Winemaker Notes
The thing that sets Mount Eden apart from the most Chardonnay producers, outside of Burgundy, is its ageability. It is the singular aspect that separates good from great. The best wines in the world share this one attribute, longevity. Good acidity also creates a wine that is slow to show its qualities; which is why we release late.
Our Chardonnay spends ten months in the barrel sur-lie and a full two years in bottle before release. The reticence that it displays early on is encouraging, along with knowing that the richness and complexity will emerge with time. This Chardonnay exhibits fresh acidity, minerality, and leesy complexity. Expect full development by 2002.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Chardonnay Estate comes all from the estate vineyard and mostly from a block of vines planted in 1990. Aged in 50% new oak, it’s another brilliant Chardonnay from Jeffrey Patterson that has a rich, concentrated, classic style as well as ample honeyed minerality, orchard fruits, and hints of brioche and toasted spice. Pure, medium to full-bodied and impeccably balanced, you can enjoy bottles today or cellar for 10-15 years, if you’re so inclined.
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Tasting Panel
From a storied winery that’s been producing boutique wines since the mid-20th century. Lush, rich, and deep with a creamy texture and intensely bright fruit; crisp acidity frames the luscious favors nicely
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Wine Enthusiast
This classic bottling is still a baby and needs plenty of time to open. When it does, aromas of toasted hazelnuts, light oak, lemon pith and exotic apples show on the nose. The palate combines oak smoke with savory sea salt and sumptuous golden apple fruits. Drink 2019–2030. Cellar Selection
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Since the early 1970s, Mount Eden Vineyards has been the gold standard for Chardonnays made in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The 2015 Estate Bottled, as I could have predicted, is an excellent effort. TASTING NOTES: The wine's aromas and flavors of zesty green apples, some dried leaves, wild herbs make it a real wine from where the grapes were grown. Pair its authenticity with a spit-roasted organic chicken over a bed of arugula. (Tasted: August 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Estate spent 11 months in 50% new French oak and is an exotic, voluptuous rendition of this California classic. The nose is deep and powerful, giving off aromas of lanolin, apricot oil, white peach and pastry dough. The palate is opulent and concentrated, propped up with hints of soft acidity and mineral structure.
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Wine Spectator
Deeply hued and very rich, with notes of beeswax and light smoketo the ripe pear, apple and Marcona almond flavors. The vividlystructured finish shows lots of mineral and spice components and plenty of vanillin detail. Drink now through 2021.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
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.