2017 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren

(100 Points) Mark Aubert notes that this is a complex vineyard. It is planted to four different clones: two Old Wente clones, Mount Eden and Corton Charlemagne. The 2017 Chardonnay Lauren Estate starts out with a quiet intensity of ripe pears, apricot tart and spiced apples notes, growing exponentially to reveal a whole spectrum of savory/earthy nuances: marzipan, cashews, yeast extract, oolong tea, chalk dust and nutmeg. Full-bodied, the palate truly lets off the flavor fireworks, giving up loads of citrus, stone fruit, pears and savory flavors plus a racy backbone, finishing very long and very moreish.

“2017 was incredibly stressful—it was a very rapid-fire harvest after the Labor Day heat,” recalled Mark Aubert. “The finished wines are just so intense.” Aubert had finished picking well before the fires in 2017. In fact, the Sugar Shack vineyard in Rutherford—usually the first vineyard to come in—was being harvested during my visit in late August that year, and so it missed even the Labor Day heat wave. Harvest continued for about four weeks. The winery was closed up tight during the fires to prevent smoke infiltration. Power went off for about an hour, but they have a back-up generator.

“2018 was a big sigh of relief this year compared to 2017!” Aubert continued. “2018 was a substantially cooler vintage. One of the hallmarks of the 2018s was fantastic fermentations, incredible acidity and very successful malolactics.” More great news about 2018—yields are up about 20% this year for Aubert! This was mainly due to larger cluster weights—the counts were about normal. Those familiar with Aubert know that Mark does not practice extended barrel maturation. He had just finished racking the 2018 Chardonnays to tank when I visited in August 2019, prepping them to be bottled in December 2019. The 2018 Pinot Noirs were bottled in early July 2019.  The Wine Advocate