La Bauge Au-Dessus Estate Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, herb-crusted pork loin
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen, the 'La Bauge Au-Dessus' Pinot Noir is a testament to Au Bon Climat's deep Burgundian soul and playful spirit. The name, which whimsically translates to 'the wild boar's wallow above' or 'the party upstairs,' reflects Clendenen's larger-than-life personality and humor. Sourced from the estate-grown blocks of the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, this wine benefits from the region's unique transverse valley system, which funnels cool Pacific breezes and morning fog directly onto the vines. This cool-climate terroir allows for slow, even ripening, preserving vibrant acidity and complex aromatics. In the cellar, traditional Burgundian techniques are employed: hand-harvested fruit is fermented in open-top fermenters with manual punch-downs, followed by aging in classic Francois Fr res French oak barrels (typically 50% new) for up to 20 months. The result is a Pinot Noir of exceptional balance, showing bright cranberry and raspberry fruit intermingled with savory notes of forest floor, clove, and subtle smoky oak.
🍾 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%