Aubert Wines

Mark and Teresa Aubert founded Aubert Wines in 1999, with the first commercial vintage released in 2000. Before striking out on his own, Mark had served as winemaker at two of Napa's most celebrated addresses, Peter Michael Winery and Colgin Cellars, where he worked under the influence of renowned viticulturist and winemaker Helen Turley and absorbed her philosophy of low-yield, terroir-driven farming. That foundation shaped everything Aubert would become: a label obsessed with site specificity and small-batch production. The debut release, a 2000 Chardonnay from Ritchie Vineyard, announced the house's intent to let individual vineyards speak clearly through minimal intervention in the winery.

• Founded 1999 by Mark and Teresa Aubert; first vintage 2000
• Mark previously made wine at Peter Michael Winery and Colgin Cellars under Helen Turley's influence
• Debut wine was a single-vineyard 2000 Chardonnay from Ritchie Vineyard
• In 2010, Aubert purchased and remodeled the former August Briggs Winery (2 acres) in Calistoga as the main production facility

Aubert Wines remains a first-generation operation, with Mark and Teresa Aubert actively managing every aspect of the business. Mark handles all winemaking decisions, while Teresa oversees business operations, a division of labor that has kept the winery nimble and focused. Philip Gift serves as Estate Director, rounding out the senior team. The winery has continued to invest in its physical infrastructure: in 2025 Aubert acquired the 2.25-acre former Brian Arden property and winery as a second production space, without taking on the Brian Arden brand. Wines reach consumers exclusively through a mailing list and select restaurant placements, a deliberate choice that reflects both the limited production volumes and the consistent demand generated by high critical scores.

• Mark and Teresa Aubert are proprietors and remain actively involved; Mark makes the wines, Teresa runs operations
• Philip Gift serves as Estate Director
• In 2025, Aubert acquired the former Brian Arden winery (2.25 acres) as a second production space, not the Brian Arden brand
• Wines are sold exclusively through a mailing list and select restaurants

Aubert sources fruit from five owned estate vineyards and three contracted sites, spanning Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Carneros, and Rutherford in Napa Valley. The Lauren Vineyard (3.2 hectares), named after the Auberts' daughter and planted in 1999, is the founding estate. The CIX Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast is planted in white calcareous soils and gives its name to one of the flagship Chardonnays. Park Avenue Vineyard, located between Lauren and CIX, was purchased in 2013. The UV and UV-SL Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast are named after longtime vineyard manager Ulises Valdez. In Napa, the Sugar Shack Vineyard in Rutherford is planted to the Montrachet Clone of Chardonnay. Contracted fruit comes from Larry Hyde and Sons in Carneros and Eastside Vineyard in Russian River Valley, with the Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay returning to the lineup in the 2023 vintage.

• Lauren Vineyard: 3.2 hectares, planted 1999, named after the Auberts' daughter, the founding estate site
• CIX Vineyard: Sonoma Coast, white calcareous soils; Park Avenue Vineyard purchased 2013 sits between Lauren and CIX
• Sugar Shack Vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley, planted to Montrachet Clone Chardonnay
• UV and UV-SL Vineyards on Sonoma Coast named after vineyard manager Ulises Valdez; Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay returned to the lineup in 2023

Aubert's stylistic signature is unambiguous: every wine is 100 percent barrel-fermented and aged predominantly in new French oak, producing full-bodied wines that typically reach around 15 percent alcohol. This is rich, opulent California winemaking executed at a high level of precision, emphasizing textural density and site-to-site distinction rather than restraint. The approach reflects the training Mark received working with Helen Turley, who pioneered this style of high-impact, vineyard-expressive Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California. Mark stated that the 2023 Chardonnays are some of the best he has ever made, a sentiment borne out by scores of up to 99 points. Since 2022, Pinot Noir releases have been bottled in vessels that are 30 percent lighter, reducing the label's environmental impact without altering winemaking protocols.

• All wines are 100 percent barrel-fermented and aged predominantly in new French oak
• Wines average approximately 15 percent alcohol, reflecting a full-bodied, richly textured style
• Mark has described the 2023 Chardonnay vintage as among the best he has ever produced
• Since 2022, Pinot Noir is bottled in glass that is 30 percent lighter to reduce carbon footprint

Aubert Wines sits at the apex of California's single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir conversation. The 2020 UV Vineyard Pinot Noir earned the number two spot in Wine Spectator's Top 100, and recent Chardonnay releases have attracted scores as high as 99 points, with multiple bottlings above 97. This is not a winery that produces celebrity scores occasionally; it does so across its entire range and across vintages. The mailing-list-only distribution model concentrates demand and keeps the wines within a community of engaged collectors. For students of California fine wine, Aubert illustrates how a first-generation producer, working from a standing start in 1999 with knowledge gained in elite cellars, can build a benchmark house in a single generation by prioritizing site selection, low yields, and consistent technical execution.

• 2020 UV Vineyard Pinot Noir ranked number two in Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of the year
• 2024 Chardonnay releases scored 99 (Lauren), 98 (CIX), and 97 (Larry Hyde) points
• 2023 CIX Estate Pinot Noir scored 97 points; UV Vineyard Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Spectator
• Mailing-list-only sales model reflects high demand driven by sustained critical acclaim across the full portfolio