2018 Au Bon Climat Lala Panzi Estate Pinot Noir

Au Bon Climat was founded in 1982 by winemaker Jim Clendenen. The name means “well-exposed vineyard” and the winery is on the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. Clendenen developed a taste for wine and winemaking during a college year abroad in the 1970s. He worked at wineries in California, France and Australia before starting Au Bon Climat with his former business partner Adam Toimach. The winery owns 100 acres and also sources grapes from other Central Coast vineyards. Clendenen is widely admired for his Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, though he has also branched into Italian style blends.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.