Tasting Notes

Release Date: Fall 2014

For this vintage of Estate Chardonnay I will do something I rarely do, which is to sit back and let the critics describe the wine for you.

Here is Antonio Galloni, who formerly wrote for Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, and now has his own on-line publication Vinous:

Mount Eden’s 2011 Chardonnay is simply magnificent. Intense and tightly-coiled from the very first taste, the 2011 pulsates with energy, texture and pure class. Bright citrus, lemon oil, flowers and crushed rocks are all vivid in the glass, but it is the wine’s exceptional balance that stands out most. The long, vibrant finish is a thing of beauty. In 2011, winemaker Jeffrey Patterson did not make a Reserve, instead all of the juice went into the straight Chardonnay. Readers who want to understand why the Santa Cruz Mountains is one of the world’s great terroirs for Chardonnay should start here. Quite simply, the 2011 Chardonnay is a, reference-point for California. The only question is how long it will take to come around. Drink 2018-2031--96 points

 

Production

1,692

Tech Notes

Yield: 1.5 tons per acre

Harvest: September 20th-29th

Numbers @ Harvest: 23.7° Brix, 3.30 pH, 8.7 grams acidity

Barrel Regimen: French Oak 75% new; 100% Barrel Fermented; 100% Malolactic; 10 months on the lees

Bottling: August 2012

Alcohol: 14.5%

Reviews

96 points Antonio Galloni presents Vinous  - July 2014

Mount Eden’s 2011 Chardonnay is simply magnificent. Intense and tightly-coiled from the very first taste, the 2011 pulsates with energy, texture and pure class. Bright citrus, lemon oil, flowers and crushed rocks are all vivid in the glass, but it is the wine’s exceptional balance that stands out most. The long, vibrant finish is a thing of beauty. In 2011, winemaker Jeffrey Patterson did not make a Reserve, instead all of the juice went into the straight Chardonnay. Readers who want to understand why the Santa Cruz Mountains is one of the world’s great terroirs for Chardonnay should start here. Quite simply, the 2011 Chardonnay is a, reference-point for California. The only question is how long it will take to come around. Drink 2018-2031

95 points Wine Spectator - December 2014

#11  Top 100 Wines of 2014-December 2014

This stunning wine is deliciously rich and layered, with vibrant flavors of honeydew, honeysuckle, fig and mineral shaded by seductive toasty oak. The flavors build depth and intensity, displaying a deep measure of intensity and persistence. Drink now through 2024

91 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine - November 2014

Movie theater aromas of caramel candy, buttered popcorn and burned popcorn kernels converge on the nose of this classic Chardonnay from one of California’s most historic vineyards. Despite the prominent nose, the flavors are elegantly restrained, with a brisk acidity surrounding warmer notes of caramelized pineapple. —MK

The Underground Wineletter  - September 2014

In this cool vintage, quantities were quite small. It is a classic Mount Eden Chardonnay. Light yellow gold in color the wine has a stunning perfume that is very faintly honeyed with citrus and peach nuances and a kiss of floral spice. It is rich and rounded, yet there is a crisp underlying structure. A myriad of flavors show citrus with a bit of spice and floral faintly honeyed nuances. The finish is very long and the wine is destined for a long life ahead.  Extraordinary