2024 Au Bon Climat - Pinot Noir Santa Barbara (750ml)

Au Bon Climat was founded in 1982 by the late Jim Clendenen with a then-radical idea: make Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Santa Barbara County, more than two decades before the film Sideways put the region on the map. Today the winery makes equal amounts of both varieties, and its wines remain a fixture on thoughtful wine lists.

The Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir is the entry point to the range, a handcrafted, multi-vineyard blend that captures what the appellation does well. The 2024 draws on premier sites including Bien Nacido, North Canyon, and Rancho Real in the Santa Maria Valley, with a small percentage from Kick On and Los Alamos. Retailers describe the 2024 vintage as exceptional for Pinot Noir in the county.

Deeply colored for a Pinot, the wine opens with Bing cherry, blackberry, and fresh strawberry, layered with hibiscus tea and spiced cranberry. With air, lilac and crushed peppercorn emerge, and savory notes of bay leaf and wet stone add depth. The texture is round and juicy, carried by smooth, lingering tannins to a polished, flavorful finish.