Winemaker Notes
Earthy, buttery, complex Chardonnays are almost impossible to distinguish from some of France’s grand cru white burgundies and many have established Mount Eden as one of the most cherished names in Chardonnay land.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A brilliant Chardonnay from this historic producer high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2004 Chardonnay Estate offers a beautiful perfume of subtle pineapple, orange marmalade, buttered citrus, white currants, and wet rocks. In the mouth, it reveals stunning purity, and crisp acidity. It is very rich, but surprisingly light on its feet.
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Wine Spectator
Ultraripe, rich and opulent, yet maintains a sense of balance and proportion, with layers of honey, fig, melon and a hint of marshmallow, ending with a full-bodied aftertaste and a hint of minerality.
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Wine Enthusiast
Mount Eden's estate Chardonnay typically starts out life as a tight, nervous wine. It's marked by acidity and minerals, and you don't want to drink it too cold. The '04 is a lovely young wine, rich and dramatically complex, with layers of pineapples, Meyer lemons, limes, wet stone, creamy yeast and smoky oak, like an important Chablis. Brilliant now, it should develop additional bottle nuances over the next six years.
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.