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
Founded in 1982 by the visionary late winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is situated in the cool-climate expanse of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. Operating out of the acclaimed Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery forged an international reputation by championing restraint, balance, and classical Burgundian traditions long before cool-climate California viticulture entered the mainstream. Driven by early harvesting, indigenous fermentations, and meticulous French oak aging, Au Bon Climat crafts structured, age-worthy wines distinguished by high natural acidity and moderate alcohol levels. The estate is celebrated globally for its expressive site-specific and reserve bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including iconic signature labels such as Knox Alexander, Isabelle, and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5%