2023 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

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 especially world famous for his work on terroir identification in California, for the planting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The man did groundbreaking historical research into Burgundy from the 'pre-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 an absolute world class.

The Santa Barbara County line of Au Bon Climat wines are terroir driven. Santa Barbara County has the climate and terroir to produce balanced and vibrant wines. This wine continues to evolve from delicious and fresh upon release to a richer, more complex wine with age. The Chardonnay grapes are carefully hand picked and sorted in the vineyard. After harvest, the grapes are whole bunch pressed and the juice is quickly settled and cooled to begin barrel fermentation. The wine is dry and completes malo-lactic fermentation and is aged in oak barrels for approximately one year.

This is the 41st vintage of Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. Au Bon Climat has been making balanced, long-lived, food-friendly Chardonnays ever since. Even in the early 2000s, when ripe, oaked Chardonnays were all the rage, Au Bon Climat stuck to a more subtle and refined style, with minerality and intensity. This wine is consistently top of its class and one of the best values available. The winemaking protocol has changed little in forty years; they still handcraft wines in small batches using the same fundamental, time-tested techniques. The result is a
fruit forward, well structured Chardonnay of finesse worth double the price.

The Au Bon Climat sticks to a more subtle and refined style, with minerality and intensity chardonnay and is not a blockbuster or butter bomb as has been seen in Napa Valley for a while. The Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a great example of the Au Bon Climat style. The fiery, stony aromas stand out, while in the background there is a hard spicy note from the aged barrel aging. There are hints of lime and soft vanilla. On first taste it is irresistible. When young this wine is perfect with shellfish or poultry. It will improve with at least 10 years and then try this with a risotto funghi and be surprised.

FACT: In the Tab: Attachment 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 also receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you choose Pick up in Checkout page. We are located almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.