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The April 2019 Distinguished Cellar Auction, Part II
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1 / 2Lot 789
Estimate: $750
OC.
This auction has ended. Bidding is closed.
Collection name
Reviews
94WA
"The 2015 Chardonnay Estate opens with citrusy notes of lemon and lime peel plus petrichor, gunflint, dried hay, green melon, white peach and appealing herbal hints. Medium-bodied, it has a fantastic core of savory, peachy fruit with juicy acidity and loads of mineral notions, finishing long and lively. Jeffrey Patterson was reticent to make pronouncements on quality when I asked him about the latest vintages at Mount Eden. '2016, 2017 and 2018 are wines in progress for me,' he explains. 'I havenât focused on their ultimate quality. It takes a while for me to formulate a strong opinion about a vintage until itâs been in bottle at least five or six years. Our wines tend to age really slowly, and itâs also an emphasis we have in our winemaking. I focus on longevity because if I do my job correctly, I can make wines that age 25 years. The vineyards have that potential. Itâs always been a mystery to me why this place, this mountain, can have such longevity. Itâs a signature of the Santa Cruz Mountains, that long term ageability.' Stylistically, he links the wines to those of France. 'I always get a certain impression from these wines,' he says. 'More soil-driven notes, more tannin and acid, lower alcohol than most California winesâa lot of the character of French wines. But they also have a generosity and richness typical of California. Every year, I donât know why, we get a style of wine that has both. Itâs an elevation-based appellation, and you have to be above the fog. But itâs not connected to any other California wine region. The Santa Cruz Mountains stand alone.' Patterson has a unique perspective on the appellation where he has made wine since 1981. 'From 1981 to 2013, we started picking in September,' he recalls. 'In 2014 to 2017, we started picking in August. Iâm particularly happy with the 2014 vintage. The wines came out really strong across the board. It was the nadir of the drought. We had incredibly little rainfallâ14 inches all year. Iâve never recorded that number before in my life. But the wines turned out very round, full, plush and really delicious. But I think the effect of the 2014 vintage was manifested more in 2015. The 2015s have much more of an angularity to them, much more of a drought influence. 2016 broke the drought. It was almost normal in terms of our winter rain. We donât do any irrigation. We started harvesting on August 19, slightly later than in 2015.' Ellie Patterson noted, 'We had the heat spike too in 2017. It was 106 degrees for two days. But it was a relatively cool summer otherwise. We had picked quite a bit of the estate fruit before the heat wave.'"
Region
White
Country
Score
"The 2015 Chardonnay Estate opens with citrusy notes of lemon and lime peel plus petrichor, gunflint, dried hay, green melon, white peach and appealing herbal hints. Medium-bodied, it has a fantastic core of savory, peachy fruit with juicy acidity and loads of mineral notions, finishing long and lively. Jeffrey Patterson was reticent to make pronouncements on quality when I asked him about the latest vintages at Mount Eden. '2016, 2017 and 2018 are wines in progress for me,' he explains. 'I havenât focused on their ultimate quality. It takes a while for me to formulate a strong opinion about a vintage until itâs been in bottle at least five or six years. Our wines tend to age really slowly, and itâs also an emphasis we have in our winemaking. I focus on longevity because if I do my job correctly, I can make wines that age 25 years. The vineyards have that potential. Itâs always been a mystery to me why this place, this mountain, can have such longevity. Itâs a signature of the Santa Cruz Mountains, that long term ageability.' Stylistically, he links the wines to those of France. 'I always get a certain impression from these wines,' he says. 'More soil-driven notes, more tannin and acid, lower alcohol than most California winesâa lot of the character of French wines. But they also have a generosity and richness typical of California. Every year, I donât know why, we get a style of wine that has both. Itâs an elevation-based appellation, and you have to be above the fog. But itâs not connected to any other California wine region. The Santa Cruz Mountains stand alone.' Patterson has a unique perspective on the appellation where he has made wine since 1981. 'From 1981 to 2013, we started picking in September,' he recalls. 'In 2014 to 2017, we started picking in August. Iâm particularly happy with the 2014 vintage. The wines came out really strong across the board. It was the nadir of the drought. We had incredibly little rainfallâ14 inches all year. Iâve never recorded that number before in my life. But the wines turned out very round, full, plush and really delicious. But I think the effect of the 2014 vintage was manifested more in 2015. The 2015s have much more of an angularity to them, much more of a drought influence. 2016 broke the drought. It was almost normal in terms of our winter rain. We donât do any irrigation. We started harvesting on August 19, slightly later than in 2015.' Ellie Patterson noted, 'We had the heat spike too in 2017. It was 106 degrees for two days. But it was a relatively cool summer otherwise. We had picked quite a bit of the estate fruit before the heat wave.'"
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
The world's most versatile white grape, producing everything from steely Chablis to rich, oaked whites. Its neutrality makes it a mirror of terroir and winemaking, and the foundation of white Burgundy and Champagne.