Clendenen Family Vineyards Pinot Noir The Pip 2016

Clendenen Family Vineyards Pinot Noir The Pip 2016 is a 750ml, 13.5% ABV Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir sourced from the acclaimed Le Bon Climat Vineyard. Named in honor of winemaker Jim Clendenen's beloved Border Collie, Pip, this bottling represents a fruit-forward philosophy shaped by one of California's most respected Pinot Noir producers.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.5%  |  Origin: Santa Maria Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2016  |  Producer: Clendenen Family Vineyards

Production & Heritage

Clendenen Family Vineyards was a personal project of Jim Clendenen, the legendary winemaker who also founded Au Bon Climat in 1982 and became one of the most influential figures in Central Coast winemaking. The Pip is built from 100% Pinot Noir grown at Le Bon Climat Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, a site known for its long, cool growing season shaped by persistent Pacific fog. Crucially, only neutral oak barrels are used for aging — a deliberate choice that strips away the vanillin and toast influence of new wood, allowing pure vineyard character and varietal expression to define the wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with dried cherries and blackberries, layered with a subtle herbal quality often described as Santa Maria brush — that wild, garrigue-like character specific to the region. Beneath those primary fruit aromas sit quieter threads of anise and red currant.

Taste: On entry, the wine is surprisingly rich for its pale color, with fresh red berries and plum leading the way. Mid-palate, a luscious cherry note emerges alongside a pleasant tartness that keeps the wine lifted and focused. The medium body carries good density without heaviness, a hallmark of cool-climate Santa Maria Valley fruit.

Finish: The finish is smooth and moderately long, with lingering cherry and a clean, slightly tart acidity that refreshes the palate. A faint anise note persists as the wine fades, adding complexity to an otherwise fruit-driven close.

How to Drink The Pip

Serve The Pip slightly below room temperature — around 58–62°F — in a Burgundy glass to let the delicate aromatics open fully. This is a wine that rewards quiet attention neat, but it also has the versatility to work at the table.

Best For

• Drinking with a multi-course dinner featuring roasted poultry or charcuterie
• Gifting to a Pinot Noir enthusiast who values Old World restraint from a California vineyard
• Cellaring a few more years for collectors curious about aged Santa Maria Valley Pinot
• Pairing alongside a cheese course centered on soft, bloomy-rind selections

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Pip taste like? The Pip 2016 delivers fresh red cherry and plum fruit with undertones of anise and red currant, held together by a pleasantly tart acidity and a smooth, medium-bodied texture.

How does The Pip compare to Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir? Both wines come from the mind of Jim Clendenen and share Santa Maria Valley fruit, but The Pip is aged exclusively in neutral barrels, producing a more transparently fruit-driven style. Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir typically sees a proportion of newer French oak, which contributes additional spice and structural complexity.

Is The Pip good for sipping neat? Yes — the neutral-barrel aging and cool-climate acidity make it an expressive, food-friendly Pinot Noir that is equally rewarding on its own, especially served slightly cool.

Where is The Pip made? The Pip is produced by Clendenen Family Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley AVA of Santa Barbara County, California, using 100% Pinot Noir from the Le Bon Climat Vineyard.

What foods pair well with The Pip? Roasted duck breast complements its cherry and anise notes; wild mushroom risotto echoes its earthy undertones; grilled salmon works with its bright acidity; a charcuterie board of prosciutto and salami matches its medium body; and triple-cream Brie mirrors its lush, smooth texture.

What sizes does The Pip come in? The Pip 2016 is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is The Pip worth the price? The Pip positions as a mid-range Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, and the combination of Le Bon Climat Vineyard fruit, neutral-barrel aging, and Jim Clendenen's winemaking pedigree gives it strong value relative to comparable single-vineyard California Pinots.

Why The Pip?

What distinguishes The Pip from countless California Pinot Noirs is its radical commitment to transparency — neutral barrels mean there is nowhere for the fruit to hide, and the 2016 vintage delivers on that promise with clear, expressive cherry and red currant character. The wine carries the fingerprint of the Santa Maria Valley's cool, fog-influenced climate, producing a Pinot Noir with more in common with Burgundian restraint than Californian opulence. Jim Clendenen's decades of experience in this specific terroir — working Le Bon Climat Vineyard since the early 1980s — gave him an unmatched understanding of how to coax complexity from the site without relying on oak. For drinkers who want to taste a place rather than a winemaking technique, The Pip is a compelling bottle.