Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay

WOW... blown away. Can’t believe this is the Ritchie I’ve had past vintages of? The balance on this wine is close to flawless. Drinking perfectly right now. Great bottle of Chardonnay. Many wonderful years in front of it.

Forgot to post these from the other day. Mark, Dan and I were able to enjoy a relaxed afternoon at the wine storage facility, and some unique stuff was opened, as always!

Fortunate to have had the ‘13 and ‘14 Ritchie so recently. I’ve said it before, but I always get a nutty and waxy note for Ritchie vineyard chards. I got a lot of that on the ‘14, but it felt more subdued on the ‘13. Still had its typical lovely honeyed almond trait on the palate. Great Chardonnays. Thanks Dan.

Funny how a nice evening can round in to form on a spontaneous whim!

You know if Dan is around that Aubert or Marcassin chardonnay is involved. Tonight, he was the reason for both! Normally, I love Ritchie. Possibly my favorite chard vineyard. The beeswax, waxiness/nuttiness that I get with this vineyard is so unique. A nice Chard but like most Aubert whites, give this at least 3-5 years.

13’ Aubert Ritchie Chardonnay. Perfect drinking window. Soooo much better than 18 months ago.

Another great Classic Wine Happy Hour in the books! Always a treat to have a designated day each month where guys can pull out some unique bottles!

I really enjoy Ritchie vineyard chards. Big and bold flavors...I find waxiness, honey and lush lemon flavors to be common. This is a very nice chard, but I'd wait another 2-3 years on it.

2013 is my favorite Aubert vintage

Just starting to open. Pulled the cork 2 hours before drinking. Out of the Auberts I find this one balanced and finesse. Not the big structure.

13' Aubert Ritchie. Told myself I'd wait a year open my next bottle. It was close enough! I do believe that a few of Marks Chardonnays(regardless of the vintage) just taste better with a little age on them. I generally like my California Chardonnays rather young.

Patients, has certainly paid off a little. We decanted it for an hour. A big BOY chard for sure. The most notable difference in this wine is the color, and the softened acidity. The color is a little more golden now. Acidity is still rather present. It certainly flowed a bit better through the palate.

The nose was a bit muted last year. Much more pronounced this year. Nose- White flowers, honeysuckle, lemon zest. The palate is full of Canned peaches, green apples, lemons, wet stones. I still get that pie crust to it🎯. Drink at cellar temperature. Personally I think a little warmer. Long life in front of it.

Edit- Thinking this wine will be hitting on all cylinders in 18'

13' Aubert Ritchie Chardonnay. Decanted for an hour+. The nose is rich with lemon, nectarines, slate. The palate is melon,pie crust,lemon bars,minerals. The acidity after a couple of hours, flows perfectly through the glass. This lingers on the back of your palate for sometime. Balance of this wine is pretty spectacular ! I do believe the 13' Ritchie will taste better in a year.
One of the better Aubert chards to pair with food. Certainly believe this will stand the test of time. Mark Aubert + Chardonnays😋

Mark truly made a Burgundian wine here. Wait 12/18 months. I certainly hope he continues to buy these grapes for years to come. Cheers Mark!