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2020 Au Bon Climat, Isabelle, Pinot Noir, California, USA

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Pinot Noir
Ready - youthful
Product: 20201224803
2020 Au Bon Climat, Isabelle, Pinot Noir, California, USA

Description

Isabelle Clendenen says of her eponymous wine that it is “the closest thing to a Henri Jayer-style Burgundy” they make. Her father, the wonderful Jim Clendenen, was great friends with Henri; he looked to him as a mentor and, with this blend of the finest five barrels across all the vineyards he worked with, he hoped to emulate him whilst also endeavouring to show off the very best that California has to offer. 

The most noticeable thing about this wine is how its glorious, sweet, rich strawberry fruit is perfectly matched by its intensity and power. It is overt and almost hedonistic on the nose with sweet spice elements.

This concentration continues upon tasting yet an undercurrent of supreme freshness brings everything into focus, and a fine savoury line cleanses the palate, leaving a wonderfully refreshing sensation and making this a perfect match with more decadent foods. 2020 Isabelle is a gorgeous expression, not only of the finest quality that California can provide but also of Jim Clendenen’s unique and visionary winemaking style. 

Drink 2024 - 2044

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

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2020
Maturity Ready - youthful
Grape List Pinot Noir
Body Full Bodied
Producer Au Bon Climat

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.
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California

California

While many North American states make wine, California (along with Washington State and Oregon) drives the fine wine industry. In 2005 it accounted for 200,000 hectares of vinous vines. Napa Valley is acknowledged to be the world's second-best source of Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux blends and Chardonnays, while Santa Barbara and Sonoma Counties are home to world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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Au Bon Climat

The late Jim Clendenen founded Au Bon Climat (ABC) in 1982. He became famous for making pioneering wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on California’s Central Coast. He passed away in 2021 and is remembered as one of the most charismatic and influential people of his vinous generation.
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