Mount Eden has a long and glorious history. Originally planted by a man named Martin Ray, many of the original Mount Eden Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are some of the best renditions California has ever produced! Flash-forward to the present, and the wines are just as good as they always were, and in addition to their estate wines, they produce a second wine called Domaine Eden. Sourced from well-maintained vineyards not far from their estate, Domaine Eden utilizes the same exacting methods used for their estate wines: natural indigenous fermentations (both primary and secondary), oak aging, no fining, filtration or any other manipulation. The soils at Domaine Eden are different from the estate's Franciscan shale, so even though Domaine Eden is a mere mile away "as the crow flies," the wines express more varietal fruit with expansive mid-palate flavors than the soil-driven minerality of Mount Eden estate wines.
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 94 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is in its infancy today, but it’s absolutely seductive and sizzling, stacked floor to ceiling with intriguing layers that just need some time to coalesce. Cooling mint, black raspberry, juniper, leather and high-percentage dark chocolate open gradually, unfurling into a soft-textured, caressing, broad wine of sheer class. Oak is very much at the forefront for now, but the juicy freshness and old-school/new-school juxtaposition are really appealing. The 2021 is certainly not short on pure, clear fruit. Give this a couple of years to settle into itself."
JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "Blending 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and small additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, the ongoing drought of the 2021 vintage challenged the Cabernet Sauvignon the most, and tannin management proved a challenge. As a result, some of the fermentation and pressing protocols were adjusted for the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with barrel fermentation over 22 months in both French and American oak, the barrels anywhere from one to six years old. There’s a density to the wine and undeniable concentration, mountain-worthy tannins that are starting to soften, and a savory, wooded character to the currant and cassis, with additional notes of black olive. Drink now through 2031."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon offers up a textbook Cabernet bouquet of dark fruits, pipe tobacco, dried herbs and conifers. The palate is rich and velvety yet eminently classy, propped up by a sturdy backbone of refined tannins that carries the savory yet approachable finish. This is a beautiful iteration of one of California's greatest Cabernet value propositions."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 94 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is in its infancy today, but it’s absolutely seductive and sizzling, stacked floor to ceiling with intriguing layers that just need some time to coalesce. Cooling mint, black raspberry, juniper, leather and high-percentage dark chocolate open gradually, unfurling into a soft-textured, caressing, broad wine of sheer class. Oak is very much at the forefront for now, but the juicy freshness and old-school/new-school juxtaposition are really appealing. The 2021 is certainly not short on pure, clear fruit. Give this a couple of years to settle into itself."
JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "Blending 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and small additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, the ongoing drought of the 2021 vintage challenged the Cabernet Sauvignon the most, and tannin management proved a challenge. As a result, some of the fermentation and pressing protocols were adjusted for the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with barrel fermentation over 22 months in both French and American oak, the barrels anywhere from one to six years old. There’s a density to the wine and undeniable concentration, mountain-worthy tannins that are starting to soften, and a savory, wooded character to the currant and cassis, with additional notes of black olive. Drink now through 2031."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon offers up a textbook Cabernet bouquet of dark fruits, pipe tobacco, dried herbs and conifers. The palate is rich and velvety yet eminently classy, propped up by a sturdy backbone of refined tannins that carries the savory yet approachable finish. This is a beautiful iteration of one of California's greatest Cabernet value propositions."
