Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, grilled salmon.
✨ Technical Specifications
The Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir from Au Bon Climat represents a legendary partnership in California viticulture. Located in the cool, wind-swept Santa Maria Valley, the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard was first planted in 1973 by the Miller family. Winemaker Jim Clendenen, the pioneer behind Au Bon Climat, recognized the world-class potential of this site early on, establishing his winery there in 1982. This Pinot Noir is crafted using traditional Burgundian techniques, including open-top fermentation and aging in French oak barrels from the Francois Frères cooperage. The wine is celebrated for its distinctive cool-climate character, balancing bright red fruit flavors of cranberry and raspberry with complex notes of forest floor, black tea, and exotic spices, reflecting the maritime influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by visionary vintner Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat stands as one of California's most influential pioneers of cool-climate, Burgundian-style winemaking. Situated on the benchlands of the Santa Maria Valley and sourcing from iconic vineyards such as Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, and the estate Le Bon Climat, the estate thrives within transverse valleys channeled by cold maritime airflow off the Pacific Ocean. Viticulture emphasizes sustainability, with key estate holdings certified organic. In the cellar, the late Clendenen's philosophy lives on through longtime winemaker Jim Adelman alongside Jim's children, Isabelle and Knox Clendenen. Vinification champions classical European restraint: whole-cluster pressing, native and selected yeast fermentations in François Frères French oak barrels, full lees contact, and unhurried elevage without excessive new wood or heavy extraction. Celebrated benchmark whites include the single-vineyard Bien Nacido K Block, Sanford & Benedict, and the flagship Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches Au Bouge, each exemplifying bright minerality, seamless acid architecture, and remarkable cellar longevity.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
13.5%