2009 Chardonnay Reserve

Jeffrey Patterson is one of the most soft-spoken winemakers in California, but don't let that fool you; he is a man of deeply held convictions, with strong views that inform all of his wines. Mount Eden and its sister estate Domaine Eden remain surprisingly under the radar. Part of that is undoubtly a result of the decision to sell most of the production through distribution rather than direct to the consumer, where there is a greater opportunity to build a stronger bond and brand awareness with the end customer. What that means in practical terms is that these wines sell for far less than wines of similar quality from other parts of the US and around the world. The Mount Eden wines remain reference points for the Santa Cruz Mountains, while the Domaine Eden range is designed to deliver that pedigree at more accessible prices. In addition to these current releases, Patterson also showed me all of the vintages of his Chardonnay Reserve. For his Reserve, Patterson takes a portion of the Chardonnay juice and gives it an additional six months in tank, a reductive approach favored by a number of top growers in Burgundy, including (Domaine) Leflaive and Roulot, among many others. Lastly, Patterson has decided to put all of his Mount Eden wines on the same release schedule, which means the 2013 Pinot Noir will be released with the other 2013s next year. Although the Santa Cruz Mountains has seen a rush of interest in the last few years, when all is said and done there are two winemakers who remain the unquestioned reference-points because of their unparalleled track records; Paul Draper and his team at Ridge and Jeffrey Patterson at Mount Eden.

Vintage 2011 was not without its challenges at Mount Eden. Windy and rainy weather in June resulted in a poor set and lower than normal yields especially for Pinot, where yields were tiny, just 0.7 tons per acre. The wines are gorgeous, though, even if they lack the depth of the best years. I have seen the Mount Eden wines age exceptionally well over the years, so it will be interesting to see the paths these wines take. I remain convinced the Mount Eden Pinot Noir Estate and Chardonnay Reserve are among the greatest wines being made in California today. As usual, the Mount Eden Chardonnay spends about ten months in oak prior to being bottled, while the Reserve gets an additional six or so months in tank. Mount Eden fans will also want to check out the Domaine Eden wines, which deliver superb quality for the money.