2016 Technique Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Chardonnay Crafted By THE Master

Mark Aubert, the winemaker behind Aubert wines and the architect of today’s 2016 Technique Chardonnay, is a legend. There’s no other way to put it. 100-point scores—of which he’s earned many—don’t do him justice, nor do the lengthy and adoring press writeups, nor does his impeccable resume, which includes stints at Peter Michael, Colgin, Monticello, and Rutherford Hill. The only way to truly understand Aubert’s greatness is to taste his wine. 

Easier said than done. 

Of the 4,000 cases produced annually under his eponymous label, not a SINGLE bottle is sold to wine stores. The entire production is reserved for the mailing list (expect at least a three-year wait to get on) and a few of the world’s best restaurants (The French Laundry, Le Bernardin). 

The opportunity to taste the work of a master is rare. To do it for $30 is practically unheard of. That’s why today is so special: Offering characteristic class and balance, the 2016 Technique Chardonnay delivers gorgeous notes of lemon curd, ripe peach, and pear, layered with lightly toasted hazelnut, soft rind cheese, and a hint of brioche.

In crafting the Technique Chardonnay, Aubert mined the golden terroir which is the Sonoma Coast. Kissed by Pacific winds and blanketed by thick fog which gives way to abundant sunshine, the Sonoma Coast is ideal for growing world-class Chardonnay, a fact not lost on Aubert. Sourced from a single, top-pedigree vineyard along the coast, the 2016 Technique Chardonnay displays the characteristic mouthwatering verve that chilly nights here imbue in the wines. The notes of ripe citrus and stone fruit speak to the sunny climes and long growing season. 

Of course, the overall balance, well-integrated oak, and sophistication of the 2016 Technique Chardonnay speak to the touch of the master himself—a touch which has been refined over more than three decades in the business. Aubert was first captivated by a bottle of white Burgundy—a 1990 Comtes Lafon Montrachet—but the Napa native has stuck to his roots, determined to make California wines that rival the best of the Old World. 

As Wine Spectator wrote, Aubert has “become a grand master.” Still, such accolades are mere cherries on top of the real proof—the brilliance of 2016 Technique Chardonnay is an under-$40 miracle.