2025 Clendenen Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc Rancho La Cuna

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 The Pip Nebbiolo deep, rustic red wine with aromas and rich flavors of plums, red berries, dried roses and earth. Three years of barrel aging has brought all the components together harmoniously. The balance of richness, bright acidity and moderate tannins makes this wine versatile with food. The Pip shows the typical character associated with classic Nebbiolo wines.

Winemaker Notes
Our Nebbiolo for PIP is grown in the cool Santa Maria Valley at Rancho Sisquoc, one of the oldest vineyards in the region. It is a late ripening grape variety, but always has excellent acidity at harvest. The 2018 “Pip” Nebbiolo shows all the hallmarks of a good Nebbiolo. After the first fermentation in open fermentation tanks, the wine is aged for three years in both 500L Hungarian oak puncheons and neutral French oak barrels. Nebbiolo benefits from extended barrel aging, which allows the tannins to soften and the flavor components to better integrate. The color of the 2018 is deep garnet. Nebbiolo is a light colored grape and produces a red wine (not black) when grown and produced fairly.

Jim Clendenen loved Italy and Italian wine. After many visits to Italy, he decided to use Italian grape varieties in Santa Barbara County. Under a now defunct label, he made his first attempts in the 1980s, revolutionary for the time. Traditional winemaking techniques were used, including extended barrel aging. But America was not yet ready for California wines from Italian grape varieties. Jim did not give up, however, and chose his favorite Italian red grape, Nebbiolo, and persevered under the Clendenen label. Our three different styles of Nebbiolo are now highly sought after, with the Pip being the most rustic and fruity.

Nebbiolo is the grape of choice for the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. The highly sought-after Barolos and Barbarescos of Piedmont are based on Nebbiolo wines. Barolo, considered “the wine of kings and the king of wines,” is aged for at least three years in barrel and then another two years in bottle. This long aging is necessary due to the high acidity and abundant tannins of Nebbiolo wines. Our “Pip” Nebbiolo receives a similar treatment to its Italian counterpart: aged for three years in large Hungarian oak puncheons (500 liters) and then another year in bottle before release.

Clendenen Family Vineyards “Pip” Wines Project
Pip was the best dog in the world and Jim Clendenen's faithful companion. She was a classic border collie who played for hours, always focused on bringing the ball. Pip could be found at the vineyard almost every day. In her honor, we named a line of wines after her, the "Pip Wines," which are delicious from the moment they come out. The 2018 Pip Nebbiolo is ready to enjoy now.

Recommended Dishes
This lively wine pairs well with a variety of dishes, from barbecued burgers in the backyard to a romantic dinner of braised osso buco.

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.