95 points Wine Enthusiast Magazine - November 2016
One of the greatest Chardonnays made in California each vintage, this bottling blends riper elements of yellow peach and honey with the tension of tangerine rind and pink-grapefruit pith on the nose. The palate is very energetic and tangy, with orange peels, crushed sea shells and a touch of salt hanging from an extremely well-chiseled structure. —M.K.
94 points View From the Cellar by John Gilman - July / August 2016
Issue #64
The 2013 vintage has produced an outstanding young example of Estate Chardonnay here at Mount Eden, and this looks likely to be one of the great long-distance runners in recent times for this ageworthy bottling. The wine is still young and quite tightly-knit on both the nose and palate, but with the depth and racy spine of acidity to age beautifully. The still quite primary bouquet offers up scents of pear, white peach, fresh almond, stony soil tones, vineyard flowers and still a fair bit of buttery new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, vibrant and focused, with an outstanding core of fruit, lovely soil signature, a fine structural spine and excellent bounce and grip on the long, nascently complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is still a puppy and is still in the midst of absorbing its new wood, but all of the constituent components are in place for the 2013 vintage to be one of the great classic Estate Chardonnay bottlings in the history of Mount Eden. The wine is already quite delicious, but it is still very early days for this wine and I would not even consider opening a bottle out of my cellar for at least another four or five years! 2020-2045+.
94 points Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate - October 2016
Issue #227
Pure silk on the palate, the 2013 Chardonnay Estate offers textbook notes of buttered apples, brioche, toasted bread and hints of minerality to go with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, no hard edges and impeccable balance. It’s beautiful today, but should evolve gracefully for at least 5-6 years.
93 points Antonio Galloni presents Vinous - July 2016
The 2013 Chardonnay is especially ripe and voluptuous in this vintage because of the drought, almost unusually so. Yellow peach, candied orange peel and pineapple are front and center. The good news with the 2013 is that it will drink well early, but the bad news – if it can be called that – is that the wine is a bit on the overt side. Voluptuous, racy and oily, the 2013 will drink well with minimal cellaring. The 2013 finishes with a real sense of weight and textural richness that only adds to its considerable appeal. Drink 2017-2022.
93 points Wine Spectator - March 2017
Very distinctive, with a unique profile of flinty limestone, minerally citrus, green pear, honeydew and honeysuckle flavors, enlivened by zesty acidity, floral scents and a long, mouthwatering aftertaste that keeps repeating the core themes. Has an excellent track record for aging. Drink now through 2023.–JL
93 points Decanter - November 2016
A very classy Chardonnay made in a Burgundian style, with notes of ripe apple and white peach and very fine use of oak. It has depth, tension, a great mouthfeel and a well-integrated fine oak character. It’s a lovely mix between new world fruit intensity and old world acidity and minerality. A must-try wine.
