Winemaker Notes
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes across as silky, perfumed and impeccably balanced. Dark red berries, flowers, mint andspices flesh out in this gracious and medium-bodied wine. The Estate is all about subtly and class. Sweet floral notes reappear to frame the exquisite finish.
82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mount Eden’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes across as silky, perfumed and impeccably balanced. Dark red berries, flowers, mint and spices flesh out in this gracious, medium-bodied wine. The Estate is all about subtlety and class. Sweet floral notes reappear to frame the exquisite finish. The blend is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028.
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Wine & Spirits
Tightly built, focused on tart, woodland cherry flavor, this finds a fresh balance between juicy and firm. Oak adds richness to the tannins, tilting the balance in their direction, but the fruit has a cool persistence that isn’t about to give up. If you like coastal cabernet (what else would you call a Médocain blend?), this is a Pacific red that belongs in your cellar.
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Wine Enthusiast
Tough and tannic, this is made in a more aggressive style than many of today's Cabernets. There's a rich, intense core of blackberry jam that suggests superbly ripe fruit, and the oak is well integrated. Those tannins make it hard to appreciate at this time. Your best bet is to cellar the wine for a good eight years. Cellar Selection
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.