Winemaker Dinner with Jim Clendenen
We were graced to be invited to join good friends for one of the winemaker series of dinners put on by La Cumbre Country Club, this time featuring our dear friend, Jim Clendenen.
Upon entering the dining room, we were greeted by servers pouring 2 ABC starter wines, a white and a red. Next came a few more servers generously offering an array of appetizers while all attendees migrated throughout to meet and greet old friends and make new acquaintances. The buzz crescendoed until it was time to sit at one of the dozen or so tables set up for 10.
Jim introduced each wine and gave some added insights and winery and local wine industry history in his usual charming and witty manner. He shared this is his winery’s 39th year which is easy to deduce as the menu showed 2 35th Anniversary wines from 2015. He also stated he is now making around 65,000 cases annually which I find quite impressive for a local producer who started up in an old shack with mostly a hope, a prayer and a lot of commitment to make great Burgundian style wine.
It was a fun evening and we ate and drank well.
Appetizers:
Blini Station with Osetra caviar
Prime beef bites on crostini
Crispy artichoke heart with sun-dried tomato aioli
Caprese flatbread on black crust
2017 AU BON CLIMAT SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PINOT GRIS/ PINOT BLANC- 50% Pinots Gris, 50% Pinot Blanc; this was stupendous and such a great value; the nose was so inviting with fresh tropical and citrus notes; on the palate, mineral infused grapefruit and lemon-lime prevailed; it had a great mouthfeel being very viscous and this carried all of the goodness to the back serving to extend the finish and leave a calling card with an oily fine coat. It paired beautifully with the blini smothered with copious amounts of caviar.
Jim commented that “Pinot Noir requires oil”. He even suggested taking in a small teaspoon of olive oil before drinking any. I think I`ll just rely on the oil from an appetizer to do the trick such as the ones we had on this accession.
2017 AU BON CLIMAT SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PINOT NOIR- this consistently fine entry level Pinot is another great value; its got lots of flavor, feel and finesse; there was an atypical burnt toast accent in the glass I was provided along with the expected fresh red cherry, strawberry and red raspberry fruit; it paired perfectly with the sun dried tomato aioli.
First Course:
White corn bisque with diver scallops and lobster salad
2015 AU BON CLIMAT “HILDEGARDE” SANTA MARIA VALLEY WHITE TABLE WINE- named after Empress Hildegarde, the wife of the King of the Franks, Charlemagne; it`s a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligote, it is barrel fermented and gets extended aged in all new French oak as well was in the bottle; a perennial favorite of mine, this had buttery, spicy and toasty brioche notes to compliment the lemon zest, kiwi and lime fruit; it had a creamy texture and long, satisfying finish. Another perfect food/ wine pairing.
Second Course:
Salmon Wellington with spinach coulis
2015 AU BON CLIMAT 35th ANNIVERSARY SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHARDONNAY- the fruit is from the best cuvees of Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat Chardonnay aged in specially crafted, Francois Freres oak barrels for an extended time; this had a very pleasant perfume that included minerals, a hint of flint, honeyed pear and apple; the taste profile also included spicy citrus notes; its rich and full bodied, smooth and creamy and long as the layers just keep unfolding all the way through the finish.
2015 AU BON CLIMAT SANFORD & BENEDICT 30th VINTAGE CELEBRATION SANTA YNEZ VALLEY CHARDONNAY- Jim remarked his first vintage using S&B fruit was 1985 and I’ve had a few from then on and am extremely grateful as these wines have shined ever so brightly and remain highly illuminated which is true even for most of those from the first few vintages; our bottle gave generous amounts of fresh citrus with lemon and lime most evident; a streak of vanilla and touch of talc also was present; it was medium bodied, easy on the palate and nicely balanced in this early stage.
Third Course:
Stuffed Magdalena chile with pulled duck, creamy polenta and sun-dried cherry gastric
2014 AU BON CLIMAT LA BAUGE AU-dessus SANTA MARIA VALLEY PINOT NOIR- one of my ABC favs over the years, this followed suit with loads of ripe and fresh red fruit accented with Allspice, herbs, pepper and wood spice; its slightly sweetened within some semblance of balance, with cranberry and red cherry fruit especially evident in this medium to full bodied beauty sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard and Le Bon Climat Vineyard, Jim`s estate vineyard.
2015 AU BON CLIMAT 35th ANNIVERSARY SANTA MARIA VALLEY PINOT NOIR- the fruit for this wine is sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard`s Block 11, grafted to clone 667; only 3 barrels made [83 cases] ; compared to the La Bauge, it was much darker in color, certainly more complex and had greater depth; even the fruit profile was more of the darker PN type including black cherry and blackberry; this wine gained lots of respect from me, has fantastic potential and will be resting on its side in my cellar in short time.
Dessert Course:
Almond cake with pear golden raisin compote
2012 CLENDENEN FAMILY VINEYARDS LATE HARVEST SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VIOGNIER- 375 ml; sugar at harvest= 42.5ºBrix; Residual sugar at bottling= 18.2ºBrix; dark gold color; apricot, peach and yes, some pear are most prominent in this rich, honeyed, thick and luscious dessert wine.
Sharing this evening with good friends made it extra special as it was truly a special occasion. The fact that a golf course that ate me up repeatedly over many years was just outside our dining area was not even considered until just now.
Cheers,
Blake