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. — 10 days ago

Amy

9.0

master the world — loved!! — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2016 | True to type Sauternes | paired with apple crumble — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château La Tour de Bessan Margaux 2022 — Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Left Bank blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot · 5% Petit Verdot (estate typically varies slightly by vintage) delivering structure, elegance, and aromatic finesse. Great frame and graphite tension coming from the Cab Sauv., mid-palate polish thanks to Merlot, and liked how Petit Verdot brings subtle spice and color depth. A beautifully traditional, unclassified Margaux that punches above its weight.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, violet, pencil shavings, cedar, light tobacco, and crushed stone. Fruit stays fresh and pure with delicate floral lift typical of the appellation.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with polished, fine-grained tannins. Dry, linear, and elegant rather than powerful. Balanced acidity keeps everything lifted and graceful with a clean, savory finish.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, grilled lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom risotto, lentils, Comté or aged goat cheese. A very food-friendly claret.

Verdict
Proof that Margaux elegance doesn’t require classified growth pricing. Refined, honest, and beautifully composed. Delicious now with air, but easily cellar-worthy for 6–10 years.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of “weekday Bordeaux”, structured yet graceful, polished without heaviness. The sort of bottle that quietly disappears over dinner because everything just clicks.

Did You Know?
La Tour de Bessan is run by Marie-Laure Lurton (of the Lurton family estates) and is known for crafting textbook, terroir-driven Margaux expressions that emphasize finesse over extraction. — 8 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.3

Lovely light Provençal Rosé. Light strawberry flavor with some vanilla. Perfect with light mild fish. . — 2 years ago

K L

8.9

Ok but nothing super great. Kurt club wine. — 11 days ago

with Matt

Ruud Verhagen

9.0

needs much more cellar-time…90+ — 2 months ago

Ming L

9.4

The nose opens with waves of ripe black cherry, cassis, plum liqueur, and dark chocolate Beneath the opulence lies impressive complexity with hints of espresso, violets, and peppery spice emerge gradually with air. The palate is dense and supple, showing warmth and generosity. Plenty of nuance beneath the lavish fruit.

Possibly the best value for a St-Emilion GCC. Will need to seek out more. — 4 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

More focused than the 2015 as you might expect. Integrated butterscotch and rocks. — 7 months ago

with Sarah

Andy@andyberke.com

8.9

Solid. Some terroir — 8 months ago

JKT

9.1

Yup a new one to me and it’s well proportioned and lively on palate with well aged ripe fruits and earthy. Tasty! — 10 months ago

Eric I

9.2

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

David J. H. Ruiz

9.5

8/22/2026 : COLMAR FAMILLE — a month ago

Paul J

9.2

PnP. Solid. Fairly complex with good fruit and terroir. Nothing that really wowed me. — 2 months ago

with Brooke

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

Michael Amoruso

9.2

2018 vintage. Cooked pineapple. Toasted coconut. Dry lemon curd. Just sweet enough. — 6 months ago

S.S. Mandani

9.1

Perfumed red fruits.

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

Thomas Hillskog

9.1

Peak maturity now better than 2 and 4 years ago. Still fruity but with more complexity an soft tannins. — 8 months ago

Jenks

9.0

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