Description
Jeffrey & Allie Patterson of Mount Eden Vineyards purchased the former Cinnabar wine estate located on a nearby mountain top in Saratoga in 2007, and re-named it Domaine Eden. It was a property originally developed in 1983 by Tom Mudd that had 12 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines and a little Cabernet Sauvignon. It also had three built-in caves and a modern tank room that allowed Jeffrey to expand his production of “mid-appellation” Santa Cruz Mountain wines beyond those of the Mount Eden estate. Yet, in reality, many of the Domaine Eden wines also include fruit from Mount Eden Vineyards. The Domaine Eden Chardonnay is highlighted by forward fruit, earlier drinkability and obvious hedonism and is usually composed of 60% Mount Eden and 40% Domaine Eden fruit, but it varies slightly by vintage. The wine has subtle aromas of hazelnut, anise and vanilla. On the palate, crisp minerality with firm structured acidity is foremost. Flavors of citrus, earth and brown spice come to the fore. It is one heck of a Chardonnay given the pedigree of Mount Eden, at about half the price, and a real bargain for California Chardonnay in general at $35 a bottle.
