"The winemaking process is essentially the same as with Mount Eden's Estate Chardonnay. After harvest, the fruit is trucked to our winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is pressed without crushing and entirely barrel-fermented in a mix of new, two and three-year-old French Burgundy barrels. Undergoing full malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged eight months in barrel until bottling." Full, lush tropical fruit dominates this wine's aromas and flavors. Complex and heady on the palate, it is a premier example of Central Coast Chardonnay."

"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. 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. Many vintages are still fresh and enjoyable after fifteen years, explaining why Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay is considered one of California's longest-lived white wines."
- Mount Eden Vineyards

"Pinot Noir is the first variety harvested at Mount Eden, kicking off the vintage season. Using natural yeasts, fermentation is conducted in small open-top fermentors and extends ten to fourteen days, with the must punched down by hand. The new wine is immediately put into 75% new and 25% one-year-old French Burgundy barrels. It matures for eighteen months before being bottle unfined and unfiltered. Nothing is added; nothing is taken away." Due to the soils in the vineyard, the Estate Pinot Noirs' elegant, transparent style is more Burgundian than Californian, emphasizing wild strawberry, earth, blueberry and dill varietal characters. Cellaring the wine from five to twelve years pays handsome rewards."
- Mount Eden Vineyards

"The Cabernet is fermented in small 1,000-gallon stainless steel tanks, with the must punched down manually and macerated for six to ten days after fermentation completes. The new wine is transferred into new Bordelaise chateau barrels where it finishes its malolactic fermentation. During the twenty-two months in the cellar, the wine is racked three to four times per year via air pressure. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered and aged two years prior to release. Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a Bordeaux-style blend of approximately 75% Cabernet, 22% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, although the cepage varies by vintage. This high mountain, cool coastal vineyard is an unusual site for California Cabernet Sauvignon, reflecting its refreshing acidity and moderate alcohol. Fine integrated tannins buttress characteristic flavors of red currant, blackberry and earth. Recommended cellaring is ten to fifteen years."
- Mount Eden Vineyards

"The same exacting methods employed for the Mount Eden Estate wines are used: natural indigenous fermentations - both primary and secondary, French Burgundy barrels, no fining, filtration or any other manipulation. Although a mere mile away from Mount Eden as the crow flies, the terroir here is different and it shows. Medium ruby color, complex, earthy red fruit nose, the wine has a suave texture on the palate with richness and balancing elegance. This is a classic Pinot Noir reflective of its unique peak"
- Mount Eden Vineyards

"The lots are fermented separately using natural fermentations and French oak. Aging this wine to maturity for two years, no fining or filtration is conducted prior to bottling, just like the Estate regimen. The ultimate goal is a classic Santa Cruz Mountain Cabernet reflecting Domaine Eden's mid-appellation region. While the Estate is a singular voice, the Domaine is a chorus. Complex, given the five varieties in the cepage, this Cabernet has aromas of briary currant, sage, mint and sweet oak. Less tannins and acidity on the palate than is evident in the Estate, there is an earlier window of enjoyable drinking."

About
Mount Eden Vineyards is a small historic wine estate perched at 2000 feet overlooking Silicon Valley, in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Founded in 1945 by Martin Ray, it is recognized as one of the original "boutique" California winery properties, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mount Eden's lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is the longest in California. Planted in austere, infertile Franciscan shale on a cool, exposed mountaintop, these low-yielding estate vineyards have consistently produced world-class wines for over a half-century. In 2007 Mount Eden acquired an additional 55 acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills, which was christened Domaine Eden. Mount Eden Vineyards also produces non-estate Chardonnays from the central coast, primarily Edna Valley. They have great success making Chardonnay from the Wolff Vineyard and are continually recognized as making outstanding wines from that region.  Since 1981 Jeffrey Patterson has guided the winemaking and grape growing at Mount Eden. His emphasis is on wine growing rather than winemaking; and an obsession with gentleness and naturalness in the handling of the grapes and wines is his ongoing passion.

The history of this famous estate is quite incredible, having started in 1878 and continuing right up to the present day. You can read the entire story on the Mount Eden website at: http://www.mounteden.com/story/