Founded in 1982 by Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat winery is devoted to making balanced, Burgundian-styled Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and more varietals in Santa Barbara County. The convergence of cool, brisk Pacific air, marine-based soils, and east-west running valleys of the area provides an ideal place for growing exceptional grapes. Hence the name “Au Bon Climat,” the French idiom for “good place”. As the fads in California winemaking have come and gone, Au Bon Climat has maintained a laser focus in producing traditional, site-specific, nuanced, iconic wines.

By incorporating Old World winemaking in a New World wine region, the wines inherently carry their own signature but still resonate restraint and equilibrium. Barrel fermentation, whole cluster pressing, lees aging, and substantial time in François Frères barrels are standard practices at ABC. Hand-picked grapes are harvested at a sugar level that encourages the wine to age slowly. These are not flashy, exaggerated wines. Rather, they are layered, well-structured, and lower in alcohol.

Au Bon Climat sources fruit from several of the most highly regarded vineyards on the Central Coast, primarily in Santa Barbara County. These have included Clendenen’s own Le Bon Climat Vineyard and estate plantings at the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard (both in Santa Maria Valley) and his estate Rancho La Cuna (Santa Barbara County).