Winemaker Notes
The aromas are youthful and vibrant with curry spice, cardamom and strawberry scents. Medium-bodied, the flavors continue the aromas with notes of raspberry and mountain forest (reflecting the woods surrounding the vineyard). This Pinot Noir will pay dividends with continued aging.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Pinot Noir is 90% from Domaine Eden, with the remainder both from Mount Eden and some from grower vineyards, all cool-climate sites. It’s made in a rich, softer style than the Mount Eden, with no new oak, instead aged in 2- to 5-year-old barrels used previously for Mount Eden. It tastes of wild mountain strawberry, raspberry and a hint of forest floor, melding together into a seamlessly balanced, medium-bodied expression of great winemaking from great sites. Drink now through 2031.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark and intense aromas of plum, graphite, wild thyme and solid show on the nose of this bottling. There's a sizzle of acidity at the tip of the sip, and then come waves of pencil shavings, dark fruit and peppery spices.
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Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir from Domaine Eden also includes about 10% declassified fruit from the Mount Eden estate. It comes from a mix of the greatest hits of clones—777, Rhys, Mt. Eden, Calera, 828—and underwent native fermentation with 15-20% whole clusters. The result is beautifully rendered and especially elegant, presenting a lifted, heady portrait of floral red and blue fruit and sweet spices. Soft and welcoming, there’s ample flesh on its bones, finishing with a long and sensual candied blood orange tone. This is all about textural harmony.
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Wine Spectator
Rose hip and hibiscus notes lead off, followed quickly by racy bitter cherry and damson plum fruit flavors. The long finish shows a spine of black tea and dried anise. There's nice energy throughout. Drink now through 2032.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.