2020 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Ordering in bulk? Log in to request a quote
Out of Stock
Currently unavailable
How does this wine taste?
How full and heavy the wine feels in your mouth, like the difference between skimmed milk and cream. More alcohol, sugar and oak ageing make a wine fuller.
The drying, grippy feel on your gums and tongue, as with strong tea. It comes from the skins and seeds of black grapes and from oak, and softens with age.
How much sugar you taste, from dry to sweet. Fruity is not the same as sweet: a dry wine can taste of ripe fruit.
How fresh and juicy the wine is: acidity makes your mouth water. High acidity tastes lively and refreshing, low acidity soft and round.
What we taste What you taste Click a taste for what it means
The bars follow how sommeliers taste (WSET): body, tannin, sweetness and acidity, each from low to high.
Body: medium-bodied. Like most red wines from ; 13.5% alcohol.
Tannin: medium. From ; aged in oak.
Sweetness: dry. Red wine from is almost always dry.
Acidity: fairly high. from the fairly cool climate of .
Aromas: earthy notes, flowers and red fruit, typical of
Nothing noted for this wine yet. What do you smell, and how long does the taste linger?
Have you tasted this wine?
Save your rating and notes.
Save your rating and notes.
Have you tasted this wine?
Log in to save your tasting note.
Log in to save your tasting note.
Log inThis wine comes from the Historic Vineyard collection. This collection originally represented five iconic vineyards that were instrumental in increasing the recognition of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Central Coast. Today, ABC's Historic Collection includes wines from the Los Alamos, Bien Nacido, Talley and Sanford & Benedict vineyards. These established vineyards allow for wines of great intensity and character. As the official exclusive importer of Au Bon Climat, we naturally carry these wines.
Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is one of the great Pinot vineyards of the world. The wine has a nose of fragrant red and black cherries, star anise and earth. The palate is silky and expansive with nuanced, spicy berry notes boosted by fine 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 section of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, located in the very cool Sta. Rita Hills - one of America's great Pinot vineyards.
After being carefully hand picked in the early morning hours, the grapes arrived at the winery nice and cold. Cool grapes allow time for a cold soak and slower fermentation. During the cold, prolonged soaking, the fruit-driven aromas and flavors are much more pronounced. The slower fermentation also aided in the gradual extraction of additional aromas and flavors as the alcohol content slowly increased. 50% of the fruit was fermented in whole bunches to further enhance the intensity and spice. The wine was further aged in new French oak Francois Frères barrels. and spent a total of 22 months in the barrel before being bottled unfiltered and having some additional bottle aging.
The background story
Planted in 1971, the fruit they use is selected from the oldest section of the prestigious Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, located in the very cool Sta. Rita Hills appellation. It is truly one of the best Pinot vineyards in America. Jim Clendenen noticed the "magic" of Sanford & Benedict early on. He purchased a few tons of grapes from Michael Benedict in the mid-80s, and Au Bon Climat has received grapes from the vineyard every year since then except one (when the vineyard was in transition in 1990). It's a relationship that spans more than 4 decades. Only Sanford Winery has such a "history" with this vineyard. The iconic, sustainably farmed vineyard was instrumental in raising awareness that Santa Barbara County produces world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. As a result, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard earned a spot in Au Bon Climat's Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection series.
FACT: In the 'Attachments' tab you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send it to you 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.
Character
The wine
- 100%
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2021 - 2028
Pale ruby-garnet, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard has singular aromas of wild strawberries and blackberries with nuances of allspice, dried flowers, citrus peel and autumn leaves. The palate is light-bodied and fresh with an alluring flourish of spices, delicate, transparent fruits and a long, graphite-laced finish.
Published: Mar 15, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
93
Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
From: Brilliance in Santa Barbara (Sep, 2023)
The 2020 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection is a powerful, expressive wine. Dark fruit, lavender, cloves, leather and incense fill out the layers. Dynamic and full of energy, the 2020 has a ton to offer. I would give it a few years to settle down. Readers will find a Pinot of real substance. This bottling is intended to be the best lots from Sanford & Benedict done with a high percentage of stems, about 50% in this vintage.
- By Antonio Galloni on July 2023
Au Bon Climat remains a reference point for Santa Barbara, perhaps THE reference point given the global reach these wines now enjoy. I have not seen too many changes here since Jim Clendenen passed away in early 2021, although most of these wines were made while he was still alive. The signatures are a fair amount of new oak for the Chardonnays, but often with a prominent use of large and thick-staved 350L barrels, and heavy use of whole clusters for the Pinots. The top selections often see extended time in wood. Of course, it all starts with sourcing at some of the very finest vineyards in Santa Barbara. Jim Clendenen influenced pretty much all of today’s younger generation, and that influence remains. Readers will find a number of compelling wines in this year’s crop of new releases.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
94
Wine and Spirits Magazine
Score: 94 "Au Bon Climat’s Sanford & Benedict bottling is the yardstick against which all other bottlings from the vineyard must be measured. Right from the first inhale the provenance is there, the scent of the sea, the cool, lovely tension between cranberry-strawberry-red fruits and a deeper black-cherry core. The flavors go bright and dark as well, with the grainy forthrightness in the texture betraying a sneaky depth and grip in the tannins. Lovely now, this will only grow more profound with some cellar time." —P.J.C. (240 cases)
Antonio Galloni's Vinous
Score: 90 "The 2017 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard needs a bit of air for the fruit and inner sweetness to emerge. Sweet dried cherry, crushed flowers, spice and licorice are nicely lifted. In tasting, the 2017 feels a bit light and fragile. For that reason, I would prefer to drink it over the next handful of years."
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Au Bon Climat
Au Bon Climat is known for its refined wines from Santa Barbara County.
The history of Au Bon Climat
Au Bon Climat was founded in 1982 with a clear mission: to produce classic, Burgundy-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County. The region is ideal thanks to the influence of the cool Pacific air, marine soils, and the east–west oriented valleys.
Jim Clendenen, also known as “The Mind Behind” Au Bon Climat, set this vision and always stayed true to it. While trends in California came and went, Au Bon Climat continued to focus on traditional, site-specific, and nuanced wines.
Location and climate of Santa Barbara County
The location of Santa Barbara County creates a unique microclimate with a combination of warm days and cool nights. This allows grapes to ripen slowly and develop deep, complex flavors. Vineyards such as Bien Nacido, Le Bon Climat, and Rancho La Cuna are among the most renowned in the region.
The different wines of Au Bon Climat
The winery has gained international fame with its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. By combining traditional methods such as whole cluster pressing, aging in French oak barrels, and extended barrel maturation, the wines achieve exceptional balance and elegance.
The vineyards of Au Bon Climat
Au Bon Climat sources grapes from several prestigious vineyards, including:
- Bien Nacido Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley): 900 acres, calcareous clay soil, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- Le Bon Climat Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley): 52 acres, sandy loam soil, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier.
- Rancho La Cuna (Santa Barbara County): 20 acres, sandy loam and shale clay, Syrah, Grenache, Chenin Blanc.
- Sanford & Benedict (Sta. Rita Hills): 51 acres, calcareous clay soil, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- Talley Vineyards (Arroyo Grande Valley): 28 acres, shale clay soil, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Why choose wines from Au Bon Climat?
These wines are praised worldwide for their balance, structure, and long aging potential. Jim Clendenen’s legacy lives on through the high quality and dedication to traditional winemaking techniques.
Order Au Bon Climat wines online?
You can of course buy Au Bon Climat wines online at Grandcruwijnen.nl, the wine merchant with one of the largest wine collections in the Netherlands and Belgium. Our wines are stored in a climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and when you choose to pick up your order, you often receive a nice discount. The discount is shown immediately when you select ‘Pick up’ on the checkout page.
Deze elegante Pinot Noir toont verfijnde aroma's van wilde aardbeien en donkere kersen met nuances van lavendel, kruidnagel, aarde en een grafietachtige, licht kruidige afdronk, omlijst door frisse zuren en een zijdeachtige textuur. Dankzij die frisse zuren, subtiele tannines en kruidige whole-cluster-invloeden combineert hij prachtig met gevogelte, varkensvlees, charcuterie, vette vis en kaas; denk aan geroosterde eendenborst of kip met kruiden, langzaam gegaard varkensvlees of karbonades met een licht zoete saus, gegrilde zalm met een kruidige rub of rijpe smeltende kazen, waarbij bereidingswijzen zoals roosteren, langzaam garen en licht roken de kruiden en fruittonen van de wijn het best accentueren.
Choose a category to discover dishes that pair well with this wine.
Do you already have a dish in mind?
Let Sommy find wines to pair with your meal.
Discover Wine Trivia
Sign in to unlock fascinating facts about this wine and expand your knowledge.
Sign In
