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Get to know America's viticultural paradise:
Mount Eden Vineyards
Few wines, if any, tug at the soul like Mount Eden's Chardonnay from the Santa Clara Valley. Pitched high up a slope among the Sant Cruz Mountains, Jeffrey Patterson works the vines surrounding his home. Looking over the Silicon Valley, Mount Eden rises as a respite from the bustling innovation below. Patterson is the first to tell you he's more of a wine grower than a wine maker. He believes in the gentle traditions that foster grapes that express themselves through their wine. Rather than brandish his brand, Patterson entices wines with balanced nuance and revealing terroir. At Mount Eden 2000 feet above sea level and far above the cooling fog levels, 40 southeasterly acres of sustainably dry farmed, Mount Eden clones yield less than 1 ½ tons per acre. Mount Eden wines are about the very mineral beneath the vines, a tension of texture and structure, and a vernacular personality -both informed and going its own way. Wines like these, despite their early grace, go great lengths of time in the cellar and reward any patience you can muster. |
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"Every time I have a great aged Mount Eden wine - which is most of the time - I'm in awe of how well it develops. This is a unique property in the sense that all three of the major grapes grown there - Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - not only are distinctive and classy, but they age incredibly well...I suppose if one were to only collect wine from one vineyard, Mount Eden would be a tough choice to beat."
James Laube, Wine Spectator
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The benign beauty of the Santa Cruz Mountains is encouraged under Patterson's stewardship to ripen Chardonnays with verve and charisma but no matter how much these emphasize the variety and the vineyard, there is no question these bear his charming signature. Patterson has a subtle but certain mark, one of a naturalist that wishes to entice the best from both fruit and place which is why he makes remarkable wines from the estate, from the satellite vineyards of Domain Eden (Saratoga Cuvée), and from Arroyo Seco further south in Monterey. In terms of personality each possesses distinct charms. |
 "One of California's elite Chardonnays, Mount Eden's estate bottling has been made since the 1970s from vines planted at an altitude of 2,000 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. The wine is tightly wound, minerally and emphatically Old World in style, blossoming with age and usually at its best between 5 and 15 years after the vintage, making this one of the best California Chardonnays to cellar. The location of the vineyards suits the wine: this is a beautiful spothigh atop Mount Eden." Steven Tanzer, Wine Access | |
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 "Mount Eden is unquestionably one of the finest producers of Chardonnay in California." Full bodied, honeysuckle nose, mineral and butter notes, fine underlying acidity. A dead ringer for a top premier cru or grand cru white Burgundy with a long finish and aging potential of up to 10 years!
Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate
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 "Creamy, leesy honeysuckle and toasty oak wound up in sinuous, green apple acidity, this offers more flavor and breadth of character than its neighbors at this price point. Fragrant through the finish, this wine is the happy result of a celestial house making an affordable Chardonnay with all their talents oozing into all they do even when they might not be straining themselves. No wonder I think so much of Mount Eden."
Nicholas Livingston, Artisan Vineyards | |
Barrel fermented, 100% Malolactic fermented and aged in new and seasoned French oak casks, all Mount Eden wines certainly show their family resemblance -one that suggests they might descend from the mighty dukes of Burgundy and yet each shows how nature and nurture combine to show their respective vineyards and the varied charms of California's distinct regions and climates. On a short list of Chardonnays that compete with America's finest, Mount Eden Vineyards' are always well below the prices of their peers -and now for those quick on their feet a further 15% off. Whether you try one, try all or lay Estate bottles down to savor over the years, Mount Eden is sure to win you over. |
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Artisan Vineyards, Saint Paul, MN 55103
For more enriching wines explore Artisan Vineyards
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Enter promo-code 102609 at checkout online and save 15% on all the wines of Mount Eden Vineyards. This coupon is yours to share with fellow wine enthusiasts so please forward this email to your interested friends.
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 Offer lasts through November 11th, 2009 |
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