Aromas of red berries, plums and dried roses are obvious at this stage of development. Balance between the richness, the invigorating acidity and harmonious tannins make this wine a great all round food wine. An excellent example of a classic Italian varietal grown under the joyous Californian sun.

The Nebbiolo for PIP is grown across the Santa Maria Valley at Rancho Sisquoc on a tiny 1.63 acre section of the Bien Nacido Vineyard. This is a late-harvested varietal, but always has great acidity when harvested. After initial fermentation in open-top fermenters, the wine is put in both 500L Hungarian oak barrels and neutral French oak barrels for at least 3 years. Nebbiolo benefits from extended oak aging as the tannins mellow and all the flavour components become more integrated.

Clendenen Family Vineyards "Pip" Wines Project

"Pip was the best dog in the world. There might be many other dogs in contention but if you met Pip you would agree. She chased the ball and the Frisbee for hours, all while hiding between throws. In her imagination she was herding' something, a classic border collie. Pip was at the winery most days. It was hard to get visitors to pay attention to wine tasting when Pip was chasing everyone that wanted to throw the ball for her. We could not name just one wine after this dog. We memorialize her with an entire line-up of wines. The "Pip" wines are early releases from either our estate Le Bon Climat or Bien Nacido vineyards. Important attributes of "Pip" wines are a shorter barrel program with less new wood and using fruit from younger vines. These wines are delicious upon release, so drink up."