2011 Chardonnay Carneros

The 2011 Chardonnay Carneros is classy, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Lemon, apricots, pears and white flowers all wrap around the palate, but what stands out most is the sheer silkiness and textural finesse of the wine. Moreover, tropical notes emerge with time, but in the end, this is a fairly restrained Chardonnay from Mark Aubert. Sweet floral notes meld into the soft, caressing finish. In 2011, Aubert lost a considerable amount of fruit in Hyde. The bulk of the wine was sold off, but Aubert bottled the best 40% and declassified it into the Carneros appellation wine. Tasting the 2011, I can only wonder what might have been had the vintage not been so capricious. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Mark Aubert has a brand new tasting room that is intimate and clubby. By the time I got to Aubert, I had tasted most of the Sonoma reference points. With that as a backdrop, these wines stood out for their sheer pedigrees. This is a world-class operation in every way. Because of the late, cool year, Aubert’s 2011 Chardonnays are a bit brighter and more focused than is the norm. In other words, the wines are deeply marked by the signatures of the year. Interestingly, that is not the case with the Pinots, which are pretty much in line with the juicy, generous style Aubert fans have become accustomed to. In contrast to the Chardonnay harvest, in 2011, there were no declassified Pinot lots. One of the developments at Aubert over the last few years is an increased focus on estate vineyards. As part of that trend, readers will see several additions to the range, while Aubert has decided to discontinue his Reuling Chardonnay. Tel. (707) 963-4569