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Au Bon Climat - Santa Ynez Valley Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 2018

USA • Santa Barbara Coast • White

$5,996.00 tax included
$5,996.00 tax included
$499.66 / unit
Packaging : 12 x 75CL - Cardboard

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Available vintages

說明

The 2018 vintage of la cuvée Sanford & Benedict is a true love letter to the terroir of the Santa Ynez Valley. Under the guidance of the legendary Jim Clendenen, this wine embodies the perfect balance between the generous power of California and the structured finesse of Burgundy.
The Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay is the 33rd vintage of this anniversary cuvée!

Ratings

Ratings

  • Vinous 94/100
Notes and pairings

Notes and pairings

Food & wine pairings

This Chardonnay calls for refined cuisine:

  1. Lobster Thermidor or langoustines with lemon butter.
  2. Chicken in cream sauce and morels.
  3. A mature goat cheese or a Old County.
Producer

Producer

Au Bon Climat sources its grapes from several of the most reputable vineyards on the Central Coast, primarily in Santa Barbara County. These include Le Bon Vineyard Climat of Clendenen and the vines of the legendary Bien Nacido vineyard (both located in the Santa Maria Valley), as well as its domaine Rancho La Cuna (Santa Barbara County). Other iconic sites include Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, Los Alamos Vineyard (Santa Barbara County), Rancho Sisquoc and Runway Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley), Solomon Hills Vineyards (Santa Maria Valley) and Talley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo County.

Owner and history

Since 1982, the domaine Au Bon Climat dedicated itself entirely to crafting classic, Burgundy-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County. The combination of the fresh, invigorating Pacific air, marine-derived soils, and the region's east-west oriented valleys provided an ideal terroir for growing exceptional grapes. Hence the name " Au Bon Climat ", a French expression meaning "good place". Forty years later, the wines enjoy an international reputation. Jim Clendenen, the soul ofAu Bon Climat, defined the objective and stuck to it. While trends came and went in Californian viticulture, Au Bon Climat has always favoured the production of traditional wines, specific to their terroir, subtle and emblematic.

Vinification and aging

The first major vineyard in Santa Barbara County was planted by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict in 1971 in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Jim Clendenen was captivated by the potential of the Sanford & Benedict vineyard over 30 years ago and was fortunate enough to acquire a few tons of it in the mid-1980s. Since then, Au Bon Climat sources its grapes from this vineyard every year, with the exception of 1990, a transitional year. Only the domaine Sanford Winery can boast such a history with this vineyard.

The success of this vineyard sparked a veritable frenzy of planting in this new appellation. The surrounding hillsides are now covered in vines. Wishing to celebrate the grandeur of this iconic vineyard, Jim created the "Harvest Celebration" program. Today, the Sanford & Benedict vineyard is considered one of the finest in the United States.

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The team's opinion

The Sanford & Benedict vineyard is considered the most prestigious "Cru" in the region. The 2018 vintage is particularly successful thanks to a long and cool growing season, offering remarkable fruit purity.

  • Climax 2025 à 2030