Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 34th Vintage Celebration
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled sea bass
✨ Technical Specifications
The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is a legendary site in the Sta. Rita Hills, originally planted in 1971 by pioneers Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict. Recognizing the potential of this cool-climate, calcium-rich terroir, Au Bon Climat's founder Jim Clendenen began sourcing Chardonnay from these historic self-rooted vines in 1982. The '34th Vintage Celebration' bottling commemorates over three decades of this iconic partnership. Crafted using traditional Burgundian methods, the wine is barrel-fermented in French oak barrels from the Francois Frères cooperage and undergoes complete malolactic fermentation with regular lees stirring. The result is a Chardonnay of exceptional structure, balancing vibrant maritime acidity with a rich, textured palate and a distinct flinty minerality that defines this historic vineyard.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5%