Dennison Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ wine.spec_sheet
While Au Bon Climat is deeply rooted in the Santa Maria Valley, legendary founder Jim Clendenen occasionally looked northward to explore other exceptional cool-climate terroirs. The Dennison Vineyard, situated in the chilly, fog-laden 'deep end' of Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, caught his attention for its ability to produce Pinot Noir of immense tension and grace. The vineyard's gravelly soils and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts yield small, concentrated berries with striking natural acidity. In the cellar, Clendenen applied his classic Burgundian approach: open-top fermentation, manual punch-downs, and thoughtful aging in François Frères French oak barrels. This bottling beautifully bridges the gap between Au Bon Climat's signature structural elegance and the rustic, wild-berry, and forest-floor character native to the Anderson Valley.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1982 by the legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is a pioneering estate located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. Situated on the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery is internationally acclaimed for its unwavering commitment to crafting Burgundian-style wines of balance, restraint, and longevity. Utilizing traditional French winemaking techniques, including open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels, Au Bon Climat produces highly expressive, food-friendly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their signature expressions, such as the Knox Alexander Pinot Noir and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge Chardonnay, showcase the unique, cool-climate terroir of California's Central Coast.