Talley Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken, grilled lobster, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The partnership between Au Bon Climat's late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen and the Talley family represents a historic milestone in Central Coast viticulture. Sourced from the Rincon and Rosemary's sections of the Talley Vineyard in the Arroyo Grande Valley, this Chardonnay benefits from a unique microclimate defined by cool maritime breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean and calcareous clay soils. Clendenen applied classic Burgundian techniques to this exceptional fruit, utilizing barrel fermentation in French oak, complete malolactic fermentation, and extensive lees aging. The result is a Chardonnay that beautifully balances California richness with Old World structure, showcasing vibrant acidity, mineral undertones, and a capacity to age gracefully.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.5%