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
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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.5-14%