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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2015 (based on 4 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.3 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 44 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by moods on 12/28/2016 & rated 88 points: Intense lemon curd aromas, with notes of toasted nuts and some caramel. Smooth palate, intensely rich. Long buttery finish. (1826 views) | | | Tasted by moods on 7/21/2016 & rated 88 points: Dried stone fruits, touch of florality, and some buttered toast. Perhaps slightly too flabby through the length, but the attack and mid palate are nicely dense and full of flavor. (1921 views) | | | Tasted by edog77 on 8/20/2014 & rated 89 points: Nice peach nose. Apple, pear, and peach combine to form a really pleasing palate. A nice zesty pineapple acidity and vanilla rounds the finish. Really nice, balanced, CA chard, especially for the price. (3532 views) | | | Tasted by paydon9 on 7/13/2014 & rated 88 points: Deep yellow. Pear, peach, some apple, vanilla nose. Pear, apple, toast, very zesty citrus finish. Somewhat creamy mouthfeel, but nowhere near overdone on the ripeness scale. This is a great value in CA chard. (3333 views) | | | Tasted by moods on 7/4/2014 & rated 89 points: Can't complain about the value of this wine. Nicely made chardonnay. Citrus, butter, toast. Big mid palate, but not overdone with a refreshing acidic zestiness. (3514 views) | | | Tasted by moods on 11/26/2013 & rated 88 points: Buttered toast, yeasty aromas. Peaches and cream. Minerality on the palate. Fairly rich, very round, creamy - perhaps just a touch fat thru the mid palate. But acidity kicks in on a zesty and reasonably long finish. (2887 views) | | | Tasted by SeagreenWench on 9/6/2013 & rated 89 points: Pale gold in color, apple on the nose, nice mouth feel and tropical notes mid palate. Lingering citrus finish. (3530 views) | | | Tasted by clutj on 9/2/2013 & rated 89 points: Excellent value, more oak than most Santa Barbaras as I know them (2001 views) | | | Tasted by ziavino on 8/28/2013 & rated 89 points: Tropical fruits and toasty vanilla on the nose give way to a blast of tart citrus on the palate. There's plenty of oak too, enough that the woody flavors take over on the finish. Could use a bit more acidity. Still, this is a powerful, well-made bottle that hits the mark. (1956 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 8/5/2013 & rated 87 points: Enjoyable, dry, old-world style Chard. Muted nose but a nicely integrated mid-palate and finish. Hint of wood compliments and does not distract. Lingering honey, lemon, dill, and grass flow into a crisp yet delicate finish. Enjoyed with seafood pasta and mixed green salad. Great QPR. (1946 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 7/26/2013 & rated 91 points: Creamy, buttery nose, exotic fruit, ripe peaches, oak. Palate is smooth, round, lime notes, fresh and acidic, pretty long too. Very nice. (1281 views) | | | Tasted by olalar on 7/7/2013 & rated 90 points: Juicy lemon driven fruit. Oak is perfectly integrated and the balance is great. Aromas are what you expect from a new wold chardonnay. Super stuff - would get more if I could... (1173 views) | | | Tasted by moods on 6/29/2013 & rated 90 points: Honeysuckle, lightly toasted oak, cream, and tropical fruits on the nose. Rich fruit palate, yet lively and fresh. Has great balance. (1266 views) | | | Tasted by jnewman77 on 6/17/2013: Pale straw with lovely citrus notes on the nose. A palate filled with lemon and lime notes, with acidity as the driver is lovely with light meal during the summer heat. Quite nice. (1827 views) | | | Tasted by whits on 6/8/2013 & rated 87 points: Tropical fruits and citrus aromas, a touch of oak, on the lean side with bright, tangy qualities, lemon, nectarine and lime on the palate, Burgundian character, racy acid, great with baked salmon (1409 views) | | | Tasted by Timbalimba on 5/31/2013 & rated 90 points: Excellent stuff. Certainly not lacking wood treatment, it nevertheless manages to balance the toast, butter, and brioche with a good dollop of very pretty fruit. Greengage, melon, hazelnut. Impeccable finish, excellent acidity and mineral tones. Long. Very pretty. Good value (1459 views) | | | Tasted by olalar on 5/28/2013: Perfect balance, not too much oak and what is there is well integrated. Lots of juicy citrus and some minerals. Great wine. (1184 views) | | | Tasted by tantotinto on 5/20/2013 & rated 89 points: Over chilled initially so the nose was very tight, mostly mineral and apple. Lemon, melon, a touch of oak, smoke and butter. A little burnt honey and spice as it warms in the glass. On the lean end of the California Chardonnay spectrum. Burgundy without the flint and electricity. I like the style. Excellent value. (1436 views) | | | Tasted by kostaslonis on 5/18/2013 & rated 86 points: (tasted at the Sampler) Deep yellow color and dense nose of citrus, stone fruits, butter, biscuit and creme. Pronounced in the palate, rich oak flavors, medium to high acidity that keeps balance with medium aftertaste. A bit one dimensional but a nice wine all together. (1379 views) | | | Tasted by Cblightman on 5/15/2013 & rated 89 points: Banoffee pie, butterscotch. Really pretty. (1374 views) | | | Tasted by AndersThoresson on 5/12/2013 & rated 89 points: Tropical, buttery delight. (1233 views) | | | Tasted by Finare Vinare on 5/7/2013 & rated 90 points: Certainly butter, nuts and popcorn, but just a nice touch. Focused lemon zest/lemon curd aromas plus a chalky limestone soil note. Cool-grown flavour profile, pointed acidity, medium body, decidedly low alcohol (for a cali chard), chalky mineral finish. Outstanding entry level wine, really enjoyable. (1739 views) | | | Tasted by casjf on 5/1/2013 & rated 78 points: Disappointed: tasted more alcohol than any other flavor. (1377 views) | | | Tasted by moods on 4/20/2013 & rated 91 points: Buttery, toasty oak. Plenty of ripe stone fruit. Caramelised bananas. Minerals. Rich palate. Fresh, lively, bold. Butter. Sharply acidic finish. Long, chalky finish. (1194 views) | | | Tasted by dekehayes on 3/5/2013 & rated 88 points: Wasn't sure about it, but it was quite nice. Good value. (1681 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Au Bon Climat Producer Website
(Producer Location - Los Olivios, CA)
Founded in 1982, Au Bon Climat (which means "a well-exposed vineyard") produces internationally-recognized Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc wine from grapes grown in California's Santa Barbara County. The Au Bon Climat winery is located on the world-famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, and is owned by winemaker Jim Clendenen. Au Bon Climat was listed on Robert Parker's Best Wineries of the World in both 1989 and 1990, while Jim Clendenen has been named Winemaker of the Year in 1992 by the Los Angeles Times, and Winemaker of the Year in 2001 by Food and Wine Magazine. The winery is not open to the public for either tours or tastings. Members of our wine club and mailing list are invited to our Spring and Fall Open Houses.
The winemaker, Jim Clenenden: Jim Clendenen graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with High Honors in Pre-Law in 1976. It was during his "junior year abroad" in 1974, while turning 21 in France, that he discovered life beyond tacos. After graduation, a one month stay in both Burgundy and Champagne convinced him to attempt a career in wine rather than continue on to law school. Beginning with the 1978 harvest, Jim Clendenen was assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery for three vintages, a valued training experience. In 1981 his vision broadened with three harvests in one year as Jim worked crush and directed the harvest at wineries in Australia and France. Three harvests in one year confirmed his masochistic tendencies. In 1982, Clendenen decided, along with now ex-partner Adam Tolmach, to start his own winery in leased quarters. Au Bon Climat (which means "a well exposed vineyard") has grown over its history to over 30,000 cases through careful re-investment from its own production. The winery has cultivated an international reputation for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Jim Clendenen, the “Mind Behind” Au Bon Climat, is recognized worldwide for his classically-styled wines (in addition to his Burgundian-focused ABC wines, Jim is also highly regarded for his Italian and other French varietals). In 1989 and 1990 Au Bon Climat was on Robert Parker's short list of Best Wineries in the World, and in 1991 was selected by Oz Clark as one of fifty world-wide creators of Modern Classic Wines. Dan Berger of the Los Angeles Times named Clendenen the "Los Angeles Time Winemaker of the Year" in 1992; Food & Wine Magazine named him "Winemaker of the Year" in 2001. Germany's leading wine magazine, Wein Gourmet, in 2004 named Clendenen “Winemaker of the World;” and in 2007, Jim was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.”
The vineyards: Au Bon Climat sources fruit from several of the most highly regarded vineyards in the Central Coast. These include Clendenen’s own Le Bon Climat Vineyard and estate plantings at the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard – both in Santa Maria Valley, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, Los Alamos Vineyard (Santa Barbara County), and San Luis Obispo County's Talley Vineyard.
Bien Nacido Vineyard: The fabled Bien Nacido Vineyard is the primary vineyard source for Au Bon Climat wines. Located at the northern end of California's Santa Barbara County, the Bien Nacido vineyard produces internationally renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from more than 40 different producers. Bien Nacido is made up of over 900 acres of vines, nestled in a canyon twenty miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Though the ocean can be viewed only from the hills surrounding the vineyards, the influence of the sea is felt in the cool temperatures of the Santa Maria AVA. Warm days and cool nights combine with soils composed of gravel and calciferous clay to produce wines with a unique and much sought-after character.
Le Bon Climat: In 1998 Jim Clendenen purchased 100 acres in Sisquoc along the south side of the Sisquoc River and directly across the Santa Maria Valley from Bien Nacido (and the same distance from the Pacific Ocean). It was comprehensively planted, with drainage installed in the soil, Riparia Gloire rootstock to reduce vigor, drip irrigation, and 1600 vines per acre of carefully selected plant material. The vineyard is situated primarily on hill tops (an additional 11 acres were planted in 2006 & 2007 along the valley floor), with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Viognier as the original plantings. Le Bon Climat is farmed organically and has been certified organic since 2003.
Le Bon Climat is on southern border of the Santa Maria Valley AVA, overlooking the Santa Maria River. The cool Pacific Ocean air runs right up the Valley to Le Bon Climat. Most days the breeze from the ocean is evident before noon. The day time highs seldom get above 85⁰F and most days the highs are around the mid-seventies. Le Bon Climat was planted in 1997 with low vigor rootstock in poor soil. This combination of factors destined this vineyard to be slow growing and low yielding. Growing and ripening top notch Pinot requires keeping the tons per acre within balance. The soil, clone and rootstock combination at Le Bon Climat produces two tons per acre average, which is small. The yields are poor, but the quality is sublime. Most of the vineyard is planted with clone 667 Pinot Noir, with some 777, 115, 2A and even a little Mt. Eden clone.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA WikipediaSanta Barbara County Santa Barbara County |
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