Au Bon Climat, Nuits-Blanches au Bouge Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

From the K&L library sale. Sailing along nicely. Darkening golden color, explosive tropical nose with pineapple and papaya, white mushrooms, some smoky lees and toasty oak. On the palate the tropical flavors continue with bright acidity and an opulent, waxy texture. I would say guilty pleasure but that would first require me to feel guilty.

2015 vintage

Beautiful golden hue, nose of vanilla custard, buttered popcorn, caramel and cinnamon. Rich palate of vanilla pudding, clove, pear, lemon meringue and butter. Opulent but still holds itself in check, not teetering into the over-indulgent tendencies of California.

2014 vintage

Golden though not as dark as I may have expected. Tons of honey, lemon curd, Meyer lemon, and vanilla, touch of overripe green apple, pear or maybe honeydew in PnP nose. PnP had a coating, slightly oily texture, smooth, subdued fruit and less oak than the nose suggested, slightly oxidative in the finish. Touch of chalky limestone minerality and still some overripe apple acidity. After 1-2 hrs gentle decanting the nose still screams of this honey note but it’s definitely …

2014 vintage

Tasted blind.tart fruits- kiwi and apple. Smooth and round.refreshing more than powerful; it’s impressive that it can taste this fresh and young. Jim Clendenen, the pioneer, would be proud of this bottle.

2012 vintage

Medium gold. Unabashedly oaky, with trooical undertones and a sense of vibrance/freshness in spite of the oak. Creamy entry with an acid lifted midpalate. Finish is hampered by a tannic, sl bitter edge. Overall it is appealing but only if you appreciate the style. Good with braised pork choos in mushroom sauce

2015 vintage

From 75cl, last of 6 bought at cellar door in 2020, stored in my cellar since. Crappy dried-out cork disintegrated into dust on opening. No surprise that the wine wasn't in best condition. Darkish yellow, oak and age on the nose; big dried papaya and dried pineapple palate, bright acidity has kept things alive. Bottles with better closures should still be good for several years. Note to ABC: Maybe time to switch to screwcap/DIAM, and stop condemning a proportion of …

2015 vintage

From 75cl, exquisite cork, opened but not decanted 1 hour. Darker golden yellow than I remember from previous bottles. Beautiful vanilla, papaya and passion fruit scent; full-bodied entry with more of the same, a creamy texture and vibrant balancing acidity. Just thnking about the mid-palate energy makes me salivate. Gorgeous now, but don't wait too long. 92P

2015 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork, P+P. Obvious oak, vanilla and tropical fruit on the nose, but the entry is less brash than I feared, with super-bright acidity, a supple (if rich) texture and lifted tropical fruit. Linear through to the long finish, this Central Coast Beach Boy is not exactly fresh, but definitely buff. Not sure when its muscles will start sagging, however, so I intend drinking up in the next 2 years or so (even though ABC assure us that …

2015 vintage

The premox death of William Fèvre (and Chablis) : From 75cl, perfect cork. What does someone with a carefully-stocked wine cellar reach for after two successive 2008 William Fèvre Grand Cru Chablis turn out to be premoxed? The sensible answer might be: beer, or even just tap water. Sure, this is a First World Problem, but sometimes it's a relief just to open the bottle and find you didn't pay nearly 50 EUR for 75cl of spoiled grape juice. Anyway, …

2015 vintage

Holding strong after about 6 years in bottle and a perfect pairing with moqueca last night. It's rich, oaky, complex and full bodied profile holding it's own.

2015 vintage

Bold and full bodied. Very ripe lemon and melon flavours, creamy in texture with assertive but transparent oaky notes.

2014 vintage

Really rich, dried apricot per AY, desert caliber butterscotch on the finish but nicely balanced by good acidity. Heavy but don’t really feel heat. Yum if you like this style.

2012 vintage

Certainly as described, rich, oaked, but good balance

2015 vintage

Dark, straw in color. Very buttery but with some crispness. Really nice.

2015 vintage

Really enjoyed this straw colored delight. Tasted against a 2015 Domaine Laroche 1er Cru Fourchaume during our "is it California or France?" blind tasting. Tasters found this wine to be rich but not over the top in any way. Super balanced and delicious. I do still prefer Chablis to CalChard, but the Au Bon is really well built. No rush.

2015 vintage

Mostly getting toasted coconut and lemon. Good acidity.

2014 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork, opened but not decanted 1 hour. Basically as previously noted, but has filled out with a year in bottle since last tasted in March 2020. Now definitely a big, oaky, creamy-textured Meursault-style Chard: excellent quality and the tight mineral bitterness to suggest further potential. Now-2026. 90-91P

2015 vintage

Oxidized. Unfortunate: I bought it on a wine store recommendation.

2014 vintage

Meyer lemon color and nose. Extremely buttery, with a little acidity. Lemon curd, chalk, and sour apples. The sour flavor may be a result of being just past peak. Overall too buttery oaky for my taste.

2014 vintage

Amazing chard. Bought at tasting room. Drank at home years later. Even better than I remember. Not for the faint of heart. Super rich.

2015 vintage

Full gold color. Aromatics of lemon verbena, key lime, orange blossom, marzipan and hazelnut. Rich and unctuous with high-toned flavors cutting through. Citrus, hazelnut, tea and clove spices. Full and dense in the middle, with round structure and well-balancing acid. Plenty of intensity and depth on the finish. Typically the most hedonistic of the ABC chardonnays, but well balanced by most any measure. In an ideal spot to drink now, while holding other Chardonnays from the lineup.

2015 vintage

Very, very rich; Very ripe; Honey melon

2015 vintage

Au Bon Climat - Tasting Room : From 75cl, opened 1 day previously. Explosive lemon scent with hints of oak and butter. Medium-bodied entry, very fresh, refined buttery/oaky texture reminiscent of a good Chassagne-Montrachet; progression to more lemon/lime on the mid-palate. Shortish, mouth-puckering finish with some drying tannins. Excellent now, but outstanding potential for ca. 5 years as the oak settles down. $40 at cellar door. 91(+)P

2015 vintage

Sunday afternoon wines (Chicago, IL) : Just a very slight hint of reduction on the nose here. This is really nicely balanced and shows a fairly ripe profile, but underneath it is ample acid to round it out. A touch of white citrus on the finish here.

2012 vintage

Tasted in SB with my cousin. Immediately she loves the style. Rich with butter and creme brûlée, pineapple, mango, full texture. Acidity keeps this in balance, rich and full and pleasure to drink now.

2015 vintage

golden chardonnay, apples, green grapes and peaches on the nose, rich, flavorful, the palate shows ripe pear, crème brulee, pastry and popcorn, delicious, lower in acid, hits the spot at a fair price point

2014 vintage

Up the PCH; 6/4/2019-6/16/2019 (Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Paso Robles, Napa, and Willamette) : Nice Chardonnay to kick off the ABC tasting in downtown Santa Barbara. Not overoaked, not buttery, showed some minerality. Very well balanced. Comprised of fruit from Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat vineyards, this chardonnay is picked later, sorted more, and kept in barrel longer than any other Chardonnay that ABC makes.

2015 vintage

These bottles were lush and creamy and perfectly paired with coquilles st Jacques

2015 vintage

"You only YOLO once" (Chicago, IL) : "Relevant". Slightly reduced on the nose, but just the right amount -- the matchstick aroma doesn't get in the way of the plentiful fruit flavours in this wine. It's definitely a full-bodied, ripe chardonnay, but it's got a racy, citrus-inflected acidity that helps balance out all that heft. Really tasty, and for what this costs (I looked it up because I might want to pick up a bit of this myself), it's the …

2012 vintage

Traditional Chardonnay. Buttery nose. Oak is on the stronger side. But still well balanced. Apple and pear are prevalent. I might have liked a little more acidity. A really yummy wine.

2014 vintage

Stone fruit, vanilla Very full bodied, oily, creamy It’s nice, intense but not the most complex. Enjoyed very much.

2014 vintage

Outstanding California Chardonnay, multilayered with long dismiss and reminiscent of Corton Charlemagne yet more approachable. Masterful wine making is unmistakably evident. Kudos to Jim Clendenen! Cheers!

2012 vintage

Rich and creamy; finish lingers on and on. Defintey one of my top 5 ever.

2012 vintage

Similar views but age has helped; performed far better with a trout with cream sauce than on its own.

2007 vintage

Pop and pour. Light yellow with a green tinge in the glass. Nose and palate of Meyer lemon, crushed limestone/chalk, and both minimal buttery vanillin oak and a crunchy saline minerality that was quite inviting. So new world and old world simultaneously and very pleasurable. Nice creamy midpalate with rounded citrus and a touch of oak that was helped out by thirst quenching acidity and the saline minerality. Finish was medium (-) and not very complex but this wine was …

2012 vintage

Little one dimensional...

2012 vintage

Nice hints of clove, touch of oak, lots of fruit. No butter in this one. Really enjoyed this with some stuffed chicken breasts. No rush on this one.

2012 vintage

Medium yellow. Oily appearance. Clear and brilliant. Excellent nose of cream, tropical fruit, and a distinctly French Burgundy toastiness with more than a hint of barnyard. Pungent, in a good way. Palate is rich, full, tropical with obvious fruitiness but again a French cast to it as well. Exotic and tangy. Creamy. Good finish. This is a bold California chardonnay. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.

2012 vintage

Wow! This wine plays mind games...Its an old world/new world gangbang in a glass. Light golden yellow in the glass. Nose of white peaches, white nectarines, green pears, honeysuckle, meyer lemon, orange zest, granny smith apple, crushed rock, limestone, and a well proportioned dollop of oak (the horror!). The palate follows up showing note for note with the nose but instead of the rounded, flabby, buttery, nastiness i was expecting i was shocked and wonderfully surprised by the racy acidity …

2012 vintage

Nice mineral nose, high viscosity, but lacked balance and gets oaky when it warms up. Drink cold, I wouldn't hold.

2012 vintage

100% new French oak (Francois Freres) for 24 months. This is 'Relevant.' Oak on the nose, but not what the 100% new would suggest. Palate shows a creamy texture, but not laden down with vanilla. Nice acid and worth much more inspection.

2012 vintage

Smooth citrus, low acidity and light sweetness.

2007 vintage

Holds its own with the oak, but I don't much like oak. A couple more years might bring a better balance. 13.5%

2007 vintage

Cincinnati Wine Festival (Cincinnati, OH) : Ripe butter nose. Good acid. More butter on palate.

2007 vintage

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Au Bon Climat, Nuits-Blanches au Bouge Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

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