Tasting Notes
The crisp Pinot Gris portion of the blend supplies the energy, while the Pinot Blanc delivers minerality and depth. The majority of Pinot Gris is harvested from Sierra Madre Vineyard. The Pinot Blanc portion is from Bien Nacido Vineyard. Both had small grapes on small clusters meaning more skin in the skin to fruit ratio. More skin, more flavor. All the Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc is harvested by hand, whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented in neutral French oak. Malolactic fermentation is allowed to complete. This softens the piercing acid of the Pinot Gris and gives the wine some richness. The wine is sulfured and rests sur lie until late Spring. After racking and processing, the wine is returned to barrel spending a total 6 months in the barrel before bottling. 60% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc.
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Needing little introduction, we are delighted to now have the wines of the late Jim Clendenen available. Deeply influenced by his love of Burgundy, Clendenen set up ABC with Adam Tolmach in 1982 with the ambition to make wines that spoke of their place, which emulate the restraint and finesse of Europe but with a magic touch of New World flair. The vineyards ABC source their grapes from reads as a ‘who’s who’ of Central Coast vineyards with Bien Nacido and Jim’s own “Le Bon Climat” as the biggest contributors. He passed away in 2021 and is remembered as one of the most charismatic and influential people of his vinous generation.