Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed within 3 to 8 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken, grilled sea bass, creamy mushroom pasta
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay from Au Bon Climat highlights one of Santa Barbara County's most historic vineyard sites. Planted in the early 1970s, the Los Alamos Vineyard features unique, well-drained sandy soils and sits in a wind-swept corridor that funnels cool maritime air from the Pacific Ocean. Winemaker Jim Clendenen was drawn to this site for its ability to produce Chardonnay with striking acidity and intense aromatic complexity. Au Bon Climat crafts this wine using traditional Burgundian techniques, including barrel fermentation in French oak barrels and extensive sur lie aging. The result is a beautifully balanced Chardonnay that bridges the gap between Old World restraint and California fruit intensity, characterized by bright citrus, stone fruit, and a distinct mineral backbone.
🍾 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.