2020 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander

Au Bon Climat's slogan, "An homage to the wines of Burgundy," sums it up perfectly. The Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander from the Santa Maria Valley is a wine from Au Bon Climat's Blue Series. Blue Series wines are the ones they love to showcase and are most proud of.

Tasting notes
The Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander is a refined, layered Pinot Noir. Aromas of cherry, cranberry, red currant, and dark chocolate emerge, with an intriguing hint of forest floor deep within. The flavors develop continuously, starting with raspberry and progressing to dark cocoa. French oak, vanilla, and balanced tannins are discernible in the background.

Winemaker Notes
As with all our Pinot Noirs, we begin with a hand-harvest in the vineyard. Each Pinot Noir is fermented in 5-ton open-top fermenters and punched twice daily. This method ensures that the grape skins that float to the top during fermentation are re-mixed with the juice, extracting the best aromas of the Pinot grapes. For this vintage, 25% of the grapes were fermented whole bunches, which is exceptional for a Knox bottling. The wine is dry-pressed and then placed in François Frères French oak barrels, where it ages for 22 months on fine lees. The elements of whole-bunch fermentation and new oak are beautifully balanced in the wine. A strict barrel selection process was carried out to select the best lots for the Knox bottling. The 2020 harvest was large, allowing us to choose from a wider range of barrels. The 2020 is one of our best vintages, with an "exuberant" character, intensity, balance and complexity.

Background story
Named after Jim Clendenen's son, Knox, this wine is a blend of our finest lots from the Santa Maria Valley appellation. The majority of the 2020 vintage (86.5%) comes from the prestigious Bien Nacido vineyard. Block 2 of Bien Nacido was planted in 1994 with Pinot Noir, primarily clone 115. This vineyard has a southwest exposure, ideal for morning sun, although the Santa Maria fog often blocks it. Another premium block of Pinot Noir at Bien Nacido is Block 11, planted in 1997 with clones 667, 777, 115, 2A, Swan, and Jackson, and has a steep northwest slope. The remaining 13.5% of the grapes for this vintage come from the Runway vineyard, located adjacent to Bien Nacido. Although close by, the Pinot Noir from this location has a much deeper, richer and darker fruit character.

The use of whole bunches is rare for a Knox bottling. The large 2020 harvest allowed us to carefully select the best barrels. The wine has a more exuberant character with good intensity for a young wine that will continue to develop in the coming years.

About the Blue Series from Au Bon Climat

Blue Series wines are the wines they love to showcase and are most proud of. They are all made from the finest cuvées from impressive vineyards and feature the highest percentage of new French oak. Traditionally, the Blue Series includes a Chardonnay, "Nuits Blanche," a White Blend, "Hildegard," and two Pinot Noirs, "Isabelle" and "Knox Alexander." The Blue Series also includes special bottlings such as "Larmes de Grappe" and Anniversary wines. As the official exclusive importer of Au Bon Climat, we naturally carry these wines.

FACT: In the "Attachments" tab, you'll find the official fact sheet for this fine wine. We'll automatically send it to you when you order it. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount . You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at checkout. We're located in Dordrecht, just off the A16 motorway, with ample parking. Click here for our address.