Chardonnay Unity Nuits Blanches Au Bouge
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2031
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken with cream sauce, pan-seared sea scallops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The 'Nuits-Blanches au Bouge' Chardonnay is one of Au Bon Climat's most prestigious and unique white wines, crafted as a deliberate homage to the rich, complex white Burgundies of the Côte d'Or. The name translates playfully to 'sleepless nights in Bouge,' a cheeky nod by the late legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen to his travels and late-night blending sessions. Sourced primarily from the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard (specifically the older K Block) and the estate's Le Bon Climat Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, this cuvée is distinguished by its intensive cellar treatment. Unlike other Au Bon Climat Chardonnays, it undergoes 100% barrel fermentation and is aged for up to 18 months in 100% new François Frères French oak barrels. This extensive oak regime, combined with complete malolactic fermentation and regular lees stirring, yields a remarkably textured, age-worthy Chardonnay that balances opulent buttery notes with the signature cool-climate acidity of Santa Barbara County.
🍾 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%