Two-thirds barrel-raised Chardonnay from a single parcel in Jouy, with its Meunier and smidgeon of Pinot issuing from a second, the Aubry 2008 Brut Ivoire et Ebene delivers fascinating aromatic subtlety of wood spice, lanolin, citrus blossoms, ripe melons, and sea breeze. At once expansive and buoyant, caressing yet invigoratingly salty and chalky, it finishes with bitter hints of quinine that – allied to the effects of oak – make for a more austere impression than what went before had led me to anticipate. Still, this represents a fine performance that should both fascinate and delight over the coming year, and perhaps a bit beyond. - David Schildknecht