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Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 2020 'Knox Alexander' Santa Maria Valley
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 2020 'Knox Alexander' Santa Maria ValleyAu Bon Climat Pinot Noir 2020 'Knox Alexander' Santa Maria Valley
Product Description
AVAILABILITY: 6+ BOTTLES IN STOCKRECEIVE 10% OFF
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NOTES: Named after Jim Clendenen’s son Knox, this wine represents the finest lots of Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley appellation; primarily from Bien Nacido where the winery is located, Le Bon Climat, and a small amount from Runway, our next-door neighbor. Though close to each other, these three vineyards produce outstanding Pinot Noirs that are distinctly different. Blended together the wine showcases the signature Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir character of cherry, cranberry, red currant, rose hip and sage that is so well displayed in Knox Alexander Pinots. It is a well structured, complex Pinot Noir of depth that becomes even more remarkable as the wine ages and integrates.
All Au Bon Climat Pinot Noirs, are “hands-on” starting with hand harvesting in the vineyard. Every Pinot Noir is fermented in 5-ton open-top fermenters and punched down twice a day. These punch downs breakup the cap of skins that rises to the surface during fermentation back into the juice to extract the best part of the Pinot to dark cocoa. In the background is French oak, vanilla and balanced tannins. Food Pairings With its rustic, savory Pinot character, this wine compliments the meaty flavors of roast duck or rabbit, wild rice with mushrooms, or a perfectly seasoned, oak-grilled steak. grapes. The inclusion of whole cluster is rare for a Knox bottling, but for this vintage, 25% is whole cluster fermented. The wine is pressed to complete dryness and goes to barrel with moderate lees where it aged for 22 months in new François Frères French oak barrels. The wine carries the whole cluster and new wood elements well. There was a regimented barrel selection to identify the best lots for the Knox bottling. The 2020 vintage was a large harvest so we were able to select from a much bigger pool of barrels. The 2020 is one of our best vintages of this wine. Its “outgoing” personality highlights good intensity, expressive character, balance and complexity.
TASTING NOTES: An exquisitely layered Pinot Noir. Aromas of Bing cherry, cranberry, red current and dark chocolate are apparent with an intriguing scent of underbrush buried deep within in the wine. Flavors constantly evolve starting with raspberries and moving As with all our Pinot Noirs, we are “hands-on” starting with hand harvesting in the vineyard. Every Pinot Noir is fermented in 5-ton open-top fermenters and punched down twice a day. These punch downs breakup the cap of skins that rises to the surface during fermentation back into the juice to extract the best part of the Pinot to dark cocoa. In the background is French oak, vanilla and balanced tannins.
