Tasting Notes

Release Date: Spring 2023

2019 was a beautiful year for grape growing in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The winter was generous with moisture and coolness. The spring was stormy in May, but the late-season Bordeaux varieties escaped harm and set a   modest crop. The harvest schedule was more typical and started in late September and into October, which was encouraging.

This wine is a composite of our appellation, produced from five distinct vineyards. All of them are a short distance from Domaine Eden, with our staff farming the majority. When we started this in 1999, we wanted to offer a wine reflecting our region, which is unlike any other. A coastal, high elevation, Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend made to the Mount Eden style—structured and terroir-driven—that is also ageable and affordable.

All fermentations were indigenous, with no fining or filtration. There are loamy earth scents along with currant, blackberry and cedar. The palate is bright with blue fruit, acidity and balanced tannins. A good cellar choice for the next 7-12 years.

 

Production

3,266

Tech Notes

Rain Total in 2019: 52 inches

Yield: 2 tons per acre

Harvest Dates: September 9th- October 19th, hand harvested

Numbers @ Harvest: 23° Brix, 3.37 pH, 6.0 grams acidity

Fermentation: Native Ferments

Barrel: 100% barrel aged in 66% French Oak and 34% American Oak; 1-4 years old

Aging: 22 months

Bottling: July 2021, no fining or filtration

Alcohol: 14.5%

Reviews

94 points Antonio Galloni presents Vinous  - October 2022

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is such a sexy wine. Plush, deep and seductive, the 2019 is an opulent beauty the likes of which I don’t think I have ever tasted here. A rush of black plum, tobacco, incense, dried herbs and licorice makes a strong first impression. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s compelling aromatic nuances. Silky and plush, with tremendous depth, the 2019 is a huge overachiever. I loved it.—A.G.

91 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine  - December 2023

Cellar Selection

Fresh lines of blackberry in this wine are layered in aromas of pencil shavings and toasted herb, proving vibrant yet serious. A bitter bite of woodspice gives an edge to the dried berry and savory meat flavors.   —M.K.

90 points Wine Spectator  - November 15, 2023

Smart Buy

This has a pleasantly chunky feel, with a mix of red and black currant fruit tossed with warm earth, chaparral and iron notes, all framed by light cedar. Shows nice cut and will age nicely in the mid-term. Drink now through 2029. —J.M.

90 points Wine & Spirits Magazine  - Winter 2023

A blend of cabernet sauvignon with four Bordeaux varieties, this includes fruit from the Patterson family’s vines at Mount Eden and Domaine Eden, as well as purchased grapes from three vineyards in Saratoga and Los Gatos. Mountain heady, this wine’s richness shows in spicy melon scents, notes of gravel and blue black fruit. There’s freshness to that fruit, but the think tannins have yet to lasso all that richness into a line.—J.G.