Isabelle Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ Technical Specifications
Created by the legendary, late winemaker Jim Clendenen, the 'Isabelle' Pinot Noir is a deeply personal flagship cuvée named in honor of his daughter, born in 1995. Unlike single-vineyard designates, Isabelle is a masterclass in blending, representing a selection of the absolute best barrels from Au Bon Climat's most prestigious cool-climate vineyard sources across California, including the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and Sanford & Benedict in the Sta. Rita Hills. Crafted using traditional Burgundian techniques—such as open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and aging in 100% new Francois Frères French oak barrels—this wine is celebrated for its remarkable balance, seamless integration, and structural longevity, bridging the gap between California's vibrant fruit and Burgundy's refined elegance.
🍾 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
13.5%