Au Bon Climat "Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir" Central Coast, California 2023

FROM AU BON CLIMAT:

THE WINE: This wine is a handcrafted blend from premier vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The majority of the blend comes from the Santa Maria Valley, featuring Bien Nacido, North Canyon, and Rancho Real vineyards, with a small percentage sourced from Kick On and Los Alamos Vineyard in the Los Alamos area. Our winemaking process has remained consistent for 40 years, focusing on traditional, time-proven techniques. We hand harvest, ferment in small lots, perform daily manual punch downs, and age in François Frères French oak barrels for 8-12 months. This small barrel aging imparts depth and complexity to our Pinot Noir.

THE PRODUCER: Au Bon Climat winery was totally devoted to making classic, Burgundian-styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County. The convergence of cool, brisk Pacific air, marine-based soils, and east-west running valleys of the area provided an ideal place for growing exceptional grapes. Hence the name “Au Bon Climat,” the French idiom for “good place”.

Forty years later, the wines have earned a world-class reputation internationally. Jim Clendenen, “The Mind Behind” Au Bon Climat, set the objective and stayed true to its course. As the fads in California winemaking have come and gone, Au Bon Climat has maintained a laser focus in producing traditional, site-specific, nuanced, iconic wines.