Domaine Eden Estate Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay 2019
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- ws93
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Category | White Wine |
Varietal | |
Brand | Domaine Eden |
Origin | California, Central Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains |
Alcohol/vol | 14% |
The full-bodied Estate Chardonnay displays fine underlying acidity and a long finish. Hints of cardamom, anise and hazelnut add interest to the core lemon, mineral flavors. Of all Mount Eden’s estate-grown wines, the Chardonnay is most in need of further bottle aging at release, requiring an additional two to four years to fully reveal its true character.
From Mount Eden's website: In the late 1940s and early 1960s, Martin Ray planted six acres of Chardonnay vines propagated from a Burgundian selection grown in the original Paul Masson vineyard. 20 acres of Estate Chardonnay are now farmed at Mount Eden from which 1,200 to 2,000 cases per year are produced. Yields average one to two tons per acre, far below the average for Chardonnay in California. The Estate Chardonnay grapes are harvested when slightly yellow to yellow-green and are pressed without crushing. All of the juice is barrel-fermented in new and one-year-old French Burgundy barrels, where the wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation and is ages on the lees for ten months before being lightly filtered prior to bottling. The Chardonnay is then cellared for two years before being released for sale.
Decanter
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Powerfully ripe yet racy and thrilling with acidity, this deeply concentrated Chardonnay exhibits a masterful balance of pure, persistent citrus and orchard fruit against a deeply earthen, savoury core of minerality. While fermented and aged primarily in new French oak, its oak expressions are subtle and smoky, revealing more richness and depth of texture on the palate. A stunning expression of coastal, high-altitude California Chardonnay that should develop even more complexity in the decade to come.
Wine Spectator
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Rich and succulent, showing a broad range of flavors, from nutmeg-laced spices and candied orange zest to salted, toasted hazelnut, Fuji apple, lemon zest and dried thyme. Packs plenty of harmony on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,666 cases made.
Wine Enthusiast
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Aromas of lemon confit, toasted almond, damp oak and a hint of sour cream make for a complex and compelling nose on this bottling. The palate opens with toasted nut flavors before heading into lemon curd, dried nectarine and sea salt. That blanched almond touch returns for the finish.