Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches au Bouge
オー・ボン・クリマ シャルドネ ニュイ・ブランシュ・オ・ブージュ
Au Bon Climat
Chardonnay
About this wine
First produced in 1996, Nuits-Blanches au Bouge ("sleepless nights") is Au Bon Climat's top-tier Chardonnay, created by winemaker Jim Clendenen to showcase the extraordinary quality of the Bien Nacido Vineyard's 'K' Block. The blend is traditionally about 85-90% Bien Nacido Chardonnay with 10-15% from the estate Le Bon Climat vineyard. Grapes are picked later and sorted more rigorously than for any other Au Bon Climat Chardonnay, fermented and aged entirely in new French oak for around 18 months. The style is richer, oakier, and more concentrated than the winery's other Chardonnays, showing ripe stone fruit, caramelized lemon, chalky minerality, and toasted spice, with the structure for extended aging. Certain vintages released in Japan have carried special local nicknames (e.g. the 2019 vintage was named '独歩,' Dokuho, in tribute to Japanese fans).
Au Bon Climat's richest, oakiest Chardonnay — a serious wine, not a casual sipper.
Sommelier's Note
"This is Jim Clendenen showing what Bien Nacido's 'K' Block can really do — full new-oak treatment, longer élevage, and a level of concentration that puts it in conversation with top-tier white Burgundy."
Food Pairings
Rich enough for lobster with drawn butter, roasted foie gras, or a creamy mushroom risotto; also excellent with grilled scallops finished in brown butter or a mild Thai curry.
When to drink it
Special occasion dinners, cellar-worthy purchases, pairing with rich seafood or foie gras
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Style
- White
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Price Range
- $50-75 (US retail; reference conversion, not an official JP price)
Terroir & Winemaking
Approximately 85-90% Bien Nacido Vineyard 'K' Block Chardonnay, 10-15% estate Le Bon Climat fruit. Picked later and sorted more rigorously than other Au Bon Climat Chardonnays; fermented and aged roughly 18 months entirely in new French oak.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Nuits-Blanches au Bouge mean and taste like?
- The name means 'sleepless nights' and refers to the winemaker's dedication to this top cuvée. It shows ripe stone fruit, caramelized lemon, chalky minerality, and toasted spice, richer and oakier than Au Bon Climat's other Chardonnays.
- How is this different from the Santa Barbara County Chardonnay?
- Nuits-Blanches au Bouge uses riper, more rigorously sorted Bien Nacido 'K' Block fruit, ferments and ages entirely in new French oak for about 18 months (versus neutral oak and roughly 10 months for the Santa Barbara County bottling), producing a richer, more concentrated wine.
- What food pairs well with this wine?
- Its richness suits lobster with drawn butter, roasted foie gras, creamy mushroom risotto, and brown-butter scallops.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
オー・ボン・クリマ イザベル・ピノ・ノワール
Au Bon Climat Isabelle Pinot Noir
RedPinot Noir
Isabelle is the flagship cuvée of Au Bon Climat, created in 1995 to celebrate the birth of winemaker Jim Clendenen's daughter. Rather than a single-vineyard wine, Isabelle is a meticulous multi-vineyard blend assembled from the finest barrels across at least six prestigious sites — from Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict in Santa Barbara County to parcels as far north as the Russian River Valley. Small lots are fermented separately in open-top vessels, punched down by hand, and transferred by gravity only; they are then aged 22–24 months in 100% new François Frères French oak. The result is Au Bon Climat's most powerful and complex Pinot Noir: layers of ripe red and dark cherry, forest floor, and toasted spice framed by silky tannins and vivid acidity, with the structure to evolve gracefully for 10–15 years. Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2017 vintage 96 points and the 2020 vintage 95 points.
オー・ボン・クリマ シャルドネ サンタバーバラ・カウンティ
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County
WhiteChardonnay
Au Bon Climat's flagship, entry-tier Chardonnay draws on three well-farmed Santa Barbara County sites — Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, and the estate Le Bon Climat vineyard. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed, settled, and barrel-fermented in relatively neutral François Frères French oak, then aged sur lie for about 10 months with malolactic fermentation completed. The result is a full-bodied, dry white with mouth-filling citrus and orchard fruit, flinty/stony minerality, and a background spice note from lees aging, built to gain richness and complexity with a few years of bottle age. It remains the most widely available introduction to Jim Clendenen's Burgundian-inspired winemaking.
オー・ボン・クリマ ピノ・ノワール サンタバーバラ・カウンティ
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County
RedPinot Noir
Au Bon Climat's entry-tier, flagship Pinot Noir is a handcrafted blend from premier Santa Maria Valley sites — chiefly Bien Nacido, North Canyon, and Rancho Real — with smaller portions from Kick On and Los Alamos vineyards. Grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in small open-top lots with daily manual punch-downs, then aged 8-12 months in François Frères French oak. The result is a cool-climate, Burgundian-leaning Pinot Noir with red currant, blueberry, and blood orange aromas, subtle bay leaf, white pepper, and wet stone notes, balanced acidity, and a silky, well-structured palate at a moderate 13.5% ABV.