2019 Clendenen Family Vineyards, Mondeuse Rouge Santa Maria Valley

Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climat) started this label in 2000 from family tended vineyards as a project in which his then wife, Morgan and his kids Isabelle and Knox could make as a family. The grapes are vinified in a highly personal, very traditional and patient fashion. The resulting wines are unique in California, and are very distinctive.
Jim Clendenen graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with High Honors in Pre-Law in 1976. It was during his "junior year abroad" in 1974, while turning 21 in France, that he discovered life beyond tacos. After graduation, a one month stay in both Burgundy and Champagne convinced him to attempt a career in wine rather than continue on to law school.
Beginning with the 1978 harvest, Jim Clendenen was assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery for three vintages, a valued training experience. In 1981 his vision broadened with three harvests in one year as Jim worked crush and directed the harvest at wineries in Australia and France. Three harvests in one year confirmed his masochistic tendencies.
In 1982, Clendenen decided, along with now ex-partner Adam Tolmach, to start his own winery in leased quarters. Au Bon Climat (which means "a well exposed vineyard") has grown over its history to over 30,000 cases through careful re-investment from its own production.