So much gunpowder to the lemon rind and cooked apple aromas. Goes flinty. Lemon curd. Some sliced pineapple. Full-bodied with a compacted palate and a glossy texture to it. Very, very creamy. Honey. Candied lemon. Oily, but then goes fresh and zesty. Drinkable now, but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is a classic Mark Aubert wine. Creamy and ample in feel, the 2021 is super-expressive right out of the gate. Soft, silky contours frame lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed overtones that appear with aeration. All the elements are so well balanced. The Sugar Shack is one of the more immediate wines in this range and will drink well pretty much upon release.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMThe warmest site in Aubert’s portfolio, the 2021 Chardonnay Sugar Shack comes from Mark and Teresa’s home property on the western side of the Rutherford AVA. Planted in 2008 to a Montrachet selection and managed by David Abreu, it offers up attractive aromas of toasted hazelnuts and ripe peaches. Big, broad and fleshy in the mouth, it turns a bit angular on the finish, providing a bright, fresh counterpoint to the earlier opulence. 700 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP
