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Floral, non-fruity hints of crushed stone and talcum powder appear on the nose of Aubert’s 2021 Chardonnay Powder House, creating an attractive counterpoint to the wine’s honeyed richness and intense white-peach notes. Full-bodied and silky in feel, it’s a bit custardy in texture yet lithe, graceful and long, with an almost mentholated finish. There are 2,000 cases this vintage, from a Forestville vineyard planted in 2015 mainly to Hyde Old Wente, plus a bit of Mount Eden.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPLove the aromas of lemon-lime, gunpowder, kiwi, and dried lemons. It’s full, phenolic and solid. This is like red wine in structure. Long and persistent. One for the cellar. Give this some time. Best after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Powder House is elegant, polished and also a touch reticent. That won’t be an issue in time, but the Powder House is decidedly reticent today. Strong mineral accents are front and center, while the fruit feels pushed into the background. Mark Aubert’s Chardonnays have historically aged quite well. I expect that will be the case here as well.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

Pie crust with brioche, lemon meringue, lime leaf, and blackboard chalk. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, with terrific structure and incredibly complex on the finish with seaweed and umami. Sea breeze, iodine and oyster finish. Superb wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL comes from largely Goldridge soils in parcels owned and managed by the Valdez family (UV being the initials of Ulises Valdez, Aubert’s frequent vineyard collaborator, who died in 2018). There are 2,000 cases of this elixir, which offers up classic notes of toasted hazelnuts, white peaches and citrus zest. It’s full-bodied, rich and opulent yet contained and controlled, with great silky length and energy. Aubert describes the oak thusly: "The oak is perfect. It just kisses you with a bit of vanilla and cookie dough." The wine is certainly delicious, and thinking back on it, I wonder if my rating is a bit conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is one of the more exotic wines in the range. Initially a bit ethereal, the 2021 opens beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, where it shows tremendous breadth and notable mineral intensity. The UV-SL is not quite as obvious as some of the other wines in this range, but its pedigree is evident. There’s real density here, and tons of class.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

This is very unique in character, with sliced apple, honeysuckle and lavender. Spearmint, too. It’s medium-bodied with some pine and cooked-apple character in the palate. Flavorful, yet sophisticated and thoughtful. Minerally, compact and focused. 31-year-old vines. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSPacks precise flavors of ripe peach, apricot and salted preserved lemon, with lime accents and a savory thread of minerality. Offers a vibrant mouthful of acidity that keeps the flavors in focus, while a hint of dried lemon verbena peeks in on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 1,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Light golden green color with unique aromas of sliced lemon, salted caramel and flint. It’s full and oily yet at the same time dynamic and very fresh, with sliced citrus, tarte tatin, and dried fruit. Loads of lemon zest. What a finish. Keeps on changing in the glass. Flamboyant. Savory. Give it until 2025 and onwards.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard flies out with vibrant notes of lime leaves, lemon curd, and grapefruit oil with touches of wet pebbles, coriander seed, and chalk dust. The full-bodied palate is bright and shiny with the liveliness coming from the citrus fruits, yet the acidity is absolutely seamless, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIDense, broad and concentrated, offering notes of preserved lemon, honeysuckle, caramelized apple and salted butterscotch. At the core there’s a purity to the peach, nectarine and mango flavors, with apple and pear accents. This white’s vibrant acidity keeps the flavors focused and light on their feet. Drink now through 2037. 475 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard offers a beguiling mix of fruit intensity framed by strong mineral, soil-driven tons. Lemon confit, tangerine peel, chamomile, graphite and dried herbs fill out the layers in a Chardonnay marked by intense minerality, strong citrus character and fabulous balance.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2021 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard is generous and spicy this year. Flinty tones give way to perfumed white peach, lime candy, citrus blossoms and honeycomb. The medium-bodied palate combines ripe, peachy fruit with matchstick nuances. It has a gentle chalkiness to the texture, bright bursts of acidity and a long, detailed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPA rich golden hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard is aromatic with a bit of flinty reduction and gives way to sunny fruit of ripe peach, fresh flowers, and preserved citrus. Ripe and full-bodied, it has a ripe texture and notes of lush golden apples, hay, toasted spice, and bit of green almond on the finish. Drink it over the next 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

The 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has expressive notes of honeycomb, ripe orchard fruit of peach, white mushroom, and fresh spice. Full-bodied, it has a more rounded and creamy texture on the palate, with lemon curd, citrus oil, and ripe apple. Its pristine fruit holds good freshness, and this very pretty wine has a distilled quality that makes I feel like it will last forever. This is a gorgeous wine to enjoy over the next 12-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is buzzing with energy and promises a long life in the cellar. It features scents of golden apples, cashew, honeysuckle and beeswax with streaks of matchstick. The light-bodied palate’s expansive, satiny texture is foiled by its mouthwatering acidity, and it offers concentrated, perfumed fruit that lingers impressively on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch bursts with bold notes of key lime pie, kumquats, and citron blossom, leading to hints of brine, dill seed, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers tight-knit citrus and stony flavors, with a crisp backbone and long, wonderfully pure finish.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIIntense aromas of ripe apple, oyster shell, pie crust dough, and lemon rind. Some candied apple and flint. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit and medium phenolics that hold it all together. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSA complex white, offering notes of flint, nutmeg, cardamom and baked apples, with details of grilled Meyer lemon, vanilla custard and toasted, salted hazelnut. All of these flavors are balanced and seamless, with plenty of momentum and a fresh thread of acidity. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is the most accessible wine in this flight of Chardonnays. Tropical accents meld into orange confit, hazelnut, butter and sweet spice. The flavors are pretty intense, and yet the 2021 remains wonderfully light on its feet, with pretty floral top notes that add tons of charm and sheer appeal.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A very fine and polished chardonnay with focus, polished phenolics and a refined nature. It’s medium-bodied with beautiful fruit. Hints of salted caramel to the cooked apple and pineapple flavors. It’s poised and gorgeous and shows you what it has in a sophisticated way. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is SO spicy - it sashays out with opulent scents of candied ginger, allspice, and cinnamon, giving way to a profound core of juicy nectarines, apple pie, and Bosc pears, plus a hint of orange blossom. The full-bodied palate is decadently expressive, delivering loads of baking spice and warm pear flavors supported by seamless freshness, finishing long and decadent.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIAromatically the 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard exhibits notes of gravelly earth, with Meyer lemon, and white flowers. On the palate, it takes on so much focus, with vibrant energy, and feels more linear in its approach, with driving citrus, lime, bright green apple, and a touch of nuttiness on the finish. It’s long and driving. Drink 2025-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard features alluring tones of spring honey, panna cotta, crushed almonds, jasmine and a core of white peach. The medium-bodied palate has a deeply concentrated core of peachy fruit balanced by a gentle chalkiness and refreshing bursts of tangy acidity. Powerful yet energetic, it has a long life ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is packed with the essence of tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, herbs and ripe apricot. Potent and layered, the Stone Flat is super-impressive right out of the gate. It’s another wine with real density. All the elements are dialed up in 2021. Stone Flat is distinguished from Durell, which is adjacent, because of the use of 420A rootstock (versus 3309 at Durell). That, in the theory, results in a wine with lower pH and therefore higher acidity, but that is not the impression conveyed in tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMRich and succulent, offering notes of flint, grilled peach, dried apricot and mango at the core, with a strong thread of crushed rock, plus a hint of ripe, salted melon. Lemon curd and white flower accents linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Very intense blue fruits with blackberries and hints of licorice. Flowers, too. Some pepper. Full-bodied with lots of bark, mushroom and forest floor. Creamy and polished tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is bright, punchy and super-expressive. Bright red/plum, blood orange, rose petal, lavender, spice and strong floral/savory accents add nuance throughout. The 2021 is an absolute joy to taste. The UV was done with entirely destemmed fruit, but its aromatic profile offers quite a bit of whole cluster-like character.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Pinot Noir UV was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it comes bounding out with youthful scents of black cherries, black raspberries, and wild strawberries, plus suggestions of violets, chocolate mint, wild sage, and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is fantastically light on its feet, with beautiful freshness and ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and savory. Planted to the Calera clone in 2001 by late vineyard manager Ulises Valdez Sr., right in the middle of Russian River, the soil on this site is a unique mix of sand and dense clay.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIGorgeous, with an inviting core of raspberry, blood orange and boysenberry puree aromas and flavors that stream through, flanked by singed apple wood, dried anise and black tea notes. Shows serious depth but also drive and freshness, as a racy mineral edge lends energy from start to finish. Best from 2024 through 2033. 949 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFrom a vineyard named for Aubert’s frequent collaborator, Ulises Valdez, and still farmed by his family, the 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard (1,000 cases produced, from a Laguna Road site that’s slightly warmer than Aubert’s other Pinot Noir sources) features bold notes of cherries, cinnamon and wood spice. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky across the mid-palate, finishing long and softly tannic. Nicely balanced and structured, it should age well for more than a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP