Much has been
written about Au Bon Climat winemaker Jim Clendenen, to the point where one
might imagine that he is even more complex than his wines. But in person he is
open and approachable, much like his delicious pinot noir and chardonnay
bottlings are in 2012. I met Jim at his NY Distributor Verity Wines’ portfolio
tasting late in the summer and spoke with him on the phone a few weeks later.
He told me that Garnet was the first company in Manhattan that he ever sold wine to, way back
in 1984. Clendenen is truly a man who loves what he does, and having a conversation with him on winemaking is a real treat.
Located in Santa Barbara County, the Au Bon Climat winery is just
about dead center of the Santa Maria Valley AVA. Santa Maria Valley
is a cool climate growing region, what many consider the perfect spot for
cultivating Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes in the Burgundian style. Jim started
Au Bon Climat in 1982, and he has long been associated with Bob Lindquist, who
went on to found Qupé, another French-influenced Santa Barbara Winery. “Bob and
my friendship and working relationship is unchanged,” Jim says. “We’re still really good friends, we still
make wine in the same building since 1989.”
2014 Vintage
When I spoke with
Jim, the crop was still on the vines. I asked him how the 2014 vintage was
turning out. “We will pick well earlier, color good, smaller yields, ie two
tons vs 3.5 ton range. Not as top notch as 2012-13. It worked out just fine for
somebody that wants to make wine the way I want to make wine. We just want to
make balanced wines and preserve the acidity.” When asked what he thought of
the difficult 2011 vintage, he responded, “Only thing with 2011s is trying to
make money,” suggesting that he is OK with drinking a leaner styled, more
delicate wine.
The Use of Indigenous Yeast
On the subject of
indigenous yeast, a hot topic for today’s winemakers, Jim explained, “I want
the yeast to be active. I want it to make the wine go dry. We tried indigenous
yeast for a long time. We never had much luck. We add a yeast cultivated in Germany
to our chardonnay for example. No one knows what the most dominant yeast is. We
don’t want to end up with a stuck fermentation. We want to have things start in
balance, and we want to have them finish.”
Wine Ingredients on Bottles?
Another question
facing wineries now is the subject of what information should be put on wine
labels regarding ingredients. Jim declares that the process would be “pretty
straight forward for us. The amount of things that we put in are few and far
between. Tartaric acid, (for example). I object to doing anything
systematically. We don’t add water unless absolutely necessary.”
Marching to a Different Drummer
Considering his
somewhat rebellious image, it isn’t too surprising to hear Jim’s response
regarding the trend of bigger and bigger wines. “The critical paradigm in America goes
for easy flavors. They found our wine nervous, acidic and tight.” As to the
critical faves and top scoring wines, he adds that he finds them “bombastic –
they deliver a boring product. That’s all I’m gonna say.”
Asked about his
influences and idols in winemaking, he points to numerous Burgundian masters.
But the names of his friend Dominique Lafon, the managing director of the
Compte-Lafon in Meursault, and Henri Jayer, the Cotes de Nuits legend, seem to
come up again and again. He adds that “There are a million Burgundian models.”
The attractive
labels on Jim’s wines are nothing out of the ordinary – the pinot noir has purple
coloring, and the chard has golden yellow lettering. But when you look a little
closer and see that the title of ‘winemaker’ has been replaced by ‘Mind
Behind,’ you know you are in for something a little different. The reasonable
pricing of Clendenen’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, around $20, makes them very
attractive choices for the budding wine geek looking to try something a bit
conceptual that is also the product of experience, dedication and great
terroir.
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 2012
Translucent ruby
red. Strawberries, incense and cherries on the nose. Crème Fraise on the nose.
A floral quality as well – roses? Medium bodied and elegant. Very light tannins
at first, very ripe fruit. Good balance although not a ton of acidity for a
Pinot Noir. Very good finish. Smooth texture. “Alcohol soaked cherries,” says
my friend Danny. Has the weight and complexity of a nice Chassagne-Montrachet
Rouge in a ripe vintage, which 2012 certainly is. Tannins and acidity come up
at the end of the bottle suggesting that the wine will age well in the medium
term.
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 2012
A bright medium gold
color. Nose a little shy right now. Some oak on the nose but not overpowering along
with light cream and citrus. What a palate though! Medium bodied. Excellent
flavors of citrus, mineral, and lemon meringue pie. Delicious stuff. Clean,
bright acidity. Excellent balance. Vibrant. Explosive mid-palate and a very
long finish. Really satisfying and fun to drink. Everyone on the staff loved
it. –Christian Botta
