Winemaker Notes
Aubert set out to move a mountain; to narrow the stylistic differences between Napa and Sonoma Chardonnays. The clone specifically selected for our Rutherford site, Sugar Shack, is expressive of its terroir and can maintain high acidity levels. These qualities allow the resulting wine to express characteristics similar to its Sonoma cousins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Such an aromatic nose of fresh hay, meyer lemon, baked green apple and dried herbs. Full-bodied with such an incredible amount of refinement. Sleek and seamless. Nuanced is an understatement, as this wine carries multitudes, quietly expressing flavors of fennel seed, dried lily, honeysuckle, toasted almond and sage. Incredible. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sugar Shack is produced from Montrachet clone vines grown in Rutherford AVA. It is aged in French oak barrels, 70% new. A barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Sugar Shack has a fabulously flamboyant nose of juicy Bosc pears, ripe apricots and ginger cake with hints of orange blossoms, crème caramel and toasted almonds. The palate is concentrated, full-bodied and beautifully textured with loads of stone fruit and spice layers, finishing long with a chalkiness coming through on the finish. Range : (96-98)+
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Wine Spectator
Minerally, fresh and well-spiced, with plenty of toasty notes to the luscious mix of dried apple and glazed pear flavors. Shows hints of dried tarragon on the savory finish. Drink now through 2025.
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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.