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Wine Recommendation
Mount Eden Vineyards
2004 Chardonnay, Wolff Vineyard(Edna Valley)
With the 2004 vintage, this Santa Cruz Mountain winery has been making delightful Chardonnays from this historic Edna Valley vineyard for 20 years. Originally MacGregor Vineyard, planted by Edna Valley pioneer Andy MacGregor, the name was changed in 2002 to reflect the name of new owner Jean-Pierre Wolff.
Mount Eden owner and winemaker Jeffrey Patterson considers this cool climate Chardonnay, “one of the most definitive in the whole of Edna Valley.” Coming in barely over two tons per acre, it was barrel fermented and aged sur-lie 10 months in Mount Eden’s mountain cave. Nicely-balanced, this quaffable white opens with spicy vanilla notes that give way to pretty flavors of sweet-spicy pear and tangy green apple, nicely offset by bright lemon-lime notes.
At $17 retail it’s an excellent value for America’s favorite white wine. A good choice for everything from shellfish and halibut to chicken and veal, it’s also a delightful aperitif.
Reviewed October 11, 2006 by Kathy Marcks-Hardesty.
The Wine
Winery: Mount Eden Vineyards |
The Reviewer
Kathy Marcks-Hardesty
Kathy Marcks Hardesty is the former Tasting Coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine. She prefers wines that exhibit classic varietal characteristics, regional identity, and the depth and balance to make a good meal great. She’s just as enthusiastic about sharing news of those rare, value-priced wines of good quality. Despite her past association with wine critics, she doesn’t assign numbers to wines, save in her memory (old habits die hard). She prefers writing descriptive reviews that whet the palate and leaves the final score to her readers. |