2008 Chardonnay Ritchie

The 2008 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from 30+ year old vines of the Old Wente clone, which was apparently a suitcase clone taken from Louis Latour’s parcels in Corton-Charlemagne, just north of Beaune. It exhibits a beautiful honeyed citrus, nectarine, crushed rock, honeysuckle and tropical fruit blossom-scented bouquet, terrific stuffing, good acidity and wonderful density as well as richness. Because of the tiny yields in that vintage, the 2008s tend to be more concentrated than the 2009s, which are more elegant, lower in alcohol and not quite as dense. Mark Aubert’s brilliant Chardonnays continue to place this winery in California’s top Chardonnay hierarchy, sharing the same rarified air as Marcassin, Kongsgaard, Peter Michael, Luc Morlet, Kistler, Hartford Court and DuMol. These cool climate, usually hillside sites on the Sonoma Coast are cropped low, the wines are fermented in new French oak and bottled without fining or filtration. I am on Aubert’s mailing list, and while I never seem to have enough wines to age very long, a recent tasting of his 2004s revealed them to still be in splendid condition. With a few noteworthy exceptions, aging California Chardonnay beyond a decade is a fool’s game, but certain older Marcassin and Mt. Eden Chardonnays have impressively stood the test of time. I am sure Aubert’s would also, but who can defer their gratification that long? Tel. (707) 963-4569; Fax (707) 963-4322

(15.1% alcohol) Deep, slightly hazy yellow. Vibrant aromas of orange rind, dried lemon, crushed stone and floral oils. Round, sweet and lush but with a firm spine of acidity providing shape. The wine's sexy sweetness and fruit intensity are nicely counterpointed by a saline minerality. More opulent than the Lauren but perhaps not quite as gripping on the finish.