2020 Chardonnay Reserve

Mount Eden started making Reserve Chardonnay in 2007, employing winemaking techniques in hopes the wine would last even longer than the Estate. Looking for lees impact, new barrels are never used, and the wine is not made every year. The low-yielding vines are densely planted and roughly 30 years old. The 2020 Chardonnay Reserve is worthy of the distinction, a refined yet full-bodied, still-evolving capture of mountain fruit and structure that suggests further aging for 20-30 years. Mount Eden is one of the most historic and storied names in the Santa Cruz Mountains, founded in 1945 at 2,000-feet elevation. Longtime owner/winemaker Jeffrey Patterson came to work as the assistant winemaker here in 1981. In 2007, he bought the old 55-acre Cinnabar Winery for Domaine Eden, a sister brand. Patterson describes the Santa Cruz Mountains as “a vertical place,” its Chaine d’Or stretching from Thomas Fogarty on its northern end south to Rhys, Ridge, Mount Eden, and Domaine Eden. Patterson and his family acquired the majority of the winery in 2008, and the second generation remains involved. Austin Chin has been assistant winemaker since 2018.

The 2020 Chardonnay Reserve shows a questionable ashy bitterness, even though this fruit was mostly off the vine before the smoke from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire fully settled in. A selection of 11 barrels, the 2020 underwent ten months of aging on the lees, then was assembled and transferred to tank for one year. Peach, pineapple and mint open, but it hollows out through the mid-palate, coiling up and becoming chewy and austere on the finish. It’s a good effort, considering the challenges of the season.

The 2020 Chardonnay Reserve is aromatically introverted, eventually displaying citrus oil, graham cracker and apple blossom aromas. The palate combines glossy richness with the crystalline vibrancy typical of the Reserve program, leading to a clear, clean finish with streaks of lively salinity that gain intensity over time. This impressive showing from an immensely challenging vintage is ready to be enjoyed now by readers wishing to capitalize on its energy.