Winemaker Notes
Like all Au Bon Climat wines, this is a food wine. In its youth, match this wine with lamb or dried meats. After a few years, as the flavors coalesce, it will pair better with salmon or mild red sauce with pasta.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
I have always compared the Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Noir to some of the best Bourgogne rouges, and indeed the 2016 did an excellent job in living up to my standards. This wine exhibits ripe strawberry and boysenberry flavors. Pair with fresh salmon sashimi. (Tasted: May 24, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
Pinot Noir is the second-most planted grape in Santa Barbara County, just behind Chardonnay. It thrives in cooler areas of the region, namely in the of the Sta. Rita Hills, which is part of Santa Barbara’s larger Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Thought for decades to be too cool for viticulture, Sta. Rita Hills began to gain notoriety in the 1970’s, thanks to the pioneering work of Richard Sandford and Michael Benedict, among others.
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir dances across the palate with vivid red fruit and spice. Precision, bright acidity, elegance and fruit-driven silkiness make Santa Barbara Pinot delightfully enjoyable, whether on their own or with a variety of dishes.