Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.1

Good wine but not the style I personally enjoy. — a month ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.3

Good birthday dinner with outstanding wines. 2014 Cristal, 2013 marcassin chardonay, cos d’estournel 1982, figeac 1990, 2019 nuits St. George’s clos de la marechale mugnier. Cos unfortunately corked. — 9 months ago

Shay A

9.5

One of the birthday bottles I opened for my 33rd. Aubert chardonnays, for me, are the total package. Aside from Marcassin (and even then, it’s not fair because the 2013 hasn’t been officially released yet), there is no other new world producer of Chardonnay I’d rather have. I opened this Eastside because it was in the home cellar and I didn’t feel like traveling to storage...good and bad scenario!

Opening their single vineyard chards this young (aside from Hudson), is normally a crime, but I read a lot of reviews of how good this was young and WOW are they right. Aromatically it sports Aubert’s signature lemon cream, ginger, honey roasted cashews and a slight reductive note. The palate shows plenty of lemon cream, marzipan, smoked lemon, and stone fruit like guava...what makes this a standout (like other Aubert chards), is the acidity and structure. Normally this would make a chard flabby or over the top, but it wears this profile so well. I could have polished this off with a straw.

My almost two-year old’s card in the background. 👌🏼 — 4 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

Honey and corn. Yellow flowers. Oak and sweetness. Decent acidity Pure. Intense. A bit much oak for my palate but quality — 2 months ago

with Jonathan, Paul and 1 other

Shay A

9.3

I’ve opened a few Ferren Frei Rd chards (normally in the 4-5yr range) and have enjoyed them, but this was my first Lancel Creek. With the release coming up in a few weeks, I wanted to check in and figure out the profile. I’m between a 93-94 here.

Made by Matt Courtney (formerly at Marcassin, also winemaker at Arista). Beautiful straw colored in the glass with maybe a tinge of green, the aromatics are honeysuckle, sweet lemon, and sea salted almonds. I found this to be very similar to the Frei Rd in regards to acidity. So nervy all the way through. Totally coastal, but with a soft touch of rich fruit. Also similar to the Frei Rd, this is lemon everything (fresh squeezed lemon, lemon cream, lemon scone) but the mineral profile is more enhanced here. There’s a stone/slate vibe toward the finish that keeps this light on its feet. Oak is soft and plays a contributing role, not a dominating one.

I enjoyed this at pop and pour, then revisited 2-3hrs later and found the acidity had calmed down a bit. Definitely give this a decant now if possible, or hold a few more years. — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Polished off the 08 Marcassin, knocked back the 1990 Margaux, final b-day bottle to quaff down is a 2012 Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight and cake.

1 hour decant(surprisingly little sediment). A bewitching inky dark red wine with little signs of aging. On the nose: Jumping from the glass are cherries, semi sweet chocolate, cedar, metallic, dried herbs, vanilla wafers. Taste: A rich, lush mouthfeel with cherries and more cherries, pencil lead, pepper, charcoal, and a bitter sweet chocolate cedar long finish....drinking well, but I imagine better things with even more time! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Norman Gennaro

9.8

I’m calling this wine of the lunch imho. Fantastic. Probably over rating since I thought it would be dead. — 7 months ago

Shay A

9.4

Every time I have a Morlet Chardonnay, I wonder why I don’t enjoy them more often.

Pop and pour and 100% open for business. It has this unique toasted marshmallow aromatic that I always associate with Marcassin (funny enough, this vineyard isn’t too far from Marcassin in Fort Ross Seaview), along with such sweet, juicy tropical fruit like peach and guava, as well as honey roasted cashews. Up front is seems like it’s going to coat the entire mouth, but it fans out in a really elegant profile (sea salt dusted lemon scone, yellow fruits, honeysuckle) with a nice zip of acidity on the finish. Absolutely delicious right now, and I don’t see this getting much (if any) better. — 3 years ago

Rob N

9.2

2018. I really enjoyed this wine, nearly as much as the more-expensive Marcassin. It was slightly brighter/less harsh than the Marcassin actually. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles strikes again.

I said weeks ago, I’d rather drink Charles Hendricks Pinot in futures @ $75 vs. the 09 Marcassin we had two weeks back @ $150+ winery or $225+ on the secondary market. This 14, while still young, proves that point and will only continue to get better.

It’s about as luxurious as Ca Pinot gets. Just supple, soft & elegant as body gets. Candied, floral fruits of ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, lean purple fruits, dry cranberries, strawberries, plums, delicate but darks spices, cinnamon stick, vanillin, nutmeg & touch clove, salted caramel, mocha powder, limestone & grey volcanics, dry crushed rocks hints of peppered grilled meats, fresh & dry tobacco, dry stems/twigs, sage dominated dry Provence herbs, splash of mint/eucalyptus, tree sap with bright candied, fresh & slightly withering florals of; dark, red, purple, blue set in a field of violets & some lavender. The acidity is perfect. The long finish is; extremely well balanced & polished, elegant, fresh, just the right amount of candied with a long, dark spice finish in the long set.

The 14 really started to excel after an hour plus in the decanter.

Photos of; the outside of the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville where you will find Charles Hendricks wines. He makes Hope & Grace wines as well. One of my favorite paintings that used to sit behind their tasting bar but, is now in Charles house. It is very Pollock like! Winemaker/Co-owner Charles Hendricks and a vineyard in region of the Santa Lucia Highlands. — 4 years ago