Au Bon Climat
Distinctive wines of vision and harmony. An homage to Burgundy, Au Bon Climat features many renditions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc, with balance and character critical elements in every wine. These wines age beautifully because of their balance and restraint. For older vintages or large format bottles, see menu.
Great value! Miles above other Pinots in the same price category, this wine is a particularly wonderful vintage. It is deeply colored with aromas and flavors of strawberries and raspberries joined by anise and clove in mouth filling intensity.
Wine & Spirits Magazine - Year's Best Pinot Noirs: Score 93 points/BEST BUY, "Drawn from Bien Nacido and Clendenen Family vineyards, this wine's smoky black-cherry fruit gets richer with air, lingering on a scent of mulled berries. The flavors remain smoky and dark, with a concentrated but elegant savor, quiet and refined structured for a long cellar life."
A refreshing, dry, blended white with citrus lemon/lime notes, flinty minerality, and crisp finish. It is richer than most light whites, yet so easy drinking! Great summer sippin' or match with shellfish, roast chicken, turkey or duck.
An unusual but regal blend of 55% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc and 5% Aligoté meant to recreate Burgundy's fabled Charlemagne vineyard in Medieval times. Bright and finely cut, Hildegard shows another side to Jim Clendenen's magic touch. Lemon peel, white flowers, white pepper and crushed rocks give the 2018 a striking aromatic top register to match its mid-weight personality. In a word: sublime. Scored 95 points Antonio Galloni's Vinous; 94 points Jeb Dunnuck; 93 points/Editor's Choice Wine Enthusiast; 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
Positively stellar. Rich, textured and yet also striking for its detail. Lemon confit, pineapple, mint and new oak all resonate in this super-classic Santa Maria Chardonnay.
Big, rich, creamy. To celebrate our 35th anniversary only the best will do! The fruit is from the best cuvees of Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat Chardonnay aged in specially crafted, Francois Freres oak barrels for an extended time. Worth every penny! only 250 cases made. Score 94 points Antonio Galloni's Vinous; Score 91 points** Connoisseurs' Guide to CA Wine.
Just released, Isabelle is a knockout every vintage. Why? It is comprised of only the best cuvees from 6 different vineyards. Consequently, it is consistently our top performing Pinot Noir year to year. Dried cherry, raspberry tart, spicy oak, and hints of earth and forest floor all emerge from the glass. Scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast; 92 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Limited quantity available. Please call the Tasting Room to inquire 805-963-7999
The 2017 is one of our best vintages. Rich and powerful, this well structured wine has a darker ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of cherry, dried cranberry, earthy forest floor, ground herbs, smoked earth. Named after Jim Clendenen's son.
After 2 decades we have returned to Oregon. This young Pinot is complete, supple, delicious now, but will age for years to come. It is loaded with aromas of ripe berries, both blackberries and strawberries. The underlying power and complexity are “under the surface” currently, but will be apparent soon. The 25% of stem inclusion gives the wine a nice spice note, not seen in Oregon Pinots. Scored 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; 90 points Wine & Spirits Magazine
Very fruit forward and unctous, this Chardonnay is rich and complex with a tropical coconut, pineapple character. It shows abundant fruit, oak, and viscosity along with a nice mineral component. Beautiful. Enjoyable now or be rewarded with further aging. Score: 93 points Wine Enthusiast; 89*/GOOD VALUE - Connoisseurs' Guide to CA Wine.
