Clendenen Family Vineyards Tocai Friulano 2015
In the Fall of 2018 I took a trip to Santa Barbara, CA to visit a few selective wineries and taste some of their current offerings, particularly the Rhone blends. There were four of us tasting wines and my comments, on each of the wines tasted, incorporate nuances from everyone’s palate. It was a great trip, the wines were outstanding and the folks I met at each of the wineries were extremely informative, helpful and very generous with their time. The wineries have “Wine Clubs” which offer some tremendous, small production, wines that can only be obtained directly from the vineyard. I recommend to try a “Club”, click this “WineClubLink” to go to their site. I highly recommend a trip to Santa Barbara, you will not be disappointed! Keep checking back with SippingFineWine.com for all of the wineries visited, wines tasted and comments regarding the wines, wineries and folks I met.
At Au Bon Climat, winemaker/owner Jim Clendenen started a label so he can make small lots of artisan distinctive wines. He crafts these wines with care and is concerned with producing a high quality product, despite how long production takes, some of these wines spend up to 5 years of barrel age.
The Tocai Friulano, an Italian white varietal, planted in 1994 on the Bien Nacido Vineyard. Aromas sweet stone fruits with floral notes, aged in 100% neutral oak. On the palate apple, zesty citrus and lemongrass, with vivid acidity. Savory mouthfeel, well balanced on medium finish, ending with a slight honey character. Very nice, good value! Tasting Sample!
Cheers!