Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, grilled salmon, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Jim Clendenen, the legendary founder of Au Bon Climat, was a visionary who famously swam against the tide of ultra-ripe, heavily oaked California Chardonnays. Drawing deep inspiration from Burgundy, Clendenen championed a style focused on freshness, structure, and longevity. Sourced from cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, where the unique transverse mountain ranges pull cold maritime air directly from the Pacific Ocean, this Chardonnay captures the region's signature bright acidity. The wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels with traditional lees stirring (bâtonnage), yielding a beautifully balanced profile of crisp citrus, stone fruit, and a subtle, creamy texture that honors Old World restraint in a New World terroir.
🍾 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%