Elke Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
The Au Bon Climat Elke Vineyard Pinot Noir represents a fascinating northern excursion for the late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen, who was primarily famous for his Santa Barbara County wines. Sourced from the Elke Vineyard in the cool, fog-laden Anderson Valley of Mendocino County—farmed by Mary Elke—this wine showcases a beautiful marriage of terroir and classic Burgundian winemaking. The vineyard's clay-loam soils and chilly maritime climate yield fruit with exceptional natural acidity and bright red-fruit character. Clendenen applied his signature traditional touch, utilizing open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and aging in premium French oak barrels from Francois Fr res. The result is an elegant, structured Pinot Noir that balances savory earthiness with vibrant cherry and spice notes, standing as a testament to Clendenen's visionary exploration of California's finest cool-climate sites.
🍾 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
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
13.0% - 14.0%