Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Estate admirably balances oak-influenced richness with the vibrancy and clarity this property is historically known for. The nose leads with intense aromas of caramel, butterscotch, citrus oil and pineapple rind balanced with a streak of herbal energy. The palate is weighty and forward but retains succulent, tangy acidity with great length on the finish. This should continue to develop further complexity in the cellar over the next decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
Honeyed nut, tangerine peel and baked apple aromas show on the nose of this bottling. A zesty acidity enlivens the palate from front to back, carrying toasty flavors of pan-seared apple, cashew, sea salt and white flower.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A Burgundy lover’s Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2018 Chardonnay Estate is another terrific effort from this estate. Lots of honeyed citrus, nectarine, toast, crushed stone, and white flower notes define the bouquet, and it opens beautifully with time in the glass, gaining both richness and complexity. Medium-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with bright yet integrated acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. As with all of Patterson's wines, it's brilliantly made, balanced, and well worth checking out.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Chardonnay is racy, rich, and persistent; it is a real success story. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of tart apples, mineral notes, and dried spices. Pair this with oven-baked game birds. (Tasted: October 19, 2022, Los Gatos, CA)
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Wine & Spirits
Mount Eden’s chardonnay vines—descended from cuttings that Paul Masson brought from Burgundy around 1900—grow a powerful, earthy white with structure to spare. Fermented in French oak barrels (50 percent new), this is smoky and savory, with a refreshing lemony cut that should serve it well through several years of bottle aging.
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.