2019 Au Bon Climat, La Bauge Au-dessus Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California, USA

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Medium Bodied
  • Pinot Noir
Jancis Robinson MW
17+/20
Jeb Dunnuck
89/100
Antonio Galloni
90/100
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Product: 20191175394
2019 Au Bon Climat, La Bauge Au-dessus Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California, USA

Description

This wine is wonderfully expressive, oozing notes of rich chocolate, dark plum, and stewed strawberry. Highly complex and silky, with intense dark fruit enveloping your palate. It is not over-ripe and retains a lovely freshness alongside a long lingering finish. This wine will reward patience.

Hugo Dale, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Sweet red cherries and strawberries dominate the nose of this wine, which has a lovely intensity and a really smooth mouthfeel. In typical ABC fashion, however, this isn’t over-rich. By contrast, despite the depth and concentration of flavour, it has great freshness, making it both a gentle and easy-to-enjoy wine. Morello cherries and macerated raspberries dominate the palate, completed by a fresh red fruit and stony mineral finish. Just lovely.

Drink 2023 - 2039

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2019
Alcohol % 13.5
Grape List Pinot Noir
Body Medium Bodied
Property Au Bon Climat

Critics reviews

Jancis Robinson MW 17+/20
‘Estate bottled’ is emblazoned on the front label. Fairly subtle aroma of violets and a very dry finish. Serious wine that is still in its infancy.Drink 2021 - 2030jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com (March 2020)
Drink 2021 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (Mar 2020)
Jeb Dunnuck 89/100
Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the translucent ruby-hued 2019 Pinot Noir La Bauge Au-dessus offers good complexity in its mulled cherries, mulberry, sagebrush, and minty herb-like aromas and flavours. It's medium-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant, and thoroughly enjoyable.jeb_dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (August 2023)
Drink 2021 - 2030
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (Aug 2023)
Antonio Galloni 90/100
The 2019 Pinot Noir La Bauge Au-Dessus is attractive, but it is almost shockingly firm for a wine that has been in bottle for a few years. The high percentage of stem inclusion might have something to do with that. Bright red-toned fruit, dried flowers, mint and orange peel give this nervy Pinot an attractive upper register. It will be interesting to see if this softens a bit.Au Bon Climat remains a reference point for Santa Barbara, perhaps THE reference point given the global reach these wines now enjoy. The last time I saw too many changes here was when Jim Clendenen passed away in early 2021, although most of these wines were made while he was still alive. The signatures are a fair amount of new oak for the Chardonnays, but often with prominent use of large and thick-staved 350L barrels and heavy use of whole clusters for the Pinots. The top selections often see extended time in wood. Of course, it all starts with sourcing at some of the very finest vineyards in Santa Barbara. Jim Clendenen influenced pretty much all of today’s younger generation, and that influence remains. Readers will find several compelling wines in this year’s crop of new releases.Drink 2024 - 2031antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (July 2023)
Drink 2021 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (Jul 2023)

About this wine

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Au Bon Climat

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