Incoming june 2025
Tasting Notes
Vineyard and Vintage
Positioned along the same eastern fence line as our Lauren Estate, the soils show remarkable variation;
CIX is chalky white with a sea-salt texture, in contrast to Lauren’s gold-colored soil. Propagated with a proprietary, heritage selection of Chardonnay, CIX offers all the subtleties of the greatest Chardonnays in the Grand Cru Pantheon.
In contrast to a warm and early 2022 vintage, 2023 was gradual, measured, slow and steady.
Winter was marked by crisp, cool days and abundant rainfall to refill our reservoirs and recharge the soil.
Mild spring weather promoted healthy canopy growth and even fruit set. The summer remained benign yet filled with abundant sunshine. Quite remarkably, our vineyards only experienced two days over 100 degrees. The nascent, moderate weather patterns persisted, and the grapes were allotted longer hang time than usual, which promoted optimal ripening deep into the fall. As the sugars gradually accumulated in the grapes, the flavors remained fresh and vibrant yet intensified. With little heat in the forecast, the grapes retained a brilliant green and yellow color in the skins, which is self-evident in the resulting wines. By fall 2023 we were in awe, and the cellar was resigned to quiet reverence for what mother nature had bestowed. The resulting wines are monuments to the vintage, and they memorialize newly discovered heights.
For collectors and enthusiasts, the 2023 Chardonnays will endure as coveted treasures for many decades to come. They will be the jewels, with their distinct gold capsules, that line your cellar walls. As for the wines themselves, they already display nuance and depth rarely achieved at this young age. The Chardonnays are a rich tapestry of unrivaled complexity. Visually, the wines feature an enhanced green streak in their energetic youth. Aromatically, there are site-specific tones with layers of minerals, floral and savory nuances. Across the palate, they are concentrated yet weightless, stylish and sublime. They are unequivocally the pinnacle of winemaking artistry and climatic fortune for their lavish display of grandeur and nuance. Make no mistake, they are as captivating as they are sophisticated and have no shortage of structural integrity for longevity in the cellar. This is a vintage for collectors, and we hope you will find room in your cellar to explore the wines for years to come.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2023 CIX is a beguilingly complex expression of site. Densely packed with aromas of apricot, persimmon, honey, and opal apple, the wine also conveys an underlying terroir of cool white ash, reminiscent of fresh rainfall among the vines. The palate is rich and enveloping, with flavors of apple galette and alpine herbs, finishing with undeniable gras and balance. This wine will continue to develop and unfurl for 10 to 15 years to slowly reveal its true complexity. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Bottled in December 2024
Unfined and unfiltered
