Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Au Bon Climat — Chardonnay 2023
Santa Barbara County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Santa Barbara County Chardonnay from Au Bon Climat, reflecting the restrained, balanced style that made Jim Clendenen’s wines such benchmarks for the region. This is Chardonnay without unnecessary theatrics: cool-climate freshness, measured richness, and an easygoing personality that still carries plenty of character.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh apple, pear, lemon, white peach, and citrus blossom, with subtle vanilla, mineral, and lightly toasted nuances adding complexity without dominating the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, fresh, and beautifully balanced. The acidity provides just the right amount of tension, while a subtle creamy texture rounds the palate. Clean, composed, and remarkably easy to enjoy.

Food Pairings
Grilled fish, roasted chicken, shrimp, crab cakes, creamy pasta, or simply enjoyed on its own.

Verdict
A solid representation of what Santa Barbara Chardonnay does so well. It has freshness without austerity, texture without heaviness, and enough complexity to remain interesting while being completely approachable. A terrific casual Chardonnay.

Did You Know?
Au Bon Climat was founded by Jim Clendenen in 1982 and became one of the defining producers of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, favoring balance and restraint long before those qualities became fashionable in California.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is what I want a casual Santa Barbara Chardonnay to taste like. Affable, balanced, subtly textured, and carrying just enough tension to keep every sip fresh. Nothing overdone and nothing missing. It has officially earned a spot among my New World Chardonnay staples. — 14 days ago

Amy

9.0

master the world — loved!! — 3 months ago

Ana Bumgardner

9.0

2024 vintage on 3/15/26 at Sanaa (Indian food). Very good chard. — 6 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

8.9

Clear, medium ruby to garnet in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced intensity primary and secondary aromas of black cherries, cassis, and graphite; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and intense primary and secondary flavors of blackberries, black cardamom, and wet gravel with a medium finish. This wine is simple, but balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as good. — 6 months ago

with Nellie

Conrad Green

9.7

Wonderful deep and rich wine. This is in great shape. Dark plum and blakcurrant with iron and bloody intensity. Great tension and complexity. So fresh. This is great — 7 months ago

with Bex and David

William Lauder

9.5

One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had. — 9 months ago

Yoly Sardinas

9.1

2019, 2018, 2017 - we enjoy them all. At the Chateau Pichon Baron facility. Incredible tour . — 12 days ago

Michael Bontà

9.5

Clear pale salmon. Medium + intensity on the nose with strawberry, blood orange, geranium leaf, pink grapefruit, tomato leaf, white peach. On the palate dry, medium + acidity, medium + intensity medium body, long finish and medium alcohol with notes of grapefruit, red cherry, grass, white peach and something plastic that I can't quite identify but isn't undesirable. Outstanding wine and fun to drink on its own without food. Creamy and sophisticated — 2 months ago

Brian

9.3

1986 vintage, 40 year old wine on our 40th Anniversary — 4 months ago

Ted

9.4

The oldest of a 4 bottle vertical I bought a few weeks ago. In a perfect window. Made a vodka sauce and wow. Great compliment. Fresh herbs after an hour of being open. Can’t wait to try the other 3 years. — 6 months ago

with Jeni

S.S. Mandani

9.1

Perfumed red fruits.

Cherry, zippy structure, earthen, licorice, fennel. — 7 months ago

Nicole

9.3

Light, mineral, oak, berries. Perfect with any food. — 8 months ago

Tony Machi

9.0

Riserva 2011 Baron’ Ugo Monteraponi Chianti Classico, better 2017-2019 — 9 months ago

Dave

9.1

I had this a few months ago, and grabbed another because it's very good. Decanter says 94 points, which is too generous, but it's a solid Rioja.
Listening to Vince Guaraldi — a month ago

JKT

9.1

ML and gang visit, outshined 2000 Tradition with more complexity — 4 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2020 vintage. An excellent introduction to the grand vin at a fraction of the price. Highly recommended. Abv. 14%. — 3 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2022 vintage. Deep dark red colour. Raspberries, flowers and cedar. Concentrated, intense. Combines power and elegance. Many Crus Classés would be very satisfied with this quality for their grand vin. Henri Lurton stated that he made his best wines ever in 2022 (which is saying a lot given the track record of this Château), and you can see why with this Baron de Brane. One can only imagine the quality of the grand vin in 2022! Anyway, this is one of the finest wines one could encounter for 30 euros. Abv. 14%. — 6 months ago

Doug Powers

9.3

[60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre] Still very grapey and primary, I actually tasted this wine in barrel in May of 2019 at the Chateau, and it tastes like it’s barely evolved since then, great acid, ripe, round tannins, long, lingering finish, this should easily age another 10 years based on my history of tasting this cuvée since the 1998!! — 7 months ago

with Jim

Miguel Silva

9.2

Full body, berries mild tannins. Go well with game or lamb. Delicious for a Friday night for 2 — 8 months ago

Ivor

9.1

Great wine combining southern burgundy richness, use of luxurious oak, great acidity and low alc levels. Wonder how this ages.. Tx @Jan A for pointing this one out!. — 9 months ago