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2019 Temporarily out of stock: CHARDONNAY, ‘Wild Boy’. Santa Barbara, California

Bin:  217

Alcohol percentage:  13.5%

Area:

Au Bon Climat are based in the Bien Nacido vineyard in the heart of Santa Barbara County – the (relatively) cool climate area north of Los Angeles, where Burgundian and Rhone varieties predominate. Made famous by the film ‘Sideways’ which helped kickstart the trend away from heavy Chardonnays and Cabernets, but in truth Jim Clendennen had been setting that trend for some years before.

Grape variety:

Chardonnay matured for almost a year in French oak

Producer:

Jim Clendenen was the self-styled founder and ‘wild boy’ winemaker / owner of ABC. His laid-back, radical, rather hippy attitude has alwasy been reflected in the very ‘natural’ style of his wines – that’s natural in the real sense, not the way the term has been used by others in recent years.
Jim passed away in 2021.

Press review:

“Fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak barrels from François Frères, with a small proportion of new oak. The Wild Boy version is deliberately made in a more opulent style. From Jim Clendenen but this does not say Au Bon Climat on the label.
Some savour and real raciness. Hint of a deep medicinal streak. No hurry to drink this! Proper wine. Drink 2020 – 2024.”
Jancis Robinson.

£27.50

£26.13 per bottle in a mixed case of 6 bottles
£24.75 per bottle in a mixed case of 12 bottles

Out of stock