Description
Au Bon Climat | Santa Barbara County, California | Chardonnay | 2023
Jim Clendenen’s Au Bon Climat has long been California’s benchmark for the Burgundian approach to Chardonnay — prioritizing balance, acidity, and minerality over heavy oak and butter. The 2023 is sourced from five carefully farmed Santa Barbara vineyards: Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, Rancho Real, Gold Coast, and North Canyon. Handpicked and whole-cluster pressed, the juice is barrel-fermented and aged 8 months sur lie in neutral François Frères barrels, then blended the following summer. The result is round, bright, and unmistakably ABC.
Vineyards: Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, Rancho Real, Gold Coast, North Canyon
Oak: 8 months sur lie, neutral French oak (François Frères)
Drink: Now–2029
Tasting Notes
- Grapefruit, peach, honeysuckle, and lemon curd on the nose
- Round mid-palate with elderberry, brioche, and a hint of nutmeg
- Zippy, bright acidity | Creamy lingering finish | Mineral backbone
Pairings: Roast chicken, pasta alfredo, seared scallops, baked brie en croûte
