Aubert Ritchie Chardonnay 2013

Aubert Ritchie Chardonnay 2013 is a full-bodied, barrel-fermented Chardonnay white wine from the Sonoma Coast of California. Winemaker -proprietor Mark Aubert professes to an abiding love of Leflaive Chardonnay and while much more in the ripe, Californian Chardonnay mould. From the oldest vines that Aubert works with, the 2013 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is made from the old Wente clone favoured by so many of the top winemakers for Chardonnay. "The 2013 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is translucent and weightless, yet also magnificent in its depth. Graphite, slate, smoke, incense, lemon and white peach emerge from the glass, but only with great reluctance. The Ritchie is the most reticent wine in this range, but it is in many ways the most intriguing. Intensely mineral and nuanced, the 2013 Ritchie will thrill those lucky enough to own it for another decade-plus. I can`t wait to see how this develops in bottle. The 2013 was done in 100% new oak, yet there is virtually no trace of oak at all." Vinous, 2015