2023 Au Bon Climat - Chardonnay Santa Barbara (750ml)

For more than forty years, Au Bon Climat has crafted elegant Chardonnays that defy the trend toward overly ripe, oaky styles. Founder Jim Clendenen, often called the godfather of Santa Barbara County wine, brought techniques he learned in Burgundy to California's Central Coast and helped raise the region's international profile. Chardonnay was one of his two favorite grapes.

The 2023 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is sourced from five farmed vineyards: Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, Rancho Real, Gold Coast, and North Canyon. The fruit is handpicked in September and October, sorted in the vineyard, and whole cluster pressed. The juice then ferments and ages on its lees in neutral François Frères barrels, which build texture without adding heavy oak flavor.

Citron, apple blossom, and chamomile give the nose a fresh floral lift, with flinty, stony aromas and a background spice of clove and nutmeg. The palate shows citrus and stone fruit, grapefruit, and a note of baker's yeast, finishing with lemon and lime zest. Intense yet light on its feet, with bright acidity, it is immediately enjoyable and built to improve for years.