2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA (1.5L) VERITAS

TASTING NOTES:

“The 2015 Chardonnay Estate comes all from the estate vineyard and mostly from a block of vines planted in 1990. Aged in 50% new oak, it’s another brilliant Chardonnay from Jeffrey Patterson that has a rich, concentrated, classic style as well as ample honeyed minerality, orchard fruits, and hints of brioche and toasted spice. Pure, medium to full-bodied and impeccably balanced, you can enjoy bottles today or cellar for 10-15 years, if you’re so inclined.”
Jeb Dunnuck, 95 pts

“This classic bottling is still a baby and needs plenty of time to open. When it does, aromas of toasted hazelnuts, light oak, lemon pith and exotic apples show on the nose. The palate combines oak smoke with savory sea salt and sumptuous golden apple fruits. Drink 2019–2030. Cellar Selection”
Wine Enthusiast, 93 pts

“Deeply hued and very rich, with notes of beeswax and light smoketo the ripe pear, apple and Marcona almond flavors. The vividlystructured finish shows lots of mineral and spice components and plenty of vanillin detail. Drink now through 2021.”
Wine Spectator, 92 pts

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

The 2015 Estate Chardonnay grapes developed during the fourth year of our recent drought cycle, but remarkably, the wine does not reflect it. After the previous two early August harvests caught us by surprise, we were ready this time. Knowing when to start picking–at just the right moment–is one of the hardest tasks a WInemaker/grapegrower has, yet it is the most fundamental. That decision sets the style and the delicate art of a wine. No other event in the year has this level of significance.

The thing that sets Mount Eden apart from the most Chardonnay producers, outside of Burgundy, is its ageability. It is the singular aspect that separates good from great. The best wines in the world share this one attribute, longevity.  Good acidity also creates a wine that is slow to show its qualities; which is why we release late.

Our Chardonnay spends ten months in the barrel sur-lie and a full two years in bottle before release. The reticence that it displays early on is encouraging, along with knowing that the richness and complexity will emerge with time. This Chardonnay exhibits fresh acidity, minerality, and leesy complexity. Expect full development by 2002.