Chardonnay Nuits Blanches Estate
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken with tarragon butter, creamy mushroom risotto, pan-seared scallops
✨ Technical Specifications
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.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1982 by the visionary late winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is situated in the cool-climate expanse of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. Operating out of the acclaimed Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery forged an international reputation by championing restraint, balance, and classical Burgundian traditions long before cool-climate California viticulture entered the mainstream. Driven by early harvesting, indigenous fermentations, and meticulous French oak aging, Au Bon Climat crafts structured, age-worthy wines distinguished by high natural acidity and moderate alcohol levels. The estate is celebrated globally for its expressive site-specific and reserve bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including iconic signature labels such as Knox Alexander, Isabelle, and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14%