2018 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | |
| Appellation | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
| Drink window | 2022 - 2032 |
Description
This is a chardonnay with an intelligent and perfectly dosed wood aging. The winemaker Jim Clendenen is a wonderful and very sensitive winemaker who is mainly known worldwide for his work on terroir identification in California, for the plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The man conducted groundbreaking historical research into Burgundy from the 'pré-chardonnay' era, when white Burgundies were made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté. His wines are an ode to minerals, have an exceptional depth and are of absolute world class.
The Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is one of the great Pinot vineyards of the world. The wine has a nose of perfumed red and black cherries, star anise and earth. The palate is silky and expansive with nuanced, spicy berries boosted by nice acidity, with a long finish. Scored 95+ points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; 94 points Wine & Spirits Magazine; 92 points Wine lover; 90 points wine.
The vineyard was planted in 1971 and the pinot noir was selected from the oldest part of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, located in the very cool Sta. Rita Hills - one of America's great Pinot vineyards.
After careful hand picking in the early morning hours, the grapes arrived nice and cold at the winery. Cool grapes allow time for cold soaking and slower fermentation. During the cold, prolonged soaking, the fruit-driven aromas and flavors come out of the grapes much better. The slower fermentation also aided in the gradual extraction of additional aromas and flavors as the alcohol content slowly increases. 50% of the fruit was fermented in whole bunches to further increase intensity and spice. The wine is further aged in new French oak Francois Frères barrels. and was left in the barrel for a total of 22 months and was then bottled unfiltered and after this the wine had some further bottle maturation.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Central Coast |
| Winery | Au Bon Climat |
| Grape | Pinot Noir |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2032 |
| Alcohol % | 13.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| Vinous rating | 94 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Dry, Fruity, Aged on wood, Mineral, Red fruit, Flexible, Tannines, Full |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Wijnhuis
The brain behind the Au Bon Climat winery is Jim Clendenen. He was born in Akron, Ohio and graduated in law from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1976. During his studies he had his "junior year abroad" in 1974 in France where he discovered that life was more than just tacos.
After graduation, he spent both a month in Burgundy and Champagne, which convinced him to pursue a career in wine rather than pursuing a law degree. During the 1978 harvest, Jim Clendenen was an assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery. He stayed there for 3 years and gained a great wealth of experience. In 1982 Clendenen, together with Adam Tolmach, decided to establish a winery with only Burgundian varieties of rented plots. In 1990 Adam left again and Jim took the helm solo. Through careful reinvestment from its own production, Au Bon Climat (meaning "a well-exposed vineyard") has grown to over 50,000 crates per year.
Au Bon Climat collects grapes from several vineyards on the California Central Coast, particularly Santa Barbara County, all of which are highly regarded. These include Clendenen's very own Le Bon Climat Vineyard and also grapes from the legendary Bien Nacido vineyard - both in Santa Maria Valley. Also grapes from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, Los Alamos Vineyard (Santa Barbara County) and Talley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo County.
The winery has built an international reputation with its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Jim Clendenen, as they call it the "Mind Behind" Au Bon Climat, is recognized worldwide for its classically styled wines. In 1989 and 1990, Au Bon Climat was on Robert Parker's shortlist of Best Wineries in the World and in 1991 was selected by Oz Clark as one of the 50 global creators of Modern Classic Wines. Dan Berger of the Los Angeles Times named Clendenen "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 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." There are many accolades, but Jim does not rest on his laurels. He is constantly looking to refine his profession and therefore leads the pack.
Au Bon Climat wines order online at Grand Cru wines
You can of course buy Au Bon Climat wines online at Grandcruwijnen.nl, the wine trade with one of the largest wine collections in the Netherlands and Belgium, where you can order both special wines and wines for every budget. Quality products, fast delivery & reliable service that is Grand Crus!
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