Mount Eden Vineyards

Tasting Notes

Release Date: Fall 1998

Few wineries are built so intimately around its wine grape clones as this one. All three varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon share similar quality characteristics: small berries, small clusters and low yields. They also share a common history of a distinct lineage from the original French vineyards brought to California by two wine pioneers in the late 1800's. They are unique in California viticulture, in fact, they are known in the industry as the "Mount Eden clones".

The Cabernet Sauvignon was brought originally from Chateau Margaux and formed the basis of the famous La Questa Cabernet grown in nearby Woodside, California. Thick skinned and loosely sculpted, this is truly a noble grape worthy of the austere soils at Mount Eden.

With a long and cool growing season, 1995 is definitely a Bordeaux-styled year. Good balance with integrated tannins gives suppleness to the mouth. Mineral notes accent the primary flavors of blackberry and plum. Expect a slow and graceful evolution for another five to seven years and a long plateau thereafter.

90 points Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate - December 1998

Issue #120

The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve was bottled unfiltered, but was given a slight egg white fining. It is a backward, concentrated example in need of a decade of cellaring. Medium to full-bodied, with a deep ruby/purple color, and plenty of ripe cassis in the nose, it displays an unevolved, austere, formidably dense and muscular personality. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.

Old Vine, Mount Eden’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two parcels planted in 1955 and 1958. I was impressed with both the 1995 and 1996.

89+ points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, - May/June 1999

Good ruby color, not as dense as the ’96. More expressive aromas of roasted plum, lead pencil and smoked meat. Cherry and currant flavors are given shape by slightly edgy acids; a more restrained, Medoc-like cabernet than the ’96. Perhaps smaller-scaled, but built to reward aging. May ultimately merit a 90-plus rating.