Mount Eden Vineyards Facts

Mount Eden Vineyards has been bottling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir about as long as anyone in California. Martin Ray, founder of the estate, started way back in 1945 when single-varietal bottling was unheard of. Back then, most California wines were blends of lesser varietals. When Ray set out to compete with the likes of Burgundy, most people scoffed. Today, of course, Mount Eden's Chardonnay is one of California's finest.

Varietals Produced at Mount Eden Vineyards

The wine is tightly wound, minerally and emphatically Old World in style. Usually at its best between 5 and 15 years after the vintage, this is one of California's best Chardonnays to cellar. In addition, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown at the estate vineyard, a 40 acre plot at the ear-popping altitude of 2,000 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountain district. Pinot competes with Chardonnay for the estate's top wine, but winemaker Jeff Patterson's Bordeaux style Cabernet is steadily creeping up on its more tenured siblings. Patterson also sources Chardonnay from Wolfe Vineyard, outside of San Luis Obispo, for the Edna Valley release.