Au Bon Climat
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley
White wine
4.6
Expert Rating
3.8
Regularly Reviewed
WINE DESCRIPTION
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley is a gently oaked, medium bodied, european styled Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California. Au Bon Climate was started by the late Jim Clendenen in 1982 and is currently run by his children. The estate's location in the Santa Maria Valley provides a cooling oceanic influence that it vital to the restrained style they promote. The winemaking pay close attention to detail with hand harvesting and maturation for 8 months in neutral Francois Freres oak barrels for a gentle nutmeg note. This is a wine for lovers of Chardonnay who enjoy European styling and have a love for the estate model of production.
NOTES FROM VINOVOSS SOMMELIER
The Au Bon Climat Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley is a great example of the variety that evolves well in the cellar.The wine shows a pale lemon color in the glass, and a nose of ripe lemon, apple, and white peach. The palate is medium bodied with gently layered texture that is elegantly balanced by its lean acidity. The finish is long and lingering with subtle complexity of dairy and lightly toasted oak. The wine can be enjoyed now for its delicated and balanced style by it will reach a point of peak integration and development complexity showing notes of caramel and a hint of nuts, at around 5 years of aged and hold at peark for 3 or four years. This is a worhy addition to any cellar for drinkers who enjoy classic American wines with a European sense of style.
EXPERT RATING
4.6
DRINKING WINDOW
Now
2044
Profile
Sweetness:
Dry
Dry
Lusciously Sweet
Alcohol:
Moderate
Very Low Alcohol
Very High
Intensity:
Mildly aromatic
Subtle
Powerful
Body:
Generous
Light Bodied
Full Bodied
Acidity:
Lean
Soft
Crisp
Tannin:
No tannin
No Tannin
Grippy
GRAPES (1)
Chardonnay
ORIGINS
Winery: Au Bon Climat
Region: Central Coast California
The Central Coast of California is a wine lover's paradise, boasting a wide variety of climates, soils, and grape varieties. Located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Central Coast spans from Monterey County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. With its diverse topography and Mediterranean climate, the Central Coast is home to some of the most renowned wineries in the United States.
The Central Coast has a long and storied history of winemaking, dating back to the mid-1800s. The first vineyards were planted in the Santa Clara Valley, and by the late 1800s, the region was producing some of the finest wines in the country. The region's reputation for quality wines was further solidified in the early 1989, when the Santa Clara Valley was declared among the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the United States.CUSTOMER RATING
3.8
0 Reviews
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