Tasting Notes

Release Date: Spring 2018

The 2015 harvest started off in mid-August (early) and was the last year of our five-year drought. As with our Estate Chardonnay, this wine is barrel-fermented in French oak and aged on the yeast lees for ten months in our Mount Eden cave. Two-thirds of the final blend came from our estate vineyards and one-third from the Chardonnay grown at Domaine Eden.

In early spring we review which lots of the Estate fruit are destined for our flagship Estate Chardonnay and which will go into the Domaine Eden. We taste through each barrel: those that have the most verve, reticence, length, and acid structure are candidates for the Mount Eden Estate; and the ones which are more forward in their fruit and are perceived to be earlier maturing, go into the Domaine. It is a little humbling because, with bottle age, the Domaine wines compete well with the Estate Bottling.

Lovely perfume of lemon, hazelnut, and vanilla, this Chardonnay gives way to a powerful palate with all-important minerality. The mountain terroir is especially evident in the lingering finish. This small-yield vintage is a good candidate for the cellar so expect a peak in 2022 and beyond.

Production

1,834

Tech Notes

Yield: 2.2 tons per acre

Harvest: August 20th - 28th

Numbers @ Harvest: 23.8° Brix, 3.40 pH, 8.7 grams acidity

Barrel Regimen: French Burgundy-1-5 years; aged 10 months in barrel, sur-lie; 100% malolactic fermentation

Bottling: July 2016

Alcohol: 13.0%

Reviews

93 points JebDunnuck.com - February 14, 2019

I always love this Chardonnay from winemaker Jeffrey Patterson. The 2015 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains comes from an estate just south of Mount Eden that was purchased by Jeffrey in 2007. This wine is always a mix of both estates (Domaine Eden and Mount Eden). The 2015 has wonderful freshness and purity, with vibrant white flowers and caramelized citrus, medium body, lot of salinity, and a pure, clean, age-worthy style. It can be drunk any time over the coming decade or more.

92 points Antonio Galloni presents Vinous - August 31, 2018

The 2015 Chardonnay is a gorgeous, pedigreed wine that captures all the brilliance and pedigree of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Weightless and gracious in the glass, with lovely aromatic lift and tons of energy, the Domaine Eden Chardonnay is pure class. Citrus, floral, almond and mineral nuances add further shades of nuance. Even more importantly, the 2015 is wonderfully fresh and vibrant, which will allow it to age gracefully for years to come. The Domaine Eden Chardonnay is 65% declassified Mount Eden Chardonnay and 35% fruit from the Domaine Eden property itself.

92 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine - December 2018

Like its bigger Mount Eden sister, this more affordable, usually more immediately accessible bottling needs time to open up. With patience, aromas of honeysuckle, oak and nuts provide a savory impression. The palate combines grapefruit pith and Meyer lemon rinds with savory salt and nuts. —M.K.

91 points Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate - Interim End of May 2018

The 2015 Chardonnay from Domaine Eden is initially a touch reduced, opening with aeration to reveal pretty aromas of peach, yellow orchard fruit and toasted nuts. On the palate, it’s glossy, medium to full-bodies and succulent, with bright acids and nicely grippy finish. Today, it’s quite tight-knit, but with a year or two in bottle, it should really hit its stride. —W.K.

89 points Wine Spectator - October 31, 2018

Well-structured, offering chamomile accents to the green apple and white peach flavors. The spicy finish is long and crisp, with some sugar pea notes. Drink now through 2020.–KM