Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2014
$29.94
Chardonnay
United States
California
Santa Barbara
750ml
N/A
Better Price, Same Score
2021
$27.69
Chardonnay
United States
Oregon
Willamette Valley
750ml
Closest Match
2019
$29.94
Chardonnay
United States
Oregon
Willamette Valley
750ml
Best QPR in Price range
2018
$26.78
Chardonnay
United States
Oregon
Willamette Valley
750ml
12B / $26.60
More wines available from Au Bon Climat
750ml
Bottle:
$26.89
Abundant fruit with a slight tropical note backed by judicious oak. The fuller viscosity that is a signature of this...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.90
Lovely aromas of apricot, lavender and caramel ebb into bright flavors of lemon/lime, and a fresh, lengthy finish has...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$87.15
375ml
Bottle:
$13.07
$14.52
Burgundian in sensibility but with California style is one way of describing Jim Clendenen's Chardonnays- Structure...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.90
$21.60
Burgundian in sensibility but with California style is one way of describing Jim Clendenen's Chardonnays- Structure...
More Details
Winery
Au Bon Climat
Varietal: Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Region: California
It isn't difficult to see how California became one of the world's most important, successful and influential wine regions. Since the first vines were planted in the state by Spanish pioneers in the 18th century, the region has made the most of its ideal climatic conditions, which range from hot, dry and arid to windswept and cool, for vineyard cultivation and wine production. Today, California has almost half a million acres under vine, and hundreds of independent and well established wineries dotted across its vast wine-making areas. Californian wines range from the traditional, and those emulating fine Old World wines, to the experimental and unique, and it is the home to many of the world's most exciting and trailblazing wineries producing excellent bottles for the global market.
Country: United States
Whilst there are several strains of native grape varietals in the United States, it was the introduction of the European species which prompted the country to begin producing wines on a large scale. Over the past few centuries, experimentation and cross-breeding has produced great successes in regards to the quality and suitability of the fruit grown in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and New York, and the past few decades have seen New World wines from the United States reach much higher standards. Arguably the finest United States wines have always come out of California, where the climate and terrroir is most suitable for fine wine production. The masterful blending of classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, amongst others including Syrah and Chardonnay, have had world beating results in recent years, prompting many to suggest that there has never been a better time for buying and drinking United States wines.
Appellation: Santa Barbara
California is one of the New World's truly great wine producing countries, and within the state, there are few regions quite as enduringly popular or successful as Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara benefits from the fantastic sunshine the state is famous for, as well as the cooling and temperate Pacific Ocean winds which help to slow the ripening process and ensure the grapes which thrive there end up expressing more flavor and aroma in the bottle. The region itself is renowned for producing high quality and flavorful red wines, commonly made from classic French grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon. However, recent years have seen the wineries of Santa Barbara eager to experiment, and today several different red and white wine grapes are growing well in this beautiful region.