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
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%