Larmes de Grappe Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10–25 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Au Bon Climat's 'Larmes de Grappe' is a legendary, rare cuvée that represents the pinnacle of the late Jim Clendenen's winemaking artistry. Translated as 'tears of the grape,' this exceptional Pinot Noir is only produced in outstanding vintages. It is crafted utilizing 100% whole-cluster fermentation, a traditional Burgundian technique that Clendenen championed in the Santa Maria Valley. The fruit is sourced from the finest, oldest blocks of the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard, where cool maritime breezes and clay-loam soils foster slow, balanced ripening. The wine undergoes extended aging in 100% new François Frères French oak barrels, resulting in a Pinot Noir of extraordinary structure, savory complexity, and profound depth that pays homage to the grand crus of the Côte de Nuits.
🍾 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.