Black by Black
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Au Bon Climat's 'Black by Black' is a highly limited, small-production Pinot Noir that explores the deeper, more brooding spectrum of the Santa Maria Valley terroir. Conceived as a special selection by the late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen, this cuvée is crafted from specific vineyard blocks and clones that naturally yield darker fruit profiles, richer structures, and intense spice notes. True to the estate's traditional Burgundian philosophy, the grapes undergo open-top fermentation with manual punch-downs before aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels. The result is a wine of exceptional depth and complexity, balancing the power of California fruit with the elegant structure, vibrant acidity, and longevity that define Au Bon Climat's historic winemaking legacy.
🍾 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