Au Bon Climat has been making Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County for 30 years. Winemaking philosophy and winemaking practices have changed little during that time. Older equipment has been replaced by newer technologies, but better equipment improved the wines and allowed for softer processing. They still pick and sort everything by hand in the vineyard. They still use open top fermenters which allow them to "punch" by hand. And the top Pinot Noirs are never pumped, and only moved by gravity. The high-end Pinots are aged in new French oak. Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir is basically the same since 1982, only better.
