2013 Mount Eden Chardonnay Estate

I rarely open Mount Eden this young, but Stuff Happens and sometimes when it does,it’s better than OK.
Medium straw color. Aromas thankfully are already somewhat open, with a panoply of fruits including pear, green apple and pineapple, along with minerality and the inimitable Santa Cruz Mountain conifer. The texture is already beautiful, medium to full bodied, both opulent and firm. The flavors reprise the aromas, but now with some bready hints, and with a note of quince on the finish. Balance, harmony, length, everything is here and wonderfully open and accessible at this young age. Rated 95. Based on history, a point or two of improvement is possible over the next 5 – 10 years, but I won’t be waiting that long to open another bottle.

Dan Kravitz

Great note. I plan on opening my bottle soon.

Thanks for taking one for the team, Dan. I have not opened any of mine either, but I was a bit nervous as there were only 2 reviews on CT so far, and someone who didn’t provide any notes rated it 85 (85 + 92 div 2 = 88.5 ave).

Of course, I know that couldn’t be real because I have had many previous vintages and never had a bad one.

Thanks for the note. Have you had the (wonderful) 2011, and if so, how would you compare the 2013?

Totally agree on the Mount Eden, Dan. We had it last summer for my wife’s birthday, and, even though it was very young, it was a crowd favorite. The notes are below. I am looking forward to trying the 2014 vintage.

Thanks,
Ed

Scott,

Haven’t had the 2011. I don’t buy in every vintage (more vintages of Domaine than Estate), although I probably should. However I know somebody who has some and will make it a point to cadge a bottle.

Dan Kravitz

I have had the 2011 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountain (not the reserve). It was a fantastic wine which I gave a 94 points. (94 is the highest score I have given out (about 10 times), so I am either very conservative or I drink plonk, mostly.

From magnum. Still a baby, but lovely nonetheless. Beautiful golden color, nose of pears, quince and limestone. Excellent texture and body, nice blend of sweet apple/pear fruit and crisp limestone filled acidity. Has some coiled power that promises even better things down the road, but a great way to kick off New Year’s Eve.

This was my NYE bottle as well! Showed tremendously well – delicious, complex, and a great foil to various seafood dishes. In a great spot now, with some development still ahead. A joy to drink, and served as a good reminder to pick up another case of the current vintage to start aging now while I work through the rest of these over the next few years…

Such an underrated wine…