Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Lauren is the highest expression of our estate vineyard site and meticulously selected Chardonnay clones. Seductive aromas of citrus oils, toasted brioche, apple pie spice, and green tea ascend from the glass, coalescing with notes of lemongrass and white nectarine. Layers upon layers of richness extend across the palate and crescendo to a seamless, persistent finish. This wine has the energy and drive to drink young for over a decade. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dried apricot, lemon zest, hawthorn and smoke on the nose. It’s full-bodied with concentrated dried and ripe fruit, interlaced with smoke and toast and balanced by tangy acidity. Lots of crushed gravel, too, before an oily finish. Dense and reflective, yet intense and energetic at the end. From the oldest vines of Aubert. Greatest American Chardonnay ever? Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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 2018 Chardonnay Lauren Estate explodes effortlessly from the glass, emitting flamboyant crystalized ginger, cinnamon stick, green tea and lime cordial notions with suggestions of applesauce, lemongrass, honey-roasted almonds and paraffin wax plus a touch of cedar chest. Full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully earthy/savory, delivering a beautiful oiliness to the texture juxtaposed by spine-tingling purity and freshness, finishing with epic length. Rating 98-100.
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Wine Spectator
Lauren Vineyard (named after Mark Aubert's daughter) is planted to four different clones: two Old Wente clones, Mount Eden and Corton-Charlemagne. The 2018 Chardonnay Lauren Estate comes barreling out of the glass with a knock-out nose of juicy nectarines, ripe Bosc pears and honeydew melon, backed up by nuances of butterscotch, crystalized ginger, pie crust and honeycomb. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and so, so seductive, the palate is as opulent as it is impeccably poised, finishing with epic length and depth.
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.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.