Pinot Noir Birthday Cuvee
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ Technical Specifications
Au Bon Climat's Pinot Noir Birthday Cuvee represents the pinnacle of the late Jim Clendenen's winemaking artistry, typically crafted as a rare, limited-edition bottling to mark milestone celebrations. These special cuvées are meticulously blended from the finest, most age-worthy barrels sourced from iconic cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, such as the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard and Sanford & Benedict. Reflecting Clendenen's deep reverence for Burgundy, the winemaking employs traditional techniques: open-top fermentation, manual punch-downs, and extended aging in premium Francois Frères French oak barrels. The resulting wine is a masterclass in balance, combining the vibrant, high-toned red fruit and savory complexity characteristic of the Santa Maria Valley with the structure and longevity required for decades of cellaring. It stands as a liquid tribute to the pioneering spirit of one of California's most colorful and influential vintners.
🍾 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%