Matt Schwartz

9.6

Bright and racy. Lemon, lime, grapefruit and guava with the right amount of minerality. This is epic and for 6 years old it hasn’t lost a single step! Fantastic.

Update: After an hour the sea salt comes out. This really is a fabulous wine. — 17 days ago

Brian S

9.2

Always solid — 8 days ago

John Willison

9.1

Very green, grapefruit pith, a bit herbal. — 5 days ago

David Larkins

9.6

David’s favorite Chardonnay ever — a month ago

Ryan Kravitz

8.9

good dry chardonnay # — a month ago

Paul J

9.7

Dark gold color. Slightly past prime. Needs 20 minutes of air. Pears, popcorn, cream, and nuts on the nose. Same on the palate with some vanilla and coconut. Super deep wine with a long finish. I love aged Napa Chard!! — 2 months ago

with Brooke

Norman

9.5

Always solid — 3 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

The 22 is a very pleasant wine marked by lemon zest and citrus notes, chalky minerality, and touch of acidity in the finish. What it lacks in depth, it makes up in drinkability and food-friendliness. — 6 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Au Bon Climat — Chardonnay 2023
Santa Barbara County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Santa Barbara County Chardonnay from Au Bon Climat, reflecting the restrained, balanced style that made Jim Clendenen’s wines such benchmarks for the region. This is Chardonnay without unnecessary theatrics: cool-climate freshness, measured richness, and an easygoing personality that still carries plenty of character.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh apple, pear, lemon, white peach, and citrus blossom, with subtle vanilla, mineral, and lightly toasted nuances adding complexity without dominating the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, fresh, and beautifully balanced. The acidity provides just the right amount of tension, while a subtle creamy texture rounds the palate. Clean, composed, and remarkably easy to enjoy.

Food Pairings
Grilled fish, roasted chicken, shrimp, crab cakes, creamy pasta, or simply enjoyed on its own.

Verdict
A solid representation of what Santa Barbara Chardonnay does so well. It has freshness without austerity, texture without heaviness, and enough complexity to remain interesting while being completely approachable. A terrific casual Chardonnay.

Did You Know?
Au Bon Climat was founded by Jim Clendenen in 1982 and became one of the defining producers of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, favoring balance and restraint long before those qualities became fashionable in California.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is what I want a casual Santa Barbara Chardonnay to taste like. Affable, balanced, subtly textured, and carrying just enough tension to keep every sip fresh. Nothing overdone and nothing missing. It has officially earned a spot among my New World Chardonnay staples. — 22 days ago

J Choi

9.4

Ventura. — 2 months ago

Shriya Patnam

9.1

2016 opened at the right time — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2025 vintage. $17 a bottle resto cost. Yeah, that's all. Underpriced and underrated. Two cases please and that'll last us 1.25-1.5 years. 7.8.26. — 3 months ago

Bob Boyle

9.2

Drinking wonderfully! — 3 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

Lemon yellow. Oak vanilla apple pear peach. Balanced to show the features coming from coast side. Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M Acidity M+ Bitterness M Body M Finish M %
Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 18 @1613, Eva - BBQ, 260914-260915 — 18 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several days. Consistent throughout. The 2018 pours a straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Bartlett pear, passion fruit, lanolin, honeysuckle and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and soooooo wooly. These Sandlands Chenin Blancs are fun with some age. Drink now through 2033. — a month ago

Tyler Felous

9.0

Too early. Lots of intensity, good bones underneath. Mellowed out on day 2. — a month ago

Ashley Goldsberry

10

Delicious- fruity without being sweet but not dry. — a month ago

Andrea Watt

8.9

Very nice and classically Californian. Oak forward with cream followed by pear and a balancing touch of citrus. A little oakier than my favorites but still nice. You’ll like more if that’s your style. — 2 months ago

Yosuke Sato

9.3

LAのシャルドネ
ソノマ産 — 3 months ago

Shay A

9.4

Last bottles from a 6-pack. I had two bottles that were sadly riddled with EA, but the other four were sound.

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

65 semillon/ 34 Sauvignon Blanc/ 1 Muscadelle

Always love these, more so than most domestic Bordeaux Blanc style white wines, mostly because of the texture. Straw color in the glass. Quite the tropical aromatics (white peach, mango) but it’s not overpowering. The barrel ferment is apparent with the rounded profile on the palate…the vein of acidity that was there a few years ago is fading, so this showed even more opulent than normal. Honeyed lemon, guava, orange blossom but a backbone of sea salt and herbs snap the structure in place to show nice balance and a nod to Bordeaux. I’d recommend popping now and over the next couple years to enjoy the freshness. — 4 months ago