A beautiful medium gold in colour with an intoxicating nose of ripe stone fruit, vanilla cream and a mere hint of toast from 11 months in François Frères French Oak. On the palate the wine is textured, rich and full bodied. A myriad of layered ripe fruit, baking spice with wonderfully integrated oak. Crisp, dry and with zippy acidity, this wine is unashamedly Californian with a discreet nod to Burgundy.

Jim Clendenen, the "Mind Behind" Au Bon Climat since 1982, creates internationally acclaimed Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of balance and intrigue. But there is life beyond ABC. Jim has other projects of passion that allow him to make artisan, small lots of distinctive wines from a wider spectrum of grape varietals under different brands - The Wild Boy range is one such treasure.

The grapes for this wine are soured from both the warmer Santa Ynez Valley AVA and the cooler Santa Maria Valley AVA. This combination of terroirs and styles produces are more opulent, some say, hedonistic style.

"Mainly sourced from Santa Maria Valley vineyards, with a small percentage from the Los Alamos Valley.
Good for them: their prices are still moderate for California. Lots of acidity – even quite lean and lime-flavoured at the moment. Not yet fully developed but it's a fine cellar candidate. Drink to 2032."
16.5+ points. Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com (November 2024)