Full and rich with flavors of plums and warm spice, this Pinot is a crowd pleaser. The fruit is all Dijon clones from Block Two of the famed Bien Nacido Vineyard. This is classic Santa Barbara Pinot with a price/quality ratio that's truly hard to beat. It has the usual Bien Nacido hard spice of black pepper, clove, and juniper. La Bauge au Dessus translates into "the decadent party up above" these vineyards are the highest planting of Pinot Noir at Bien Nacido Vineyard.
Au Bon Climat sources fruit from several of the most highly regarded vineyards in the Central Coast. These include Clendenen’s own Le Bon Climat Vineyard and estate plantings at the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard – both in Santa Maria Valley, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, Los Alamos Vineyard (Santa Barbara County), and San Luis Obispo County's Talley Vineyard.
Bien Nacido Vineyard
The fabled Bien Nacido Vineyard is the primary vineyard source for Au Bon Climat wines. Located at the northern end of California's Santa Barbara County, the Bien Nacido vineyard produces internationally renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from more than 40 different producers.
Bien Nacido is made up of over 900 acres of vines, nestled in a canyon twenty miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Though the ocean can be viewed only from the hills surrounding the vineyards, the influence of the sea is felt in the cool temperatures of the Santa Maria AVA. Warm days and cool nights combine with soils composed of gravel and calciferous clay to produce wines with a unique and much sought-after character.
Dining with dear and adorable friends—they had the luxury of having to be nowhere and the time to just revel in each others company. Risqué adores the precious opportunities to linger over an elegant repast of conversation, cuisine and some inspiring vino. In this case, two delicious bottles of 2005 Au Bon Climat, "La Bauge Au Dessus" Santa Maria Valley
"La Bauge Au Dessus" translates to "the decadent party up above"; how appropriate for a wine that paired perfectly with our mixed choices for the evening. Its light, smoky bacon and spice in the nose was perfect to carry the grilled sockeye salmon; the acidity and fruit balanced the decadent tomato, asparagus and cheese stacked salad. Soft but persistent plum fruit slid along gracefully on the palate with marked acidity. With a nice touch of framboise and wet stone in the finish, this becomes a quite quaffable, yet complex Pinot. Instinct Magazine (USA)
