Wonderful concentration, thick and balsamic texture. Did offer its charme immediately after cork was out but got bigger and bigger in the course of the evening. Long, opulent and deep finish where you are in harmony with the universe. An unique experience.
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Beautiful and luxurious bouquet which is note extremely expressive. Vanilla and caramel. On the palate ripe yellow fruits, very full bodied and expressive. Very tasty with a lot of different impressions. Really beautiful and impressive wine.
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Ripe peach, toasted hazelnut and some faint tropical hints. Very good weight, depth and length. Also very richness, but certainly well balanced, even if not “elegant.” Great freshness for its age. Purchased directly from Aubert upon release and stored correctly since. So much better vs another bottle from a different cellar tasted 6 months ago.
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From a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a bright yellow/green center and clear rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed green apple, toasty vanilla, citrus, and some soil.
In the mouth, this wine showed rich fruit but was also very crisp. It had a great texture in the mouth but did not show as much complexity as I had hoped for.
This needed 6+ hours of air to show its best. It seemed very young so it will obviously last for 10+ years. I would have liked to have seen a touch less oak and a bit more complexity. However, this was a nice wine. My guess is it will not be getting any better.
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This bottle appears to be past its prime, figured we would pop on the evening of all 2001 & 2002 Cali Cult Cabs, and figured this might make a fun addition, but alas... was flat, no fruit left and just a mouthful of subtle oak, disappointing....but it was a 02 California Chard!!
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Cloudy appearance in glass which definitely spoke to the age. At 12 years this was still well flavored. Smokey, spicy oak start, slight candy finish which lasted over 10 seconds. Probably past its peak but I must say it drank well still.
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Lots of maturing stone fruit aromas and flavors with some tropical, pineapple notes. Lots and lots of spice here. Very fresh and vibrant with good energy. Some faint heat on finish. Bottle purchased directly from Aubert at release.
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Ripe apple and peach aromas with summer flowers and toasted pignoli. Lush stone fruit flavors, still very vibrant and fresh, I'd never have thought this 10+ years old if tasted blind. Lots of concentration and acidity help provide length and power on finish.Still distracting ripeness and some heat come through at the very end. This is holding up beautifully, there's no hurry to drink up. Better when colder vs. when first opened and served at cellar temp.
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Baronne Guichard wine dinner, Ruth's Chris DC (Ruth's Chris on Connecticut Ave, DC): Fully matured but still holding strong, ripe yellow fruits, nutty, dry ginger spice perhaps coming from alcohol. This is a big scale, unctuous and oily wine that is not terribly precise for me. It is a great example of well aged Aubert. If you were a fan of Aubert, your rating should be at least 3 points higher, I imagine. For me, a bit of heat as the end note.
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Beautiful and definitely should be drunk before 2011. Ripe fruit (gooseberry?) nose and sweet honeysuckle overtones. Finish lasts about 20 seconds, feels a bit steely but still delicious. Opens up nicely in 45 min. Simply stunning, as we always expect from Aubert.
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Light yellow color. Aromas of hazalnuts, honeysuckle, minerals and spice. Precise, ripe, fruit in the mouth with excellent structure and beautifully integrated oak. Rich but not heavy on the palate. Elegant and seemless, this wine showed no hint of oxidation. Great balance and a long, clean, lingering finish. This was the best Aubert Chardonnay that I have had.
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Ritchie holding strong! Loads of burgundian flavors with a solid cream finish. This wine is clearly holding strong on it's acid which allows it to live on. Aubert nose as I expected with loads of power and finesse. Wish I had more! EG
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Beautiful wine. Pleasantly surprised given how bad the recent bottle of 02 Quarry was. This hides the alcohol and is rich, but has just enough vibrancy left to keep it lively. Certainly not a small wine, but very well balanced. Rich and racy all together in one. Yum
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Black Salt Dinner (Black Salt restaurant - Washington DC): Holding up slightly better than the '02 Kongsgard (in my opinion - others at the table may have differed) this had bold, almost spicy exotic fruit with an oaky roundness that was a good match to the fruit. Very yummy.
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Aubert Tasting and Dinner (My home - Chicago IL): Aromas of apple and pear with modest spice. Same fruit on palate with some peach as well, overall very lush, showing a fair amount of heat on finish.
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Aubert Tasting (Alan's): Flt #4 - Clear yellow color with a hint of green. Medium nose of vanilla green apple. Nice balanced rich sweet vanilla on the palate. Very nice.
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Bordeaux on the Hudson Part Deux (Peter Pratt's): I found this to be a very complete wine. Great purity and freshness on the nose with a complex mingling of pear and spices knocked down a little because of a soupçon of protruding oak. It had a very sensual mid-weight palate and a gentle lilting acidity carrying the fruit to the finish. Excellent effort.
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Cona Thanksgiving 2007; 11/20/2007-11/23/2007: Aubert produces the best California chardonnay and this did not disappoint. It's consistently better than Kistler and Peter Michael of any vineyard. The color is a crystal clear golden yellow. Refined on the palate with a symphonic blend of almonds, citrus, oak and minerals. Still has a few more peaks years.
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Tasted November 5, 2007. Opened and served immediately. Light yellow color in the glass, slightly cloudy looking. Nose of vanilla, creme, hazelnut and pear. Flavors of pears, yellow apples, hazelnut and creme fraiche. Medium acidity, medium to full body. Drink over the short term, maybe the medium term. Last bottle sadly.
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The last bottle of this amazing wine. Power and balance, acidity, freshness and a 60 second finish. one of those bottles that had people fighting over the last drop.
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A beauty. First one I've opened in a couple of years, and what a difference the time makes. Noticeable "sediment" on the bottom of tihs bottle, which had by now acquired a patina of dust, as well. Translucent honey color, powerful nose of green apple, lychee, kumquat, other kinds of tropical fruit. In the mouth, beautifully balanced, rich and racy at the same time. Stone, chalk, tropical fruits, apples, honey. Beautiful. My wife took a sip and said: "now this is something."
For my taste, this is really showing well now. Is it fully mature? Maybe not. But I can't wait to open another.
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Still going strong! I don't know if it's the wunderkind that it was at eighteen months, but it's a delightful wine all the same and resembles a more mature version of the exuberant 18 month old. I don't know whether this is the right time or wrong time
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(at Charleston – Baltimore) Definitely different next to all the white burgundies, but not out of place. Tropical overtones, good intensity, but not at all heavy. (18)
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I have to agree that the oak stands in the way of the fruit, at this point, for this bottle. Complex noze, rich mouthfeel, some minerality, but nothing truly special.
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Had at Christmas dinner next too the 2004 Chasseur Lorenzo and 2002 Chassseur Green Acre . Again the Chasseur bottles were much better and went fast. People didn't even finish the Aubert.
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Tasted December 14, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Cuvee Prestige glass. Light yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of soft brown spices including nutmeg, crème fraiche and pears. Flavors of spiced apples, vanilla and pears. Light acidity, medium to full bodied Chardonnay. Drink now, maybe hold a few more years.
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This wine just did not perform. Had a seductive and smooth mouthfeel, but the overwhelming smell of oakiness. As if you had your nose in a fresh barrel. Some light fruit appeared, but it was quite woody. Not corked I am confident, but too oaky. I recorked this bottle as will revisit tonight to see if anything has changed. Disappointing. An off bottle, perhaps....I have always noticed a heavier oak on this 02. Alas, it is my last one.
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At River Oyster Bar w Ed & Barbara Baron. My last bottle of this wonderful Chardonnay. I tried to find more, but from all the acclaim we are giving, Aubert's Chardonnays have moved into the Kistler, Peter Michael stratosphere.
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Tasted July 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Lenox Grand Bordeaux glass. Yellow color in the glass, slightly cloudy. Nose of yellow apples, pears and nutmeg. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink over the short, maybe mid term. No value recommendation.
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A nice, sexy chardonnay. I liked this wine, and was able to plow through an entire bottle by myself (and lots of extra points for that!) but I didn't find that the wine had anything to "grab on to", nothing to indicate that "I'm an Aubert, Ritchie chardonnay, and I'm here to shout that to the world!" Again, I like this wine - the mouthfeel is good, the length is OK (but not superlative, even at room temperature) and the flavors (nuts, lychees, melon) are in place. The acid is prominent, but the oak is more prominent, and I found the wine to be a bit "flat" on the palate.
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Lots of sediment in this Chard and very milky. The nose is minerally and full of stone fruit. On the palate this wine just has something going on that turns me off. It’s like a metallic streak that runs through it.
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At Mark's Las Olas w Steve,Joyce & Greg Rapaport and Justin & Janet Mannes. Brought both the 01 and 02 for comparison. The 02 is superior and reflects my previous comments. One of the finest American chardonnays extant.
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Lives up to its billing. One of the finest California Chardonnay's I have had. At Mark's Las Olas w Steve&Joyce Rapaport. Served about 55F, leesy marmalade bouquet, excellent palate and zinging acidity.
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These are awesome wines. Took 30 minutes to settle down (the acid was a bit overwhelming at first), but then it was awesome. Rich, honeyed nose, with some good citrus and maybe some minerals. On the palate it was tangerine, mandarin orange, lemon butter, and some grass. The brightness of the acidity seemed to get in line with the fruit after a few minutes, and I think this wine drinks better a bit at a warmer temperature than other whites.
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Like other 2001 and 2002 Auberts that I've had recently, this wine is aging beautifully. Soaring nose of white flowers, beautiful depth on the palate. Notes of apricots, minerals, nut oils, and honeysuckle. Thick and lush and rich, but without a trace of heaviness. The acid and oak are in complete harmony with the fruit. This undoubtedly has many more years of life ahead.
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all the buzz about the new release made me open this tonight with crab legs and salmon. if you guys were drinking this tonight, you wouldn't be dumping your allocations.
is this the new standard in domestic chardonnay? affordable, available, still cultish, and absolutely freakin' delicious. why people pay $200 plus for the elusive and often less than stellar marcassins when this is floating around free as a bird is beyond me. of course, i have the luxury of perspective since i have a bunch of marcassin chards in my cellar.
anyway, is it a tasting note, or is it a rant? you decide.
lush minerality and power packed fruit with a balance that belies it's behemoth alcohol level. it seems that cal chards with a slightly greenish tint, and a touch of orange are always special. this has a fabulous midpalte that is almost chewy, and a long lingering finish.
is there anything not to like about it? just that i only have four more of this vintage in my cellar, and my wife has commandeered two of them (among others) for her weekend jaunt with the girls to sedona. highly recommended.
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The last bottle was of course the best one. This was extremely good wine falling just short of being a WOW wine (95 points and above for me). It had good structure and balance, carrying 15.1% alcohol without heat. The only negative I found in the wine is a bit of flab. [~$64+ on release; Awesome with crab cakes]
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Wonderful wine. Intense nose that really does remind me of a high end Burgundy. Vibrant on the palate, with a great blend of minerality, cirtus, and floral notes. The drinking window, though, is too narrow imo. No way this will be past its prime in 2007.
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First wine of the year is a white - who'd've thunk? This is a very delicate-looking wine in the glass, pale yellow-white with a tinge of green. The nose, however, belies the power that rests in the glass. Smoke, honeysuckle, and some minerality. On the palate, this coats the mouth, and is a powerful wine. Apple and pear mix with apricot and hints of honey, bolstered by a strong backbone of acidity. I saw a recent suggestion that this wine isn't getting any better, but I would say another 6-12 months will pass before this wine is at its peak. Really phenomenal stuff!
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The bouquet invites you with a wonderfully feminine creamy vanillin oakiness followed by refined notes of honeysuckle and lemon verbena; rich, harmonious and very elegant in the mouth, yet maintaining an exhilarating raciness; giddy flavors of minerals, white pepper, orchids, lemon zest and hazelnut oil dance accross the palate, finishing with a lavish, mouthwatering intensity. This is a beautifully made wine. If the grapes were Courney Love, Mark Aubert is Versace.
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This wine has a long life ahead of it. Brought it to a restaurant. Opened and sat in the bottle for 30 minutes. Abundant tropical notes, especially pineapple and mango. Bright acidity that suggest aging potential. Heavy toasted oak blows off with time and should balance in a few years. A really terrific bottle of wine.
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WIML93,WA95,WS92 Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of pears, toast and roasted almonds. Flavors of pear, butter and vanilla. Nice wine. Drink over the next few years.
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Took my last bottle to Mirepoix for dinner with Pete and Barbara Marsh. Great food, lovely company, and — as always — a great bottle of wine. It didn't change much in the year I followed it. Still a lovely clear pale gold color with a killer nose of ripe chardonnay fruit. The palate is where this wine shines is oh so rich, but also oh so balanced. The fruit is ripe and lush, but the oak and acid are there in just the right amounts to add complexity, grace and elegance. This was a super wine and I am sorry it is gone.
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Mmm. Crisp fruits, the barest hints of butter, enough acid to keep this wine from being anywhere close to flabby, yet it wasn't a tart. Apples, some tropical fruits, and strawberry, with a clean, long finish. Awesome stuff!
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This was absolutely stunning, perhaps the best Cali chardonnay I've had. The nose was subtle but complex, with green apples, flowers, a hint of peach and some citrus. As wonderful as that was, the taste and mouthfeel were otherwordly. Very sappy, with amazing extract that really coated the palate, this wine tasted of stoney minerals, and then a distinctly perfume-like quality that was almost not a taste experience, but as if you could smell it in your mouth. Hey, that's the best I can describe it! It had tremendous fruit and great acidity, and a finish that went on forever with a fresh - baked bread quality in there somewhere. This was, at least for us, a tour de force. Amazing!
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My notes are consistent with my previous TN. It has come together and is drinking extremely well. Not much more to say about this wine but "Terrific!" This is a CA chard that winos could use to bring people over to the light side as in "drink white wines". Kudos to Aubert. [$60; Served with crab cakes which is a great food pairing with this wine]
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Clean, crisp Chard with some oak. This was tasted following a Pride Viognier, and the wood really stood out compared to the Pride. It also had great fruit, however, and a bit of butter. Not as complex as the last bottle I had, but probably a bit cleaner tasting overall.
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Bought a bottle off the list at Michael Mina in SF. This is my second bottle; still very impressive; nose shows tons of ripe fruit with just a bit of oak intruding. Palate is medium body with perfect balance hiding the alcohol in excess of 15%. Lots of tropical fruit, including mango and a bit of understated sweetness that comes across as finesse. Long, long sweet and smooth finish. Every sip is a bacchanalian pleasure. Super wine.
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Wine looks brilliant and clear, the color of medium pale yellow straw. The nose is amazing; clean and with obvious and forward ripe fruit. The wine is refreshing with a light body, a mellow mid palate and an extended finish. Everything is in perfect balance. Projects elegance. Outstanding.
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Normally I'm not a big fan of Cali chardonnay (and I've had some of the heavyweights like Marcassin and Kistler) but this one knocked my socks off. Forward aroma of buttery vanilla. Plenty of oak but great sweet white fruit carries it off. 6/04
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From the opening of the bottle this wine was very good. On the nose there was French oak with some vanilla and tropical fruit. In the middle there was tropical fruit, citrus and a bit of butterscotch. It was somewhat awkward and probably needs at least six months to come together. It had a very long finish and barely lasted until the end of the meal – in our house this is a compliment. I don’t think this will be a long-term (5+ years) ager but is going to provide great near-term drinking. Try it with seafood or pasta with cream sauce as we did.
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9/25/2023 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Fantastic wine: symbiosis of power and elegance! Deep yellow, on the borderline to gold. Delicate but also voluptuous nose. Supercomplex on the palate with tropical fruits, lychee, applecrumble, brioche, honey, vanilla. Wonderful concentration, thick and balsamic texture. Did offer its charme immediately after cork was out but got bigger and bigger in the course of the evening. Long, opulent and deep finish where you are in harmony with the universe. An unique experience.
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10/1/2022 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful and luxurious bouquet which is note extremely expressive. Vanilla and caramel. On the palate ripe yellow fruits, very full bodied and expressive. Very tasty with a lot of different impressions. Really beautiful and impressive wine.
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8/16/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Some Wine Tasted During the Chicago Air & Water Show Warm-ups (Montrose Harbor - Chicago IL): So much ripe and rich orchard fruit with stone fruit, nicely mature while so spiced and nuanced with just a little bit of butterscotch for even more complexity. So much here, shockingly bright and long.
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12/31/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Ripe peach, toasted hazelnut and some faint tropical hints. Very good weight, depth and length. Also very richness, but certainly well balanced, even if not “elegant.” Great freshness for its age. Purchased directly from Aubert upon release and stored correctly since. So much better vs another bottle from a different cellar tasted 6 months ago.
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6/9/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 82 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...Ken Goes Cult Cab (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be an Aubert Ritchie flight. Well past its peak, even if still showing good concentration. Not consistent with my last time with this wine, from 2 years ago.
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12/10/2016 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
This bottle performed exactly the same as my last bottle. Please reference those comments for details.
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12/3/2016 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
From a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a bright yellow/green center and clear rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed green apple, toasty vanilla, citrus, and some soil.
In the mouth, this wine showed rich fruit but was also very crisp. It had a great texture in the mouth but did not show as much complexity as I had hoped for.
This needed 6+ hours of air to show its best. It seemed very young so it will obviously last for 10+ years. I would have liked to have seen a touch less oak and a bit more complexity. However, this was a nice wine. My guess is it will not be getting any better.
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8/22/2015 - Cabernet4me2 wrote:
This bottle appears to be past its prime, figured we would pop on the evening of all 2001 & 2002 Cali Cult Cabs, and figured this might make a fun addition, but alas... was flat, no fruit left and just a mouthful of subtle oak, disappointing....but it was a 02 California Chard!!
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5/8/2015 - tomoem wrote: 93 Points
Cloudy appearance in glass which definitely spoke to the age. At 12 years this was still well flavored. Smokey, spicy oak start, slight candy finish which lasted over 10 seconds. Probably past its peak but I must say it drank well still.
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5/1/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Lots of maturing stone fruit aromas and flavors with some tropical, pineapple notes. Lots and lots of spice here. Very fresh and vibrant with good energy. Some faint heat on finish. Bottle purchased directly from Aubert at release.
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3/6/2015 - nospeel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Singing right now...
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1/20/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Ripe apple and peach aromas with summer flowers and toasted pignoli. Lush stone fruit flavors, still very vibrant and fresh, I'd never have thought this 10+ years old if tasted blind. Lots of concentration and acidity help provide length and power on finish.Still distracting ripeness and some heat come through at the very end. This is holding up beautifully, there's no hurry to drink up. Better when colder vs. when first opened and served at cellar temp.
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3/9/2012 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Baronne Guichard wine dinner, Ruth's Chris DC (Ruth's Chris on Connecticut Ave, DC): Fully matured but still holding strong, ripe yellow fruits, nutty, dry ginger spice perhaps coming from alcohol. This is a big scale, unctuous and oily wine that is not terribly precise for me. It is a great example of well aged Aubert. If you were a fan of Aubert, your rating should be at least 3 points higher, I imagine. For me, a bit of heat as the end note.
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7/24/2010 - LARich wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful and definitely should be drunk before 2011. Ripe fruit (gooseberry?) nose and sweet honeysuckle overtones. Finish lasts about 20 seconds, feels a bit steely but still delicious. Opens up nicely in 45 min. Simply stunning, as we always expect from Aubert.
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1/8/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
IWFSC Richard H. Lightfine Annual Game Dinner (The Racquet Club of Chicago): En magnum, clean golden honey color, good favor, plummy, fresh definitly the right time to drink and held up in the glass for a 1/2 hour.
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9/28/2009 - Jay A wrote: 97 Points
Simply great. Doesn't take a back seat to any top flight Burgundy I've had. The finest Aubert I've had.
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9/11/2009 - hsacks wrote: 95 Points
Same as the first bottle on 9/11/09.
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9/11/2009 - hsacks wrote: 95 Points
Light yellow color. Aromas of hazalnuts, honeysuckle, minerals and spice. Precise, ripe, fruit in the mouth with excellent structure and beautifully integrated oak. Rich but not heavy on the palate. Elegant and seemless, this wine showed no hint of oxidation. Great balance and a long, clean, lingering finish. This was the best Aubert Chardonnay that I have had.
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8/9/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 94 Points
Ritchie holding strong! Loads of burgundian flavors with a solid cream finish. This wine is clearly holding strong on it's acid which allows it to live on. Aubert nose as I expected with loads of power and finesse. Wish I had more! EG
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1/2/2009 - mappleton wrote:
Beautiful wine. Pleasantly surprised given how bad the recent bottle of 02 Quarry was. This hides the alcohol and is rich, but has just enough vibrancy left to keep it lively. Certainly not a small wine, but very well balanced. Rich and racy all together in one. Yum
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10/20/2008 - madeiradog wrote: 93 Points
Black Salt Dinner (Black Salt restaurant - Washington DC): Holding up slightly better than the '02 Kongsgard (in my opinion - others at the table may have differed) this had bold, almost spicy exotic fruit with an oaky roundness that was a good match to the fruit. Very yummy.
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9/2/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Aubert Tasting and Dinner (My home - Chicago IL): Aromas of apple and pear with modest spice. Same fruit on palate with some peach as well, overall very lush, showing a fair amount of heat on finish.
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9/2/2008 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Aubert Tasting (Alan's): Flt #4 - Clear yellow color with a hint of green. Medium nose of vanilla green apple. Nice balanced rich sweet vanilla on the palate. Very nice.
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9/2/2008 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Burgundy Al's Aubert Dinner - Near Complete Vertical / Horizontal (Chicago, IL): Lighter nose with tropical fruit, creamy, minerals. Palate pops with acidity and forward, lush fruits. Distracting finish is hot and bitter.
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6/6/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
yellow. Smooth. Lemon and floral nose with hints of vanilla. Taste was smooth, lemon curd, vanilla. Nice.
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1/27/2008 - bsherwin wrote:
Bordeaux on the Hudson Part Deux (Peter Pratt's): I found this to be a very complete wine. Great purity and freshness on the nose with a complex mingling of pear and spices knocked down a little because of a soupçon of protruding oak. It had a very sensual mid-weight palate and a gentle lilting acidity carrying the fruit to the finish. Excellent effort.
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1/12/2008 - jbaron wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle. Still (forever?) quite shy, with a reticent nose and an attenuated length. Nice mouth with good, especially minerally mouth.
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11/22/2007 - plitton wrote: 93 Points
Cona Thanksgiving 2007; 11/20/2007-11/23/2007: Aubert produces the best California chardonnay and this did not disappoint. It's consistently better than Kistler and Peter Michael of any vineyard. The color is a crystal clear golden yellow. Refined on the palate with a symphonic blend of almonds, citrus, oak and minerals. Still has a few more peaks years.
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11/22/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 93 Points
golden yellow. Rich nose of minerals,a whisper of oak, lemon curd. Taste backed up the nose beautifully. Yum.
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11/5/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93.
Tasted November 5, 2007. Opened and served immediately. Light yellow color in the glass, slightly cloudy looking. Nose of vanilla, creme, hazelnut and pear. Flavors of pears, yellow apples, hazelnut and creme fraiche. Medium acidity, medium to full body. Drink over the short term, maybe the medium term. Last bottle sadly.
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10/12/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 95 Points
Just fantastic. Clear medium yellow. Nose was a boatload of aromas, including licorice(!) Mouthfeel was coating the entire palate. Fantastic.
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9/18/2007 - winekahuna wrote: 96 Points
The last bottle of this amazing wine. Power and balance, acidity, freshness and a 60 second finish. one of those bottles that had people fighting over the last drop.
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8/1/2007 - caldwell wrote:
Just not as spectacular as it was at 18 months. Going to drink a 2005 Ritchie tonight to recapture the glory.
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6/16/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 74 Points
More structured and angular than the Marcassin, which is good. Just as oaky, but smoother wood.
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6/16/2007 - Cheryl wrote:
Per Se - typical chard. Buttery. Not much else to say.
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5/22/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
rich, full. Drinking great now, and was the consensus white of the night. But I can't see it getting any better with age.
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5/7/2007 - SteveHyde wrote:
A beauty. First one I've opened in a couple of years, and what a difference the time makes. Noticeable "sediment" on the bottom of tihs bottle, which had by now acquired a patina of dust, as well. Translucent honey color, powerful nose of green apple, lychee, kumquat, other kinds of tropical fruit. In the mouth, beautifully balanced, rich and racy at the same time. Stone, chalk, tropical fruits, apples, honey. Beautiful. My wife took a sip and said: "now this is something."
For my taste, this is really showing well now. Is it fully mature? Maybe not. But I can't wait to open another.
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3/1/2007 - caldwell wrote:
Still going strong! I don't know if it's the wunderkind that it was at eighteen months, but it's a delightful wine all the same and resembles a more mature version of the exuberant 18 month old. I don't know whether this is the right time or wrong time
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2/25/2007 - dbkitc wrote:
(at Charleston – Baltimore) Definitely different next to all the white burgundies, but not out of place. Tropical overtones, good intensity, but not at all heavy. (18)
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2/10/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
The Wines of Mark Aubert (Pinot Provence, Costa Mesa, CA): Austere compared to the '01 - opened up very nicely. Great balance (oak, fruit, minerals, acidity) and a nice, long finish.
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2/10/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
The Wines of Mark Aubert (Pinot Provence, Costa Mesa, CA): Very similar to the 2001. Same flavor profile, but with a much smoother and refined finish. 91-92 points.
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1/30/2007 - silton wrote: 90 Points
I have to agree that the oak stands in the way of the fruit, at this point, for this bottle. Complex noze, rich mouthfeel, some minerality, but nothing truly special.
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1/14/2007 - Deadbird wrote: 89 Points
the botte was fading fast, oak was protuding like old pilings at low tide, not even close to the first 2 bottles i consumed a few years ago.
Drink up.
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12/25/2006 - beachnic wrote: 89 Points
Had at Christmas dinner next too the 2004 Chasseur Lorenzo and 2002 Chassseur Green Acre . Again the Chasseur bottles were much better and went fast. People didn't even finish the Aubert.
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12/14/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,WA95,WS92
Tasted December 14, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Cuvee Prestige glass. Light yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of soft brown spices including nutmeg, crème fraiche and pears. Flavors of spiced apples, vanilla and pears. Light acidity, medium to full bodied Chardonnay. Drink now, maybe hold a few more years.
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12/6/2006 - Hillbilly wrote:
This wine just did not perform. Had a seductive and smooth mouthfeel, but the overwhelming smell of oakiness. As if you had your nose in a fresh barrel. Some light fruit appeared, but it was quite woody. Not corked I am confident, but too oaky. I recorked this bottle as will revisit tonight to see if anything has changed. Disappointing. An off bottle, perhaps....I have always noticed a heavier oak on this 02. Alas, it is my last one.
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9/30/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
At River Oyster Bar w Ed & Barbara Baron. My last bottle of this wonderful Chardonnay. I tried to find more, but from all the acclaim we are giving, Aubert's Chardonnays have moved into the Kistler, Peter Michael stratosphere.
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9/1/2006 - conadoc wrote: 95 Points
Elegant wine, bracing, great mineral taste. Complex but not as rich as Kistler or Peter Michael. More French in style.
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7/16/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
NYC Offline (Bridge Cafe): WIML94,WA95,WS92
Tasted July 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Lenox Grand Bordeaux glass. Yellow color in the glass, slightly cloudy. Nose of yellow apples, pears and nutmeg. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink over the short, maybe mid term. No value recommendation.
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5/14/2006 - budman wrote: 95 Points
My last and arguably best bottle.
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5/11/2006 - jbaron wrote: 91 Points
A nice, sexy chardonnay. I liked this wine, and was able to plow through an entire bottle by myself (and lots of extra points for that!) but I didn't find that the wine had anything to "grab on to", nothing to indicate that "I'm an Aubert, Ritchie chardonnay, and I'm here to shout that to the world!" Again, I like this wine - the mouthfeel is good, the length is OK (but not superlative, even at room temperature) and the flavors (nuts, lychees, melon) are in place. The acid is prominent, but the oak is more prominent, and I found the wine to be a bit "flat" on the palate.
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5/5/2006 - DelYap wrote: 90 Points
Lots of sediment in this Chard and very milky. The nose is minerally and full of stone fruit. On the palate this wine just has something going on that turns me off. It’s like a metallic streak that runs through it.
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4/29/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 96 Points
At Mark's Las Olas w Steve,Joyce & Greg Rapaport and Justin & Janet Mannes. Brought both the 01 and 02 for comparison.
The 02 is superior and reflects my previous comments. One of the finest American chardonnays extant.
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3/31/2006 - Ali wrote: 93 Points
sweet but balanced
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2/18/2006 - jbaron wrote:
Closed and disappointing. Made me think that this is a wine that's going somewhere, but it was impossible to judge tonight.
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2/10/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Lives up to its billing. One of the finest California Chardonnay's I have had. At Mark's Las Olas w Steve&Joyce Rapaport. Served about 55F, leesy marmalade bouquet, excellent palate and zinging acidity.
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2/8/2006 - MarkC wrote: 94 Points
These are awesome wines. Took 30 minutes to settle down (the acid was a bit overwhelming at first), but then it was awesome. Rich, honeyed nose, with some good citrus and maybe some minerals. On the palate it was tangerine, mandarin orange, lemon butter, and some grass. The brightness of the acidity seemed to get in line with the fruit after a few minutes, and I think this wine drinks better a bit at a warmer temperature than other whites.
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2/7/2006 - Siggy wrote: 96 Points
Like other 2001 and 2002 Auberts that I've had recently, this wine is aging beautifully. Soaring nose of white flowers, beautiful depth on the palate. Notes of apricots, minerals, nut oils, and honeysuckle. Thick and lush and rich, but without a trace of heaviness. The acid and oak are in complete harmony with the fruit. This undoubtedly has many more years of life ahead.
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2/6/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 96 Points
15.1% alcohol. sonoma coast.
all the buzz about the new release made me open this tonight with crab legs and salmon. if you guys were drinking this tonight, you wouldn't be dumping your allocations.
is this the new standard in domestic chardonnay? affordable, available, still cultish, and absolutely freakin' delicious. why people pay $200 plus for the elusive and often less than stellar marcassins when this is floating around free as a bird is beyond me. of course, i have the luxury of perspective since i have a bunch of marcassin chards in my cellar.
anyway, is it a tasting note, or is it a rant? you decide.
lush minerality and power packed fruit with a balance that belies it's behemoth alcohol level. it seems that cal chards with a slightly greenish tint, and a touch of orange are always special. this has a fabulous midpalte that is almost chewy, and a long lingering finish.
is there anything not to like about it? just that i only have four more of this vintage in my cellar, and my wife has commandeered two of them (among others) for her weekend jaunt with the girls to sedona. highly recommended.
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1/28/2006 - Winetex wrote: 94 Points
The last bottle was of course the best one. This was extremely good wine falling just short of being a WOW wine (95 points and above for me). It had good structure and balance, carrying 15.1% alcohol without heat. The only negative I found in the wine is a bit of flab. [~$64+ on release; Awesome with crab cakes]
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1/28/2006 - SteveHyde wrote:
Wonderful wine. Intense nose that really does remind me of a high end Burgundy. Vibrant on the palate, with a great blend of minerality, cirtus, and floral notes. The drinking window, though, is too narrow imo. No way this will be past its prime in 2007.
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1/1/2006 - MarkC wrote: 94 Points
First wine of the year is a white - who'd've thunk? This is a very delicate-looking wine in the glass, pale yellow-white with a tinge of green. The nose, however, belies the power that rests in the glass. Smoke, honeysuckle, and some minerality. On the palate, this coats the mouth, and is a powerful wine. Apple and pear mix with apricot and hints of honey, bolstered by a strong backbone of acidity. I saw a recent suggestion that this wine isn't getting any better, but I would say another 6-12 months will pass before this wine is at its peak. Really phenomenal stuff!
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1/1/2006 - randomly wrote: 97 Points
The bouquet invites you with a wonderfully feminine creamy vanillin oakiness followed by refined notes of honeysuckle and lemon verbena; rich, harmonious and very elegant in the mouth, yet maintaining an exhilarating raciness; giddy flavors of minerals, white pepper, orchids, lemon zest and hazelnut oil dance accross the palate, finishing with a lavish, mouthwatering intensity. This is a beautifully made wine. If the grapes were Courney Love, Mark Aubert is Versace.
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12/23/2005 - slugme wrote: 95 Points
Great as always.
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10/13/2005 - JimmyV wrote: 95 Points
This wine has a long life ahead of it. Brought it to a restaurant. Opened and sat in the bottle for 30 minutes. Abundant tropical notes, especially pineapple and mango. Bright acidity that suggest aging potential. Heavy toasted oak blows off with time and should balance in a few years. A really terrific bottle of wine.
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10/1/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,WA95,WS92
Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of pears, toast and roasted almonds. Flavors of pear, butter and vanilla. Nice wine. Drink over the next few years.
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6/30/2005 - PaulH wrote: 94 Points
Took my last bottle to Mirepoix for dinner with Pete and Barbara Marsh. Great food, lovely company, and — as always — a great bottle of wine. It didn't change much in the year I followed it. Still a lovely clear pale gold color with a killer nose of ripe chardonnay fruit. The palate is where this wine shines is oh so rich, but also oh so balanced. The fruit is ripe and lush, but the oak and acid are there in just the right amounts to add complexity, grace and elegance. This was a super wine and I am sorry it is gone.
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4/9/2005 - bdenuyl wrote: 94 Points
Very deep, rich, unctous chardonnay, Just bording on the sappy for my taste, but not quite, so quite enjoyable.
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3/29/2005 - MarkC wrote: 93 Points
Mmm. Crisp fruits, the barest hints of butter, enough acid to keep this wine from being anywhere close to flabby, yet it wasn't a tart. Apples, some tropical fruits, and strawberry, with a clean, long finish. Awesome stuff!
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3/26/2005 - TheOtherPoster wrote: 95 Points
This was absolutely stunning, perhaps the best Cali chardonnay I've had. The nose was subtle but complex, with green apples, flowers, a hint of peach and some citrus. As wonderful as that was, the taste and mouthfeel were otherwordly. Very sappy, with amazing extract that really coated the palate, this wine tasted of stoney minerals, and then a distinctly perfume-like quality that was almost not a taste experience, but as if you could smell it in your mouth. Hey, that's the best I can describe it! It had tremendous fruit and great acidity, and a finish that went on forever with a fresh - baked bread quality in there somewhere. This was, at least for us, a tour de force. Amazing!
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3/22/2005 - slugme wrote: 94 Points
Man is this good. Nice, beautiful depth of fruit. Got a lot of apricot. This is my favorite bottle of any Aubert that I've had thus far.
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2/4/2005 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
My notes are consistent with my previous TN. It has come together and is drinking extremely well. Not much more to say about this wine but "Terrific!" This is a CA chard that winos could use to bring people over to the light side as in "drink white wines". Kudos to Aubert. [$60; Served with crab cakes which is a great food pairing with this wine]
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9/1/2004 - caldwell wrote:
This wasn't as delicious as the other bottles - maybe travel shock - but it was certainly the same wine.
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8/27/2004 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
Clean, crisp Chard with some oak. This was tasted following a Pride Viognier, and the wood really stood out compared to the Pride. It also had great fruit, however, and a bit of butter. Not as complex as the last bottle I had, but probably a bit cleaner tasting overall.
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8/19/2004 - PaulH wrote: 94 Points
Bought a bottle off the list at Michael Mina in SF. This is my second bottle; still very impressive; nose shows tons of ripe fruit with just a bit of oak intruding. Palate is medium body with perfect balance hiding the alcohol in excess of 15%. Lots of tropical fruit, including mango and a bit of understated sweetness that comes across as finesse. Long, long sweet and smooth finish. Every sip is a bacchanalian pleasure. Super wine.
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6/11/2004 - PaulH wrote: 94 Points
Wine looks brilliant and clear, the color of medium pale yellow straw. The nose is amazing; clean and with obvious and forward ripe fruit. The wine is refreshing with a light body, a mellow mid palate and an extended finish. Everything is in perfect balance. Projects elegance. Outstanding.
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6/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Normally I'm not a big fan of Cali chardonnay (and I've had some of the heavyweights like Marcassin and Kistler) but this one knocked my socks off. Forward aroma of buttery vanilla. Plenty of oak but great sweet white fruit carries it off. 6/04
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5/4/2004 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
From the opening of the bottle this wine was very good. On the nose there was French oak with some vanilla and tropical fruit. In the middle there was tropical fruit, citrus and a bit of butterscotch. It was somewhat awkward and probably needs at least six months to come together. It had a very long finish and barely lasted until the end of the meal – in our house this is a compliment. I don’t think this will be a long-term (5+ years) ager but is going to provide great near-term drinking. Try it with seafood or pasta with cream sauce as we did.
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