Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Au Bon Climat — Chardonnay 2023
Santa Barbara County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Santa Barbara County Chardonnay from Au Bon Climat, reflecting the restrained, balanced style that made Jim Clendenen’s wines such benchmarks for the region. This is Chardonnay without unnecessary theatrics: cool-climate freshness, measured richness, and an easygoing personality that still carries plenty of character.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh apple, pear, lemon, white peach, and citrus blossom, with subtle vanilla, mineral, and lightly toasted nuances adding complexity without dominating the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, fresh, and beautifully balanced. The acidity provides just the right amount of tension, while a subtle creamy texture rounds the palate. Clean, composed, and remarkably easy to enjoy.

Food Pairings
Grilled fish, roasted chicken, shrimp, crab cakes, creamy pasta, or simply enjoyed on its own.

Verdict
A solid representation of what Santa Barbara Chardonnay does so well. It has freshness without austerity, texture without heaviness, and enough complexity to remain interesting while being completely approachable. A terrific casual Chardonnay.

Did You Know?
Au Bon Climat was founded by Jim Clendenen in 1982 and became one of the defining producers of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, favoring balance and restraint long before those qualities became fashionable in California.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is what I want a casual Santa Barbara Chardonnay to taste like. Affable, balanced, subtly textured, and carrying just enough tension to keep every sip fresh. Nothing overdone and nothing missing. It has officially earned a spot among my New World Chardonnay staples. — 13 days ago

Angelo Casagrande

8.9

Soft, lots of cherry/ prune. Little sour too. I’ve had this with tomato based dishes and it’s nice. This time I made orriechieti, raab, and chickpeas. ( and a few cherry tomatoes). Went well with it. Enjoyable — 3 months ago

S.S. Mandani

9.1

Perfumed red fruits.

Cherry, zippy structure, earthen, licorice, fennel. — 7 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

With violet Black berry cherry dry plum beefgarky conamon nutmeg
Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M+ Acidity M Tannin M Soft 15% French oak large Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpilicella 21 @4950, Mont, 251120 — 10 months ago

Eric I

9.2

Great wine to pair with an LSU loss — 3 years ago

Ola Lenin

9.3

Schoolbook pinot with warm strawberry and sloeberry fruit. Cranberries on the finish. Some oak and spices on the finish. Simply very enjoyable! — 4 years ago

Michael Albanes

8.9

Rich deep flavor — a month ago

Michael Bontà

9.5

Clear pale salmon. Medium + intensity on the nose with strawberry, blood orange, geranium leaf, pink grapefruit, tomato leaf, white peach. On the palate dry, medium + acidity, medium + intensity medium body, long finish and medium alcohol with notes of grapefruit, red cherry, grass, white peach and something plastic that I can't quite identify but isn't undesirable. Outstanding wine and fun to drink on its own without food. Creamy and sophisticated — 2 months ago

Charles Treister

9.2

Nice balance between fruit and soft tannins. Perfect with pastas. — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Blend of White Grenache 50% and Roussanne 50%, aged for 1 year in new oak, bright lemon color with aromas of citrus, stone fruits and toasty mineral notes. On the palate flavors of apple, peach and lemon citrus with toasty notes and spice, slightly creamy. Medium+ finish, vivid acidity, nice balance ending with lemon citrus and fresh mineral character. — 5 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

Quite tannic. Rasberries, violet? — 2 years ago

Gene Harlow

9.5

2019 blend and it is outstanding. This is a fun find and seriously good! Dark fruits with a great balance of oak. Elyse has really done well with this deep balanced red blend. — 3 years ago

Justin Lintz

9.2

Good everyday — 5 years ago

Chris Albin

Winemaker, Azari Vineyards Winemaker, Corskcrew Wines

8.9

Thin out the gate, touch of Brett. Fills out on the nose and palate with time. — 2 months ago

Heather Robinson

8.9

Bert’s June wine tasting - this has a nice flavor - unpacked and it’s a blend. The vineyard was Luigi Baidana and he sold his vineyard to this vineyard who makes borolo and makes wine the way he did rather than selling to rich folks who just wanted his property. — 3 months ago

Amy

9.0

master the world — loved!! — 3 months ago

John W

9.3

Garner coloration. Some translucency. On the nose, cherry, strawberry, florals, and hints of minerals. Right out of the bottle, fruity and flowery. On the palate, cherry, cranberry, forest floor, strong tannins. — 5 months ago

Scott Kahn

9.0

An exceptional aglianico that was a perfect pairing with a tasting menu of Tuscan and Roman food. A little VA - but not in a distracting way! — 8 months ago

Jenks

9.0

Apparently this translates to “up all night” or something heeeeeyyyyy — 2 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.0

Apple, lemon candy, dried apricot, oak and hints of peach. Great acidity and balance. — 4 years ago