MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS OCTOBER RELEASES AND DOMAINE EDEN RELEASES FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR

Mount Eden Vineyards

I have have been visiting, buying, cellaring, and drinking Mount Eden Vineyards wines for some 40 years. Here is a brief description from an earlier article:
Mount Eden Vineyards is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Saratoga. It was launched in 1972 on the site of the old Martin Ray Estate which was started in 1945. My first visit to Mount Eden was in the early 1970s. The wines from here are some of the best made in California and I have been tasting, drinking, and writing about them for over 40 years. The wines age beautifully and I have the wines in my cellar back into the 1970s. Jeffrey and Ellie Patterson came to Mount Eden in 1981. They are now the majority shareholders with Jeffrey in charge of the winery operations and Ellie in charge of marketing and sales.
The wines from Mount Eden Vineyards are simply remarkable. It is the only place in the world that I know of that produces world class Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir from the same estate. The history is fascinating and more recently includes the acquisition of a nearby estate which is now known as Domaine Eden (click to read my article MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS AND DOMAINE EDEN — SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW).  The Mount Eden Vineyard wines are also capable of aging for a very long period (to read an article covering every vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon made from the beginning in 1972 to 2012 click here and to read an article on many older vintages of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir click here).

Notes on Mount Eden Vineyard Wines To Be Released in October

2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Estate Bottled Santa Cruz Mountains
This vintage produced 18,768 bottles. Mount Eden Chardonnays are consistently outstanding and can age for decades. This 2013 is classic in the sense that it is lovely to drink now, but with some bottle age it will round out and become more integrated. And, after opening, the wine really benefits with some air. It is light yellow gold in color and has a lovely floral perfume with faint hints of spice and a touch of vanilla and citrus. Flavorful with lots of fruit showing subtle underlying notes of citrus, vanilla, and spice with a very faint exotic tinge, this Chardonnay has richness and a long finish with a nice underlying crispness – Outstanding Plus.     $64

2012 Mount Eden Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay Estate Bottled Santa Cruz Mountains
The first Reserve Chardonnay bottling was 2007. The Reserve Chardonnays are aged for an additional 10 months on the lees. There were 3,144 bottles of this wine produced. It looks to be the finest Reserve Chardonnay produced to date and should take its place next to some of the greatest Mount Eden Chardonnays of the past.
The wine has a faint yellow color with a golden hue and has a gorgeous perfume of peach and citrus with a kiss of spice and floral exotic nuances. It has very pure fruit accented by very faint spice and vanilla notes with an underlying citrus tinge.  Rich and flavorful yet very harmonious and beautifully balanced, this is a classic Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay that is delicious to drink now, yet will age for many years into the future – Extraordinary.     $75

2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled Santa Cruz Mountains
The 2013 vintage produced 12,972 bottles. This looks to be one of the all time great Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noirs. It has a dark color and a deep floral perfume with a myriad of berry fruits and hints of exotic spice. On the palate there are layers of fruit showing berries, cherries, and plums with a faint exotic tinge and a suggestion of floral spice. Lush with great intensity and balance, the wine has a great underlying structure and a long lingering finish with a tinge of crispness. This is a stunning California Pinot Noir with a long life ahead – Extraordinary.    $62

2012 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled Santa Cruz Mountains
This wine was not tasted with the others. Like the other Estate wines reviewed above, it will be released in October, but I tasted it last year before it was released as part of the retrospective Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon article that included every Cabernet Sauvignon made by Mount Eden Vineyards from 1972 to 2012 (to read that article click here). That earlier note is shown below:
The 2012 vintage was another great late year with drought conditions persisting. Late bud break and late harvest in October. Easy full ripeness and the hallmark of beautiful harmony. Full crop.
2012 produced 19,472 bottles. Bottle # 03,769 tasted.
The 2012 will be released for sale next year. It is gorgeous and consists of 78% % Cabernet Sauvignon with 10 % Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Dark in color the wine has a deep perfume of cassis, mulberry, and cedar and has very rich cassis like fruit with a tinge of cedar. Full, rich, and balanced this is a compelling wine that should not be missed –Outstanding Plus. $70

Domaine Eden

Following is what I wrote about Domaine Eden in an earlier article (to read that article click here):
Domaine Eden is also located in the Santa Cruz Mountains a short distance (about a mile as the crow flies) from Mount Eden Vineyards.  An existing winery and vineyards were sold to Mount Eden Vineyards several years ago and are now known as Domaine Eden. As is the case at Mount Eden, Jeffrey is in charge of winery operations and Ellie in charge of marketing and sales.

The two wineries have a lot in common and the style of the wines is very similar. The Mount Eden Vineyard wines have great structure and depth with a long history of aging gracefully. They are wines to buy, drink, and cellar. The Domaine Eden wines come from a different location where there has been considerable replanting and grafting of vines in recent years. Recent vintages have consisted of wines from Domaine Eden blended with declassified wines from Mount Eden. Over time, I expect that the Domaine Eden wines will move even more toward the style of the Mount Eden Vineyards wine. Today the Domaine Eden wines are beautifully crafted and balanced with a lot of early charm. And, they are available at very attractive prices (to read a recent article click here and to read an earlier article with more history and tasting notes on young and old wines click here).

Notes on Domaine Eden Wines Currently For Sale (March Release)

2013 Domaine Eden Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
This vintage produced 7,152 bottles. Light yellow gold in color this Chardonnay has a deep perfume with floral tropical fruit nuances and a tinge of spice. Rich, full, and rounded with tropical fruit nuances tinged with citrus and hints of spice, it is balanced with a good underlying backbone. It opens with air and should be decanted before serving and will benefit greatly from a few years bottle age –     Highly Recommended Plus/Outstanding Potential.    $30
Best Buy

2013 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
There were 28,344 bottles of this wine produced in 2013. On the back label here is what winemaker Jeffrey Patterson says about this wine:
This Pinot Noir is a mosaic of different selections and clones grown at Domaine Eden:Dijon clones 777, 667, and 828 reside along the historic California selections Mount Eden, Calera, and Swan. Each parcel is farmed to our strict standards of sustainability, dry farming, and low yields. All fermentations were native and include 30% whole cluster. This vintage displays the incredible allure of the Pinot grape.
With a very nice color the wine has a gorgeous floral perfume with berry and cherry fruit accented by faint hints of spice and green olive. Elegant, supple, and rounded, this is a seductive Pinot Noir with lots of gorgeous floral tinged fruit and a long finish. For sure, it is a really stunning Pinot Noir with obvious early appeal. But, if you can resist drinking it all now, the longevity of this wine might be the real surprise. And, the price is a great bargain so there is no reason not to buy enough to drink some now and save some for later – Outstanding Plus.    $35     Best Buy

2012 Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
This vintage produced 32,804 bottles. The wine has a dark color and a lovely perfume of cassis and berries with faint hints of cedar and spice. With lots of fruit accented by spice and cedar nuances, it is flavorful and rounded yet has a good underlying structure. This is a really lovely Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed now or cellared for many years and it is a great value in its category – Outstanding.     $38

Conclusion

Without question the dynamic duo of Mount Eden Vineyards and Domaine Eden offer something for every wine lover. The Mount Eden Vineyard wines are classic wines with structure and depth. They have a long history of consistent high quality and age beautifully. The Domaine Eden wines are similar without the same pedigree or history which is balanced by very attractive pricing.  I encourage you to seek out the Mount Eden Vineyard wines and the Domaine Eden wines in your favorite retail stores and restaurants as well as direct from the winery where you can join their wine club to receive automatic shipments twice a year (to go to the website and the wine club Eden enthusiasts click here).