Pinot Gris Pinot Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, roasted chicken with herbs, spicy Thai curries
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen, the Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc blend is a testament to his love for the classic varieties of Alsace, reimagined in the cool maritime climate of Santa Barbara County. Sourced primarily from the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, this wine breaks the California mold of Chardonnay dominance. Clendenen famously championed these lesser-known Burgundian and Alsatian mutations, blending them to achieve a perfect harmony of texture and vibrant acidity. The Pinot Gris provides rich stone fruit flavors, mid-palate weight, and a copper-hued complexity, while the Pinot Blanc contributes bright citrus notes, structural acidity, and mineral precision. Fermented using native yeasts and aged on its lees in neutral French oak barrels, this white wine undergoes minimal intervention to preserve its fresh, aromatic, and deeply savory character.
🍾 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 Gris, Pinot Blanc
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.0-13.5%