Tasting Notes

Release Date: Spring 2014

2010, as it is entering into the marketplace, is revealing a different style for California. The spring was emphatically wet and cold. Late bud break and subsequent vine development pushed the harvest date way into October. This is significant because Cabernet that ripens this late in the fall is creating nuance rather than power. We envisioned an old-world Bordeaux vintage and that was what we made.

We compose this wine from many local vineyards: our vines at Mount Eden, Domaine Eden and Tollgate as well as House Family are in Saratoga. In addition, we include McCarthy and La Rusticana D'Orsa vineyards in Los Gatos. This master blend (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec) is a reflection of our small pocket of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Youthful aromas of cassis, leather, and currant are enticing. The palate is deceptively lithe yet with penetrating, nuanced blackberry, sage and forest floor flavors. Medium-long on the finish with an overall expression of harmony and balance, this Cabernet is a lovely reflection of a cool year in a cool area.

Aging potential is mid-term:  7 to 15 years.

Production

2,796

Tech Notes

Yield: 1.75 tons per acre

Harvest: October 1st-November 15th

Numbers @ Harvest: 22.9° Brix, 3.38 pH, 6.5 grams acidity

Cepage: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec

Barrel Regimen: French-33% new; aged 24 months in barrel

Bottling: August 2012; no fining or filtration

Alcohol: 13.5%

Reviews

92 points BEST BUY Wine & Spirits Magazine - October 2014

Jeffrey Patterson draws on a handful of vineyards—including the Mount Eden estate—to blend this delicious, rustic, well-priced mountain Cabernet. The cool 2010 vintage grew a wine carried by juicy acidity as much as tannins, the flavors tending toward black trumpet mushrooms and tobacco instead of overt fruit. It’s sappy yet elegant, just the thing for a rich autumn dinner that starts with roasted bone marrow and a bowl of chestnut soup.

90 points Antonio Galloni presents Vinous - July 2013

The 2010 Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty, accessible wine to drink now and over the next few years. Bright, beautifully focused aromatics meld into dark red cherries and plums in this hugely appealing, medium-bodied Cabernet. The 2010 is a beautifully nuanced and complex Cabernet from Domaine Eden.

90 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine - Best of Year Issue 2014 (Mid-December 2014)

Distinct jalapeno aromas come alongside plum, boysenberry and star anise on this Cab from the team at historic Mount Eden. The green pepper fades to the background on the palate, where ripe plum and woody flavors meet with present but no overpowering tannins. —MK