About Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches au Bouge
- Style
- White
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Price Range
- $50-75
- US retail; reference conversion, not an official JP price
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
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).
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.
New to wine?
Au Bon Climat's richest, oakiest Chardonnay — a serious wine, not a casual sipper.
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
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.
About the producer
Au Bon ClimatThe benchmark for elegant, Burgundian-style California wines.Visit the producer page →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.
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