Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.