Chardonnay Nuits Blanches Estate
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 15 years from the vintage release, as it develops beautiful tertiary notes of hazelnut and honey with age.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken with tarragon butter, creamy mushroom risotto, pan-seared scallops
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The 'Nuits-Blanches au Bouge' (often referred to as the Nuits Blanches Estate Chardonnay) is one of Au Bon Climat's most prestigious and narrative-rich white wines. The name, translating to 'sleepless nights,' is a double entendre referencing both the famous Côte de Nuits in Burgundy and the legendary, sleep-deprived, late-night harvest sessions of founder Jim Clendenen. Sourced primarily from the finest blocks of the Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat estate vineyards in the cool, fog-kissed Santa Maria Valley, this wine represents Clendenen's homage to the grand, rich style of Corton-Charlemagne. Unlike their more restrained Chardonnays, the Nuits-Blanches undergoes extended aging—typically around 18 months—in 100% new François Frères French oak barrels, with regular lees stirring (bâtonnage). This meticulous, traditional Burgundian process yields a Chardonnay of immense complexity, balancing opulent notes of toasted brioche, lemon curd, and hazelnut with a vibrant, mineral-driven acidity born from the region's unique marine soils.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1982 by the legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is a pioneering estate located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. Situated on the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery is internationally acclaimed for its unwavering commitment to crafting Burgundian-style wines of balance, restraint, and longevity. Utilizing traditional French winemaking techniques, including open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels, Au Bon Climat produces highly expressive, food-friendly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their signature expressions, such as the Knox Alexander Pinot Noir and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge Chardonnay, showcase the unique, cool-climate terroir of California's Central Coast.