10% Discount

on mixed and un-mixed cases of 12 bottles

5% Discount

5% off mixed cases of 6

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2020 PINOT NOIR, Au Bon Climat. Santa Maria, California

Bin:  441

Alcohol percentage:  13.5%

Organic

Area:

Santa Maria Valley is a (relatively) cool climate area north of LA, where Burgundian and Rhone varieties predominate. Made famous by the film ‘Sideways’ which helped kickstart the trend. This comes from new clones planted recently and the fruit quality improves with every vintage.

Grape variety:

100% Pinot Noir, aged in French oak for a year (but very little new wood).

Producer:

Jim Clendenen has for 30 years been the self-styled ‘wild boy’ winemaker / owner of ABC. His hippy, devil-may-care attitude has always been reflected in the authentic, lively, ‘natural’ (before that term was taken over by fundamentalists) style of his wines.

Maturity potential:

Delicious on release but we have had mature ABC Pinots at 20 years old which have stayed fresh and vibrant.

Old Bridge rating:

This is medium-pale, fragrant, ripe but gentle Pinot. Clearly New World in it soft fruitiness, but Burgundian in its discreet and under-stated classiness.

Food match:

Gentle enough to drink on its own but also great with salmon or chicken, especially char-grilled.

Press review:

“Excellent definition to the fruit – juicy, generous, thirst-quenching and savoury. Gets that purity of Pinot with loads of sweet chocolate and meaty character.” 16.5/20 – Richard Hemming, jancisrobinson.com

£33.00

£31.35 per bottle in a mixed case of 6 bottles
£29.70 per bottle in a mixed case of 12 bottles