2018 Clendenen Family Vineyards Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard

AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 6, 2024 FOR THE FIRST TIME

Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat (ABC) often dreamed of owning a small winery where commerce was not the driving force. Instead, the dream was to have the luxury of keeping wines in barrel for long periods of time when needed (5 years for the Nebbiolo!); to explore unusual varieties and idiosyncratic styles because they are interesting. The Clendenen Family brand, founded in 2000, is a passion project. There is no doubt that quality is here, along with the ABC signature of balance, finesse and longevity.

The wines of the Clendenen Family Vineyards are unique and always only available in very small quantities and as the exclusive importer of Au Bon Climat we are allowed to carry the beautiful wines of the Clendenen Family Vineyards. In Europe these wines are hardly found and 99% of these wines remain in the USA and are distributed via the Au Bon Climat Wine Club. In some cases only 50 cases are made so these are true collector's items.

The wines always receive unanimously high scores. This is what Antonio Galloni (VINOUS) says about the Clendenen wines: "This is a fabulous set of wines from Au Bon Climat. These new releases provide fascinating insight into his stylistic choices across several vineyards and sites. I have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. It's fascinating to taste the Au Bon Climat wines given how much Clendenen influenced many of today's leading young winemakers.

Tasting notes
The Clendenen Family Vineyards Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyardy is a beautiful, impressive wine. It is rich, full and creamy, with all the qualities that are so typical of this winery and vineyard. The grapes, sourced from old vines on Bien Nacido's K Block, are harvested early to maintain their freshness. The palate shows vibrant notes of candied lemon, marzipan, herbs, chamomile and baked apple pie, which contribute to the full, oily structure and the pronounced depth of this Chardonnay.

Winemaker's Notes
For decades they have been producing Chardonnay from Bien Nacido and have refined the production process to the point where they know exactly what to do to get the most out of this grape. They have identified the best locations where Chardonnay is grown. This is a big, creamy but balanced Chardonnay, with a powerful but defined structure. The nose immediately reveals that this is an old world style Chardonnay.

The grapes are hand-harvested, pressed whole (to minimize tannin extraction from the skins) and fermented entirely in barrel. The style for Clendenen Family wines is slightly different compared to the Au Bon Climat version. We select the best fruit and use new 350-liter François Frères French oak barrels, in which the wine is matured for 20 months and bottled unfiltered. During a trip to Burgundy in 2013, Jim Clendenen discovered these special 350-liter barrels and decided that these specially made barrels were essential for our best wines. The subtle yet powerful oak character of these barrels works perfectly with the extended lees maturation, and the larger size preserves the energy of the wine, while the longer wood period provides beautiful texture.

Nutritional suggestions
This lively Chardonnay pairs well with a wide range of dishes. Some favorites include butter-seared scallops with a hint of orange zest or roasted chicken with rosemary.

FACT: In the tab 'Attachments' you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send you this when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will often also receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.