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. — 4 days ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.2

Big and rich. Nice tannins too. — 4 months ago

Doggfather

9.6

Perfect Santa Barbara Syrah — 6 months ago

Ted

9.1

Herbs, cinnamon and hints of incense. Light color. Pretty damn good. — 7 months ago

with Jeni

Chris MacLean

9.1

Another good bottle of this $25 favorite — a year ago

with Sarah

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

A Santa Barbara stunner! Beautiful garnet color. Exquisite aromas of hibiscus, cranberry and wet gravel. The pallet is plush with flavors of strawberry, cranberry, raspberries and red licorice. Persistent acidity. Fresh and lively! Lighter in body and style but also bold at the same time due to the wine’s incredible balance. Left me wanting more! — 4 years ago

Donald Williams

9.5

Wonderful Roussanne. Glad to have found it, and glad there’s more. — 5 years ago

with Bonnie

Brandon Boesch

9.3

So good, floral, berries, acidity, crushable! — 19 days ago

Matt Waring

8.9

Nice Syrah, if inconsistent. One sip lasts for days, the next is short. But on the whole, juicy and plush, with blackberry, plum, and candied orange — 2 months ago

Scot Walker

9.2

Dark fruit in the nose with dark plums, blackberry and crème de cassis in the palate. Paired well with both Gouda and a spicy ham. — 3 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Super tropical, mangos, touch pineapple and grass, no pyrazine grapefruit. Well done! — 6 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.4

Clear, pale ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with medium intensity primary and secondary aromas of raspberries, pomegranates, and cloves; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, low tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and pronounced intensity primary and secondary flavors of cherries, cranberries, dried leaves, and hibiscus with a long finish. This wine is complex and balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. Nellie likes it too. — 6 months ago

with Nellie

Doug Powers

9.2

Sweet oak, black and blue fruits, and finally some spice and structure from the dollop of Petite Sirah, solid balance, needs more cellaring to soften the structure, very good Central Coast Syrah! — a year ago

with Jim

Erin Miskey

9.0

Delicious easy drinking rosé! — 5 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

Really nice, good fruit and acidity. Strawberries, herbal quality, other good fruits. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Margerum Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Sauvignon Blanc – Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Crafted from Margerum’s top Sauvignon Blanc vineyard sources in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Sybarite is a more textural and layered interpretation of the variety. Rather than emphasizing overt tropical fruit, it focuses on elegance, persistence, and a refined sense of place.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon zest, white peach, grapefruit, subtle melon, fresh herbs, and delicate floral notes unfold over a beautifully mineral core with hints of citrus peel and wet stone.

Mouthfeel
Silky and beautifully balanced with gentle acidity, remarkable texture, and a graceful, lingering finish. Precision and finesse take center stage rather than sheer intensity.

Food Pairings
Halibut, grilled sea bass, Dungeness crab, oysters, sushi, roasted chicken, fresh goat cheese, or creamy seafood risotto.

Verdict
An elegant, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc that favors balance and sophistication over exuberance. Complex, expressive, and a wonderful reminder of the remarkable quality emerging from Santa Barbara.

Did You Know?
A previous vintage of Margerum Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc was selected to accompany the blue crab course at a White House State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama in honor of Singapore’s Prime Minister in 2016—a testament to the wine’s refinement and food-pairing versatility.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is one of those Sauvignon Blancs that quietly changes expectations. It isn’t driven by punchy acidity or explosive tropical fruit—instead, its elegance, texture, and remarkably delicate finish make it one of the finest American expressions of the variety I’ve tasted. Another compelling reason why Santa Barbara continues to impress me as one of California’s great wine regions. — 2 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

N: white flowers. Hint gooseberry. Very elegant. So floral. Very distinctive

P: very interesting. Balanced. Juicy. Long. Amazing acidic balance.

*

Garber 25 16 btg. — 6 months ago

Jason Keefer

9.2

Great blend with literally the kitchen sink of varietals (10!). Haven’t had their more pricy cuvées but if this is any indication, they knock it out of the park! Side note, gorgeous tasting room. @Ryan Colthorp came visit for a wine trip! — 8 months ago

with Natasha

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.4

Didn’t think much of it on day one, corked up and forgot about it with busy schedule.
Day 3 figured its time to dump, but tried a glass before hand, it was pretty good. I’m continuously surprised by this winery — 3 years ago

Bonnie Chu

8.9

Bright, 100% destemmed, concrete — 5 years ago