Tasting Notes

Release Date: Fall 2012

Since 2004 we developed a regimen of making two wines from the Chardonnay we grow. For the Estate Chardonnay our focus is on long term ageability, expansiveness in the finish and terroir-driven mystery. In 2009 only forty-two percent of our entire Chardonnay production met these rigorous standards and we are pleased with the results.

Given time to open, there are captivating aromas of yeasty baking bread, lime zest and wild land smells of sage and anise which give pause. Full concentration on the palate without heaviness, the finish echoes the complexity of the aromas.

This is the most historic single vineyard Chardonnay produced in American. As is typical with Estate Chardonnay, there is eight to twelve years of cellaring pleasure.

Production

1,974

Tech Notes

Yield: 3 tons per acre Harvest: September 9th-27th Numbers @ Harvest: 23.3 Brix; 3.35 pH; 8.5 grams acidity Barrel Regimen: French 66% new 100% Barrel Fermented; 100% Malolactic; aged 10 months on the lees Bottling: July 2010 Alcohol: 13.5%

Reviews

94 points Wine Spectator - July 2012

#26  Top 100 Wines of 2012-December 2012

At first, this teases, fresh and snappy, displaying lively acidity and zesty citrus, green apple and pear notes.  Turns pithy mid palate, but the flavors pour though on the finish, adding mouthwatering touches of light oak and mineral.  Should only get better. Drink now through 2025. –JL

93 points Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate - August 2012

Issue #202

The 2009 Chardonnay Estate is incomparably elegant. Lemon, lime, crushed rocks, spices and mint are some of the many nuances that take shape as the 2009 opens up in the glass. The 2009 is unusually open and approachable for a young Mount Eden Chardonnay, but there is plenty of stuffing for it to age well for many years. The 2009 will be even better in another few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.

93 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine - December 2012

There’s a hard, minerally edge to this Chardonnay, like the tang of cold metal, an impression that’s heightened by its citrusy acids. The flavor veers toward Meyer lemon, while toasted oak brings needed vanilla and honey richness. It’s controlled and tight, compared to more opulent bottlings, but it’s also elegant and complex. Mount Eden’s Chardonnays have a history of aging, and this fine one will go for 10 years or so, gradually losing fruit. — SH

90 points YEARS BEST Wine & Spirits Magazine - October 2012

This broad, rich Chardonnay has density to its fruit, the oak integrated into the texture rather than overt in the aroma. Beyond the scent of lemon curd and chamomile, it’s youthfully pungent and raspy, needing time to mellow