2005 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
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Tasting notes
While Mark Aubert no longer produces wines from the famed Ritchie vineyard, in the past it produced a fantastic string of classic Aubert-style, age-worthy Chardonnays from 30+-year-old Old Wente clone vines. The 2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard has a bright, lemon-gold color with a slightly green tinge at the rim. The nose is beautifully perfumed, featuring jasmine and honeysuckle notes over a core of apple pie, poached pears and chalk dust with hints of praline and croissant. The palate is rich, decadently oily with tons of seductive apple and spice layers and a racy line, finishing very long and complex. Aging at a glacial pace, this Chardonnay still has a good decade of cellaring left at least! This wine was tasted from magnum, sourced directly from Aubert's library cellar.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
It's interesting to taste the 2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard next to the Lauren. Here the flavors are quite a bit more mineral-driven, with plenty of graphite and crushed notes. Hints of orange peel and white truffles add the final layers of nuance. The 2005 Ritchie is a bit more forward than the Lauren, and has also aged with a bit less overall finesse, but that is a pretty small critique at this level.
(100% new oak; 15.1% alcohol) Slightly hazy greenish-yellow color. Captivating, highly nuanced nose offers lime zest, lemon candy, nutmeg and crushed stone. Dense, thick and powerful, but for all its intensity this offers a magically light touch. The pineapple and crushed stone flavors are framed and intensified by sappy, perfectly integrated acidity and complicated by a leesy element. Boasts a truly three-dimensional texture that's rare for a dry white wine, not to mention extraordinary sweetness of fruit and length. Still quite young.
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.