2017 Powder House Vineyard Chardonnay
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Tasting Notes
Intense matchstick and flint with dried-apple and peach undertones. Full-bodied with great fruit, a chewy palate and a juicy finish. Lime and lemon undertones to the ripe fruit. Drink or hold.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard is bright, punchy and full of life. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and almond all race out of this plush yet vibrant Chardonnay. There is so much to like in this striking, delineated Chardonnay. The Powder House is the one wine in this tasting that is far showier from bottle than it was from tank. It is also the most approachable of the 2017 Chardonnays. For that reason, I would choose to drink it ahead of the other Chardonnays in the range.
The first vintage of this wine, the 2017 Chardonnay Powder House comes from eight acres of what are now estate-owned vines planted in 2013, to Hyde Old Wente and Mt. Eden clones on Goldridge soils. The vineyard is located in downtown Forestville, right across from the high school. At 15.4% alcohol, like Aubert�s other single-vineyard, singular Chardonnays, this baby is no shrinking violet. Although it is a little youthfully closed to begin, it unwinds with coaxing to offer glimpses at baked apple, poached pears, peach preserves and pineapple upside-down cake plus hints of praline, cr�me br�l�e and clover honey. Full-bodied, the palate features a wicked backbone of freshness, beautifully lifting all those concentrated, densely packed flavors, finishing very long and wonderfully pure.
About the producer
The Aubert wines, particularly the Chardonnay, have a cult following – beloved for their rich, hedonistic style. Created by Mark and Theresa Aubert in 1999, the property makes some of California’s most sought-after Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, all from single vineyards across Sonoma.