Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
The Nielson Vineyard holds a sacred place in California wine history as Santa Barbara County's very first commercial vineyard, planted in 1964 by pioneer Uriel Nielson. Au Bon Climat's single-vineyard bottling from this historic site pays homage to those deep roots in the Santa Maria Valley. Influenced by the unique transverse mountain ranges that funnel cool Pacific breezes and fog directly into the valley, the old vines produce fruit with remarkable natural acidity and concentrated flavors. Winemaker Jim Clendenen long championed this terroir, crafting a Pinot Noir that balances bright red fruit, earthy complexity, and savory spice. Traditional Burgundian techniques, including open-top fermentation and aging in classic French oak barrels, preserve the vineyard's distinct maritime signature and elegant structure.
🍾 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%