Owner/proprietor Mark Aubert is a resident of
Napa Valley, where his parents owned a vineyard. With a degree from UC Fresno,
he worked under the tutelage of the legendary winemaker Helen Turley at Peter
Michael Vineyards and subsequently at Colgin Cellars. He has also consulted for
Bryant Family, Futo and Sloan “cult” wineries. His namesake brand launched in
1999 with his vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. There are four
Pinot Noirs: CIX, Reuling, Ritchie, Sonoma Coast and UV-SL Vineyard and eight
single vineyard Chardonnays: CIX, Eastside, Larry Hyde & Sons, Lauren,
Ritchie, Sugar Shack, UV and UV-SL. All are worth seeking. Standouts are the
stunning Eastside Chardonnay, from a vineyard planted to a Montrachet clone.
Intense, delineated and precise, it delivers plenty of tropical and stone
fruit, and is inherently age-worthy. The Pinot Noir from UV vineyard, owned and
farmed by Ulysses Valdez, planted to Calera and Vosne-Romanee clones, is an
embarrassment of riches. Wealth of black and blue fruit, earth and exotic spice
gives way to a long-lasting finish.
