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Mount Eden 2015 Pinot & Cabernet
Library Treasures From The Caves Are Mind-Blowingly Great.
Jeffrey Patterson and family released them from their caves for our Artisans. Eleven years old, with another 20 to go.
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
Jeffrey Patterson and family have released two library treasures from their caves, perfectly aged, for our Artisans: the 2015 Estate Pinot Noir and the 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
At 11 years, both have blown us away completely, with their wild complexity, intoxicating bouquet, and thrilling mouthfeel and texture. Yet they have another 20 years to continue evolving.
Grand Cru-Like Palate Authority
John Gilman on the Pinot: “This is first class pinot noir with grand cru-like palate authority!” It comes in at 13.5% alcohol, and only 940 cases were made of this beauty.
The vines trace back to the cuttings Paul Masson brought from Louis Latour and planted in the late 1800s, which Martin Ray replanted on Mount Eden in the 1940s. The result now is an insane, explosive nose of forest, mint, earth, spices and fruit.
This is like a more visceral and intense Rhys Pinot, one that will command respect from grand cru Burgundy drinkers. And then there is Burghound. Allen Meadows is ultra-critical, and a 93 from him is rare air: plenty of famous grand cru Burgundies selling for many times the price never reach 93 in his reviews. He gave this Pinot 93 points and his “Outstanding” rating: “ Impressive.” It is completely deserved. The collectors on CellarTracker agree. One brought it to a BYO dinner and named it the wine of the night: “Very complex. … Powerful and impressive.” Their notes are in the Pinot’s card below.
The Cabernet, From Château Margaux Cuttings
Martin Ray also planted Cabernet Sauvignon up there, from cuttings from Château Margaux. Jeffrey Patterson still manages generations of those vines, tracing their lineage to 19th-century cuttings. In 2015 the crop was tiny. Jeffrey Patterson: “In my 38 years making wine on this mountaintop, I have never seen such a low yielding Cabernet vintage.” Antonio Galloni calls Mount Eden’s Cabernet “one of the hidden gems, not just in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but in wine more broadly.” On CellarTracker, one collector called it “a baby Ridge Monte Bello” and “easily one of my new favorite American wines.”
And The Edna Valley Chardonnay
From the oldest vineyard in the Edna Valley, planted in 1976, which Mount Eden has bottled since 1985. Jeb Dunnuck’s team gave the 2023 93 points and called it outstanding value.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Why This Matters
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Library releases, 11 years old. Released from Mount Eden’s caves for our Artisans, with another 20 years to go. |
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Grand cru-like palate authority. John Gilman on the Pinot. Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast 96. |
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Château Margaux lineage. The Cabernet: Decanter 95, Vinous and Wine Advocate 94. |
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$99.99, $124.99 and $24.99. Against $130.00, $160.00 and $28.00 elsewhere. |
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Library Release · 11 Years Old
2015 Estate Pinot Noir. Santa Cruz Mountains.
John Gilman: “First class pinot noir with grand cru-like palate authority!”
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Mount Eden Estate Pinot Noir 2015
Santa Cruz Mountains · California · 750 mL
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96
Jeb Dunnuck
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96
Wine Enthusiast
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94
Vinous
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94
John Gilman
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93
Wine Advocate
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93
Burghound
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Seven critics, from 93 to 96. Here are six of their reviews, highest score first.
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Jeb Dunnuck
96 Points
Seeing roughly one-third whole clusters and a mix of new and neutral oak, the 2015 Pinot Noir Estate is another terrific wine from this benchmark estate. Possessing a more structured, backward feel as well as a deep, powerful nose of black currants, charcoal, and scorched earth, this is a serious, age-worthy Pinot Noir that needs 3-4 years of bottle age yet will see its 20th birthday in fine form. February 2019
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Wine Enthusiast · Matt Kettmann
96 Points
Brilliantly fresh and snappy black raspberry aromas lead into a savory streak of mulberry-laced pork fat, hickory and tobacco smoke, with a hint of crushed slate on this wine’s fascinating and shape-shifting nose. Peppery spice grips the palate immediately, then splashes fresh red plum and pomegranate flavors around, finishing on white pepper, cracked nutmeg and unrelenting tension. December 2018
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John Gilman · View From The Cellar
94 Points
Jeffrey Patterson’s 2015 estate bottling of pinot noir is flat out gorgeous on both the nose and palate, and though the wine is unequivocally built for long and graceful cellaring, it is already very, very easy to drink! It comes in at a nicely ripe 13.5 percent octane and offers up a deep and very complex bouquet of black cherries, sweet dark berries, woodsmoke, raw cocoa, a great base of soil, a touch of black tea, lovely spices notes of nutmeg and clove and a discreet foundation of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, and rock solid at the core, with superb mineral drive, great length and grip, tangy acids, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and vibrant finish. This is first class pinot noir with grand cru-like palate authority! August 2019
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Vinous · Antonio Galloni
94 Points
The 2015 Pinot Noir offers notable depth and textural richness, but it is also very closed in on itself. The aromatics and fruit density are both hugely promising, but readers should plan on being patient with the 2015, as it needs time. Whole cluster inflections from the 35% stems add savoriness throughout. The 2015 is a fabulous wine in the making. August 2018
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Burghound · Allen Meadows
93 Points
Here the nose is somewhat more deeply pitched with notes of both red dark berries and plum where the floral influence is noticeably more prominent. The medium-bodied flavors possess very good mid-palate density thanks to the abundance of sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm tannic spine shaping the firm and bold finish. This robust effort is clearly intended to age and a decade’s worth should see this excellent effort in prime form. Impressive. Outstanding. June 2018
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Decanter · Elin McCoy
93 Points
This very Burgundian-style Pinot from an early August harvest shows wonderful freshness, intense, bright flavours, a long succulent finish, and a savoury quality from the addition of 35% stems. Drinking Window: 2019-2035.
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CellarTracker community notes on the 2015 Pinot Noir, 93 to 97 points
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| Elsewhere: $130.00 |
| Our Price |
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$99.99 / bottle
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Library Release · Château Margaux Lineage
2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Santa Cruz Mountains.
Vinous: “one of the hidden gems, not just in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but in wine more broadly.”
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Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Santa Cruz Mountains · California · 750 mL
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95
Decanter
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94
Vinous
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94
Wine Advocate
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93
Wine Enthusiast
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92
Wine & Spirits
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75% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot, from a vintage that averaged about a ton per acre. 24 months in barrel, bottled without fining or filtration; only 758 cases. Here are three of its reviews.
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Decanter
95 Points
The rocky minerality of the region shows from first sniff through to the lengthy finish. The earthiness is beautifully offset by fleshy red and black fruit, with spice-infused cherry, bittersweet chocolate, espresso and vanilla notes. For all its youthful intensity, the palate is remarkably fresh and bright. July 2018
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Vinous · Antonio Galloni
94 Points
Mount Eden’s Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the hidden gems, not just in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but in wine more broadly. The 2015 is bold, deep and pungent, with striking fruit density and tons of aromatic nuance. Jeffrey Patterson told me he had never seen such a tiny crop. Some vines produced no fruit at all. As a result, the 2015 was aged entirely in new oak, all of which it handles very well. The balance of savory Cabernet aromatics, fruit and structure is already terrific, and will only improve with more time in bottle. October 2019
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Wine Enthusiast · Matt Kettmann
93 Points
This is savory style of Cab from a mountainside site, starting with aromas of roast beef, crushed asphalt and dark seared elderberry fruits. Black plum and more elderberry show on the sip, but the focus of the smoothed out tannic profile is showcasing rocky soil-driven flavors, with hints of olive and charred meat toward the finish. October 2019
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CellarTracker community notes on the 2015 Cabernet, 94 to 96 points
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| Elsewhere: $160.00 |
| Our Price |
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$124.99 / bottle
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Also From Mount Eden · Edna Valley
2023 Chardonnay. Edna Valley.
Jeb Dunnuck 93: “outstanding value.”
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Mount Eden Chardonnay 2023
Edna Valley · California · 750 mL
Jean-Pierre Wolff farms 55 acres of Chardonnay in the Edna Valley, outside San Luis Obispo, planted in 1976 by Andy MacGregor: the oldest vineyard in the Edna Valley. Mount Eden has made Chardonnay from it since 1985. Here are its two reviews.
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Jeb Dunnuck · Virginie Boone
93 Points
Coming from the Wolff Vineyard in the coastal appellation, the 2023 Chardonnay offers outstanding value, balanced in acidity and medium-bodied weight, with a softness to the palate that has wide appeal. The producer has been making this wine since 1985, barrel-fermenting over eight months in all French oak, 20% new. There’s a wealth of stone and tropical fruit that gives it an instant likeability and easy introduction, while not shirking on complexity or depth. Drink now through 2033. March 2026
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Vinous · Billy Norris
90 Points
The 2023 Chardonnay Edna Valley is taut and mineral but also generous and creamy through the mid-palate. Sweet yellow peach, toasted hazelnut and crushed chalk blossom nicely. Medium in body but amply concentrated, this is a deliciously fresh, surprisingly complex entry-level wine from Mount Eden. Drinking Window: 2026-2029. June 2026
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| Elsewhere: $28.00 |
| Our Price |
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$24.99 / bottle
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The Bottom Line
Eleven years in the caves. Twenty more to go.
The 2015 Estate Pinot Noir at $99.99 (Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast 96), the 2015 Estate Cabernet at $124.99 (Decanter 95), and the Edna Valley Chardonnay at $24.99 (Jeb Dunnuck 93).
Open one this winter, and lay the rest down for the next 20 years.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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$99.99 · Dunnuck 96
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$124.99 · Decanter 95
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$24.99 · Dunnuck 93
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