2010 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

The 2010 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes across as implosive and structured. Today the wine is quite reticent, as it is showing just the barest hint of its potential. The 2010 Ritchie impresses for its power and energy. This tightly coiled Chardonnay needs another year or two in bottle to show the full breadth of its potential. These 36 year-old vines are the oldest Aubert works with.

The 2010 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes across as implosive and structured. Today the wine is quite reticent, as it is showing just the barest hint of its potential. The 2010 Ritchie impresses for its power and energy. This tightly coiled Chardonnay needs another year or two in bottle to show the full breadth of its potential. These 36-year-old vines are the oldest Aubert works with. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. This is a stunning set of wines from Mark Aubert. Both the Chardonnays and Pinots developed considerably over the time I followed them. Readers should open the wines at least several hours in advance. In general, the 2010s are brighter and more focused than the 2009s, which are more generous. Alcohol levels are also lower across the board in 2010. The Chardonnays spend 10-12 months in barrel, followed by 2 months in oak, and are usually bottled around Christmas. The cellar is kept cold to encourage slow malos, which occur in the spring. The wines are never racked until they are prepared for bottling with no fining or filtration. The Pinots begin their vinification with cold soaks that last 5-6 days. The wines are only racked when they are bottled, which usually takes place in September. Aubert describes his Pinots as largely inspired by his experiences with the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines he made at a number of properties, including Colgin, Sloan, Bryant and Futo, which remains his only consulting client. Stylistically, the Pinots are big, bold and highly expressive. Much the same can be said of the Chardonnays. The 2010 Pinots are more pointed and vibrant than the 2009s, a year in which the fruit ripened evenly as there were no rains. Tel. (707) 963-4569