2013 Chardonnay Reserve

This is another terrific set of new releases from Mount Eden and Domaine Eden. Mount Eden remains one of the most iconic estates in the world, with wines that have proven over time to age exquisitely. The Domaine Eden range is composed of three entry-level bottlings that are made from what was formerly the Cinnabar property and deselected barrels from Mount Eden. All of the wines bear the indelible signatures that have defined proprietor Jeffrey Patterson's Chardonnays, Pinots and Cabernets for the last four decades. Chardonnay and Pinot get most of the attention, but it would be a mistake to overlook the Cabernets from both Mount Eden and Domaine Eden, as they are fabulous. More broadly, the 2014s seems to share an inward, tightly wound feel that is almost certainly attributable to the stress vineyards were feeling during one of the most severe droughts in California's history.