AU BON CLIMAT 2018 “La Bauge Au-dessus” Pinot Noir
Santa Maria Valley, California
*“La Bauge au Dessus” translates colloquially as “the wild Burgundian party upstairs.”
VINEYARD
This wine is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard and Le Bon Climat Vineyard both located in the Santa Maria Valley at an elevation of about 500-600 feet, with a south-west facing orientation and with clay loam soils. The Bien Nacido is a mix of clones 115, 777, 113 and 114, and the Le Bon Climat is a small amount of Mt. Eden clone and a majority 667.
CELLAR
This wine is fermented in 5 ton open top fermenters, which are manually punched down once or twice a day. The wine is pressed to complete dryness and goes to barrel with moderate lees. The wine is transferred to Francois Frere French oak barrels (50% new) and then aged for another 20 months (24 months total). The wine is fined lightly with egg whites and then bottled unfiltered.
ACCOLADES
91 points – Wine & Spirits Magazine
ABC – La Bauge Pinot Noir – Label
ABC – La Bauge Pinot Noir 2018 – Tech Sheet