CIX holds a special place in the Aubert portfolio as the winery’s first estate-grown Pinot Noir. The vineyard was the second estate site developed by Mark and Teresa Aubert, and its name comes from parcel number 109 on the original vineyard map. CIX shares an eastern fence line with Lauren Estate, yet the geology changes dramatically here, with striking pale soils that Aubert describes as looking almost like sea salt. Most of the vineyard is planted to Chardonnay, making the small parcel of Pinot Noir an especially limited expression of the site. The 2024 shows the darker, more structured side of CIX. Mark Aubert describes Morello cherry, blackberry, red plum, iris, bergamot, and iron-like mineral notes, with fresh cherry and blackberry oil carrying across the palate. Floral and savory tones build with air, joined by potpourri and pine, while firm structure and bright acidity give the wine definition and length rather than simple richness. Aubert calls CIX its most Burgundian Pinot Noir and points to the cooler Forestville setting as a key part of its character. That cool-site influence is especially clear in 2024, where concentration is matched by tension and a tightly drawn tannic frame. The result is a Pinot Noir with immediate aromatic complexity but enough structure to evolve slowly, making CIX one of the more serious and cellar-oriented expressions in the Aubert Pinot Noir lineup.