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. — 8 days ago

Connor Smith

9.5

#Nebbiolo is a surprisingly rare grape. Even in its native Piedmont, it accounts for only 8% of vineyard land. There are fewer than 100 hectares planted in the United States. 🕵️‍♂️🍇
Over 80% of prewar Italian immigrants came from Sicily and Southern Italy. Piedmont was the wealthiest and most politically dominant region. But if fortunes were reversed, could Nebbiolo have taken Primitivo/Zinfandel’s place as a grape relatively uncommon on the boot but dominant in California? 🤔🇮🇹🇺🇸
Probably not. The Nebbiolo vine is *not* for beginners. It flowers early and ripens late, making it susceptible to both spring and autumn frosts. It loves the occasional fog bath (some say the name is derived from ‘nebbia’, Italian for fog ☁️☁️☁️) but is prone to the mildew that may result from such humid conditions. Its fussiness would make Pinot Noir blush: it demands southwesterly exposure, a proper gradient, constant sun above, and fog licking at its toes. #diva
Sound anything like California’s Central Coast? 🌅
In the Santa Maria Valley, where the East-West Transverse Range bends back into the North-South Coastal Range, it’s possible. Vineyard selection still requires extreme discretion - an eye like @JimClendenen’s, perhaps.
Jim began the Nebbiolo program at the legendary #BienNacido vineyard in 1994. Production is small, but if you track down his “The Pip” Nebbiolo, it will only run you about $30. You’ll believe anything is possible when you have real California Nebbiolo of this quality come wafting out of the glass at you! 🙌🙌
🏞.“The Pip” is named after Jim’s old cellar dog Pip, a border collie. So it only seemed right to include one of our own pips! 🐈 — 7 years ago

Narun P

9.0

100% Chardonnay

Medium straw color. Fresh, clear, and transparent.

Sophisticated bouquet showing more restrained fruit profile backed up by clear stone-y/minerally characters.

Structurally, this wine is not as robust as the Los Alamos bottling tasted alongside of it. Med to med low acidity, med body (13.5 abv), dry. Reserved fruit profile of Asian pear and yellow apple. A hint of oak spices such as thyme and cilantro. Pronounced mineral, almost saline notes.

This bottling is rather flat when compared with the Los Alamos. Jim Clendenen said he intentionally made this in a "non-fruit" style that he prefers. Need at least 7 years before this is ready for business. 90+. — 9 years ago

Jennifer Massolo

9.1

Great new edition from JC. Soft tanins. Bright, floral, mineral. — 11 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.4

Tonight I am going to one of my favorite Pinot Noir's made by a wonderful Burgundian winemaker Jim Clendenen. His 2012 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir is everything I have come to expect from Jim. On the nose I get strawberries, red raspberries, herbal notes, plum and forest floor. On the palate the beautiful red fruit comes right up front, early strawberries, red raspberries, and a bit of red plum. There is clove, a mild mushroom, good minerality, and medium acidity. This is a well balanced Pinot with a nice length on the palate. I purchased this fine Pinot Noir for $19.99. Well worth it. — 12 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.1

I believe this is a relatively new project for Jim - great execution as always — 6 years ago

David L

9.4

Au Bon Climat 2014 Isabelle Pinot Noir
This is best-barrel bottling by Jim Clendenen, named after his daughter.
Medium body. Ripe cherry, very ripe raspberry, black licorice, sweet spices. Mouth-cleansing acidity. Drinking for another 5 + years. Drinking like it’s a premier league PN😉 — 7 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.3

Fifth and last bottle of the 1992 over the past seven years, and all have shown well. Red fruits, spice, earth and still relatively fresh. Thought this wine fit the loose theme of Scythian/Nomadic wines since it was an Oregon Pinot made by a Santa Barbara winemaker (Jim Clendenen). Had the privilege of pouring this for @Rajat Parr at the event, not knowing that Jim was his winemaking mentor. A fun, entertaining and educational evening last week! — 8 years ago

Meg McCall

8.9

Syrah blend to cap off the bachelorette weekend. Smoky spice with a long finish. — 10 years ago

David L

9.3

12' Harbison Chardonnay. Interesting story. This wine WASN'T made by Russell Bevan. The wine comes from Au Bon Climat vineyards & of course made by Jim Clendenen. 30 months in barrel & 1 year in bottle before release . That's insane for a West Coast Chardonnay. Only 24 cases! Check the cork out. He wants you to know.

Decanted it for a bit.Tropical flavors, caramel, vanilla, popcorn. — 10 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.2

This is a magnum of Jim Clendenen’s 2001 Harmony estate-bottled Chardonnay, “Nuits-Blanches Au Bouge” from the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat vineyards. If you aren’t familiar with Jim or his Au Bon Climat and Clendenen Family labels, you are in for a treat. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Lunch with friends at home on Saturday. Thanks for bringing this aged gem @Jim Hunter Mid gold in colour. It’s amazing how Semillon puts on weight as it ages. Lanolin and beeswax - you would swear this was aged in oak barrels but it is stainless steel all the way. Not as complex as other old Lovedales or Tyrrells Vat 1 I have had but still impressive. More gold medals than Michael Phelps!! — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Operated by Jim Clendenen who started winery in 1982. Runway’s first vintage was 2013 & 2015 is great. Limited production from this small vineyard. Aromas of ripe sweet fruit & floral scents, aged in French oak for about 20 months (winery folks indicated only a small amount of new oak was used). On the palate intense fruit flavors of cherry & strawberry, complex subtle spice, well balanced with acidity, great mouthfeel. Fine soft tannins lingering ending. Very nice, less than 250 cases made. Tasting Sample! — 8 years ago

David L

9.2

12’ Love Jim Clendenen wines. Almost impossible to find a good Pinot Noir for $40 in Russian River Valley. For the money all of his wines are tough to beat. Except the overpriced Harbison wines that he produces. ( Russell Bevan makes Harbison Cabernets & Jim makes the others) IMO. Edit- Find a 2012 (at this price)that’s drinking this nice from the same area? This has many years left in the bottle! — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2010 vintage. Delicate rose petal and orange zest nose. Bing cherry, a hint of tobacco, allspice and rhubarb flavors. That orange zest comes back for the finish along with a bit of zippy white pepper. Nearly perfect light/light medium body which is such a refreshing change from the roided up California pinots of the last dozen years. — 11 years ago

Todd Mundt

9.4

This is a rather wonderful new world refosco that Clendenen bottles for No 9 Park in Boston. — 13 years ago