THE PRODUCER
Founded in 1982 by Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat is today one of Santa Barbara
County’s most iconic wineries, renowned for its Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay. The winery sources fruit from some of the region’s best vineyards,
including Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict. Clendenen is a staunch believer in
traditional winemaking—using whole-cluster fermentation, extended barrel aging,
and minimal intervention—which has earned Au Bon Climat international acclaim
and a devoted following among collectors and sommeliers alike. Clendenen passed
away in 2021, but his legacy lives on through the winery’s continued dedication
to crafting world-class, Old World-inspired wines.

The wines of Au Bon Climat are known for their bright acidity, fine structure
and layered complexity, which is testament to the cool climate of Santa Barbara
County. From vibrant, mineral-driven Chardonnay to velvety, earthy Pinot Noir,
each bottle reflects the terroir and vintage conditions.


THE WINE

The Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is crafted from Bien Nacido
and Los Alamos vineyards, fermented in 70% stainless steel and 30% French oak
(15% new) with partial malolactic fermentation for balance. Aged 10 months on
the lees, it offers bright acidity and a layered profile of citrus, green apple,
and stone fruit, with hints of toast and hazelnut. This cool-climate Chardonnay
is crisp yet textured, making it both food-friendly and cellar-worthy.

INFORMATION
Type:WhiteVintage:2022Country:U.S.A.
Region:California
Sub region:Santa Barbara CountyGrape:100% ChardonnayStyle:Buttery and Complex
Sweetness:DryABV:13.5%Drinking window:2025 - 2035Size:750mlFood match:Manchego
and Parmesan

CRITICS SCORES
We choose our wines based on a range of criteria(seehow we choose our wines)of
which critic scores is justone. Rather than simply highlight the best score to
promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided
by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do
not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more
weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores
like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a92/100average critic score or
better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a
high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we
offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the
market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and
representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide
to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add
individual critic scores to our website in the future.