Today I am delving into a bottle of Jim Clemenden's 2008 Pinot Noir. It isn't until relatively recently that this brilliant wine maker has begun importing into the UK and I believe that it is a great fortune of ours to have finally gotten a hold of these lovely wines. The merchant responsible for Mr. Clemenden's wines entering the UK, Fields, Morris & Verdin, describes the wine-making methods of Au Bon Climat as Californian style and Burgundian sensibility. I hope to explore some of that claim in my notes. Happy reading...
Country of Origin: United States
Viticultural Region: Santa Maria Valley, CA
Varietals: Pinot Noir 100%
Price Range: £20-£25
Biodynamic/ Organic
Appearance: On first glance this wine has a deep colour not expected from a Pinot, but the intensity is beautiful and the clarity is lovely. Even the first glass has some crustiness in the bottom, clearly visible through the wine. I look to this wine to fulfill my desire for all things unfiltered and raw.
Nose: Burying my nose into my glass, I smell a complex aroma of fresh heather blossoms and damp peat-bog. There is a subtle farminess on the nose and a hint of livestock. Of course, this seemingly unappealing note is present in all the most positive ways and I consider a bit of rustic goat hair to be a huge positive. It is a great Burgundian nose with a definite Californian touch.
Palate: So delightfully delicate and sublime. It dances a lilt across the tongue and pleases on so many levels. After a bite of my lamb, the lilt becomes a fling and this wine really shows it's character as a match for food. It is simply superb and in my opinion quite simply outclasses many of the Burgundies I have had in this price range and well above.
It is an example of a great US pinot. I think this wine is a display of great finesse and what I imagine must be a great deal of personal touch from Jim Clemenden himself. I feel like wine in the glass contains the fruits of the wine-makers labours and this glass contains some painstaking labour.
Bravo, Mr. Clemenden.
