Clos Julien Chardonnay San Luis Obispo Coast 2023

For many years, Clos Julien has been my go-to wine for that first-sip wow factor. The CJ team has an incredible knack of finding some of the most amazing vineyard sources – many just off the critical radar – allowing me to provide customers with immense value (for a while, until everyone else catches up).

They snuck into the blazingly hot San Luis Obispo Coast AVA – a few weeks ahead of the Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) declaring it the newest official appellation.

The new region is being called out from the surrounding region as being a Burgundian grape-growing paradise. The main influence is the proximity to the Pacific, which according to weather data has this clocking in as the coolest AVA in the state. The enormous diurnal temperature swings and Pacific wind create the perfect conditions for the highest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.