2013 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
msuwine Likes this wine:
Saturday, July 29, 2017 - This brilliant Chardonnay combines complexity, power, and grace in a compelling fashion. A lot of CA winemakers can do big fruit, but Aubert has managed to match this richness with just the right amount of acidity. Refreshing without being searing, this wine has a depth and tension that are utterly captivating.
Onto the note: Light yellow in color, full in body, nose of lemon, gooseberry, and brioche. Tastes of grapefruit, lemon meringue, green apple, and vanilla bean, with a finish that goes on and on. 15% alcohol. The oak is present but in a supporting role (something people always say about butter-bombs, but it's true here). Decant for at least an hour, in order to make the wine open up and warm up - a process that, after a few hours, revealed notes of pear, pineapple, and butterscotch.
I've been a fan of Aubert's whites for a while, but I've always felt like I drank them too late or too early; this wine is just right, at least for me. The freshness and exuberance are lovely matches to the weight and ripeness; there is a energy here that is amazing for a wine of this depth. In this way, it is balanced, in the best sense of the word.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,789 views)
3 comments have been posted
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,789 views)
Comment posted by BigTex22:
7/29/2017 7:06:00 PM - Great note, thx. When you say "too late" with these wines, how long has that been in your experience?
Comment posted by msuwine:
7/29/2017 8:01:00 PM - Thanks for responding, and that's a good question. Looking back at my notes, my sense is that the window (for me) is to drink Aubert Chardonnay between three to five years after the vintage.
More specifically: I've had great experiences this year with a few 2013's, with good experiences with the 2012's and one 2014. In contrast, I tasted Aubert's from 2009, 2010, and 2011 earlier this year, and I found each to be a bit more honeyed and oily than I prefer.
This is obviously a small sample size, and this is obviously quite subjective. At the same time, I remember reading comments / commentary relishing the older Aubert's and suggesting that opening before the 7-10 year mark is misguided. I didn't find this to be good advice (again, for me), so I wanted to (humbly) suggest an alternate timeline.
Comment posted by BigTex22:
7/30/2017 9:20:00 AM - Appreciate the feedback. My Auberts just go back to 2012, hence the question. Sounds like I might want to try a few now to check in.