Tasted an '11 Jadot Batard Montrachet GC at a late lunch Friday alongside a '13 Aubert Sugar Shack. After a quick taste comparison, I went with the Batard as more seemless, classy and food friendly. Tasted the Aubert later in the evening and it seemed way too “big” for my palate (even though I have tasted and enjoyed many Aubert previously, albeit typically not alongside a GC white burg). Put the cork in the Aubert and decided to revisit later. Revisted 48 hours later and it was a completely different wine. The bigness had given way to the seemless class of the Batard I had a few days earlier but there was far more depth and minerality.
When I have opened Aubert in the past, they typically don’t last long, but I will have to rethink opening and drinking younger vintages in favor of either slow O or enjoyment at +1/ or 2 days from opening. Anyone else have similar thoughts experiences here?
I agree Anton, but on day two it was completely smoking right out of the frig. I hadn’t returned it to the cellar. Any other experiences are welcome. Thanks
In December 2014, we had an '04 Lauren. It had developed extremely well and took on great complexity. You may be experiencing the same effect but accelerated with the massive addition of air.
I bought these wines for a few years starting with '06. I drank quite a few young because I think they’re generally fantastic on release. Trying the rest at various ages made me start to think they aged inconsistently. I remember really disliking '06 Ritchie for a while there and being convinced that it would only get worse. The last bottle I had of that wine, probably 2 years ago, seemed to have turned a corner and become something that I enjoyed more than I had at any other point. It made me wish I had waited to open my other bottles. I’m still opening about 1 bottle a year, but for the most part, I’m trying to be patient with what I have left. I’m interested to hear more opinions from people who have had them with more than 3-4 years of age.
On board with the aging crowd here. Granted it was 4 years + ago, but then I tried the 02 Ritchie as part of an Aubert vertical. It was slamming—more, it showed like a Chevy Montrachet. I think it ended up being my WOTY that year. I was duly astonished. I have a 2007 in safekeeping and I am really looking forward to opening that sometime this year with 10 years of age on that one.
We drank 3 different 2007s (Lauren, Reuling and Ritchie) over the holidays. All were amazing and I expect to finish my remaining '07s this year. I’m not worried about them falling off a cliff, but I don’t see any upside in holding them longer. I also want to start getting into the '08s and '09s …
With the exception of the Ritchie vineyard, I believe the Aubert Chards are best consumed 5-8 years from vintage. Ritchie seems to have a leaner texture that ages really well.