Au Bon Climat Isabelle Chardonnay

Santa Barbara County, USA

Jim Clendenen's benchmark Santa Barbara Chardonnay from multiple Santa Maria Valley sites — Burgundian in orientation with white peach, hazelnut, lemon curd, struck flint, and the cool coastal minerality that distinguishes Santa Barbara from warmer California regions. Oak-integrated and age-worthy.

Pairing intelligence

• main: Santa Barbara Chardonnay and Pacific crab from the same coastal waters — the wine's hazelnut and lemon character mirrors the crab's sweetness; butter mirrors the wine's richness
• main: West Coast fish and West Coast Chardonnay — the wine's mineral precision and citrus character is the ideal foil for halibut's delicate flesh; chanterelles echo the hazelnut notes