Los Alamos Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled salmon, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Los Alamos Vineyard, nestled in the wind-swept corridor of the Los Alamos Valley in Santa Barbara County, holds a special place in the history of California viticulture. Planted in the early 1970s, this historic site is characterized by its unique, free-draining sandy soils and a microclimate that experiences dramatic diurnal temperature shifts. Au Bon Climat's late founder, the iconic Jim Clendenen, recognized the vineyard's exceptional potential early on, sourcing fruit from its rolling hills since the 1980s. The Los Alamos Vineyard Pinot Noir is celebrated for its distinctively vibrant red fruit profile, marked by wild strawberry, cherry, and a signature hint of baking spices and earthy undertones. Crafted using traditional Burgundian methods, including open-top fermentation and aging in fine French oak barrels, this wine beautifully marries the sun-drenched character of California with the elegant restraint and bright acidity championed by Au Bon Climat.
🍾 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%