Tasting Notes

Release Date: Summer 1978

The juice pressed from these Chardonnay grapes was a prophecy of richness. Golden-green in color, highly viscous from an intense sugar concentration (24.0° B), the liquid promised a wine of mouth filling strength. And so it is that the 1976 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay is a wine of extraordinary strength with luscious, spicy overtones.

195 boxes of grapes were crushed directly into our Howard Rotapress and squeezed to pressures of six atmospheres. From here the juice was racked to 60 gallon Limousin oak barrels where it was inoculated with active Champagne yeast. The primary fermentation took place in these barrels for two weeks at a cellar temperature of 55° F. Having been fermented and aged in oak barrels, the wine achieved a brilliant clarity through natural settling. Thus, only a minimum, stability filtration was necessary. This is a big, intense Chardonnay that will add richness to any occasion.

 

Production

167

Tech Notes

Sorry, technical notes are not available for this vintage.

Reviews

The Underground Wineletter - October/November 1979

…Mount Eden’s vines are located in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Originally planted by Martin Ray, the Mount Eden vineyards are situated just above the small plot of Chardonnay retained by Martin Ray Winery. The 1976 is the fifth Chardonnay produced under this label and one of the best. The color is light gold with a spicey/oaky nose that shows nuances of developing bouquet. It is a rich wine with great concentration and a silky style that, except for the oaky/vanilla flavor, is slightly reminiscent of great White Burgundy. Sure to take at least until 1981-82 to mature, it will probably keep well beyond that—the 1971 (bottled by Sutter Home) and the 1972 are still beautiful wines after 7-8 years. 18 Outstanding

Rating Scale for The Underground Wineletter:

18-20 Outstanding

15-17 Very good

12-14 Good

Under 12 Below Average