Au Bon Climat, Burgundian-style winery in Santa Maria, California
Au Bon Climat is a winery in Santa Barbara, California, that specializes in Burgundy-style wines made from grapes sourced across the region's top growing areas. The focus sits on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, alongside smaller productions of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
The winery was founded in 1982, during the early years of Santa Barbara County's wine scene, when few producers were working with Burgundy varieties in California. Over the following decades, it helped bring wider attention to the region as a serious source of cool-climate wines.
Au Bon Climat takes its name from a French wine term meaning a place with favorable growing conditions, a nod to Burgundy traditions. This connection to French winemaking culture shapes the style of every bottle, and visitors can taste that influence directly in the glass.
The tasting room is in Santa Barbara and is open during the day for walk-in visitors. It is worth setting aside enough time to work through several wines, as the range covers different styles and vineyard sources.
One of the wines is named after a founder's son and is made from hand-selected lots in Santa Maria Valley, where the cool air off the Pacific shapes a flavor profile that often shows cherry and wild sage. That wine is considered one of the most personal expressions in the range and is sought after by collectors.
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