95 points - limited                   
Limited new release from cult Chardonnay producer Mark Aubert.

previous vintage 99 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack Estate comes from a site in Napa Valley (it’s all Montrachet clone, and the vineyard is farmed by David Abreu) and is undeniably the most opulent and sexy in the lineup. Huge orchard fruits, lemon curd, white flowers, and orange liqueur notes give way to an opulent, thick and layered beauty that still just glides across the palate, with no sense of heaviness. While it was brought up in 80% new French oak, it’s absorbed every bit of it and is just a heavenly Chardonnay that could come from nowhere else.

...Mark Aubert continues to set the bar incredibly high for the world-class quality of his Burgundian-styled, remarkable Chardonnays, which come from relatively cool sites spread from Rutherford in Napa Valley to the far reaches of the Sonoma Coast. As I indicated last year, Aubert is at the top of his game, and it is hard to believe any Chardonnay winemaker in the world is turning out a half-dozen Chardonnays at this qualitative level year in and year out. He has had an incredible run of great success, after being mentored by none other than the reclusive and supremely talented Helen Turley when he took over the winemaking job at Peter Michael, then proceeded on to impressive sojourns at Colgin Estate as well as Tom Futo’s winery in Oakville."