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TN Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 1992

The wine is Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 1992, Santa Cruz Mountains. It was properly stored since release, and had a good cork and very high fill.

I had a case of this at one time, but consumed most of it several years ago. I kept back 2 bottles, and now wish I had aged more longer. However this property has had considerable variation over the years, and only few California Chardonnays age well for 14 years.

The wine is light yellow with a hint of green and no browning. It is very fresh with not a hint of oxidation. It is a fairly full wine with a bit of oak, but not excessive. There is considerable mineral and grapefruit skin like fruit, with subtle floral notes. It has now smoothed well, and has plenty of acid. This wine can be rather firm and austere when young, much as Corton-Charlemagne can be. Other California Chardonnays can be more user friendly when young, but many of them fall apart long before 14 years old. Compared to the price of some of the flashy, expensive early bloomers, Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay can be a relative bargain, provided you are willing to age it. I still like the better reserves of Au Bon Climat a bit better than Mount Eden, partly because they seem a bit more consistent from year to year.

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cwdjrxyz
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Thanks for the very interesting notes. MEV is a frequently-overlooked CA winery, and I am as guilty as most in overlooking it. While I am too young to have purchased '76 TBAs and GC Burgundy on release as you did, I could very easily have purchased this wine... and didn't. Do you or anyone else know if they are still making their wines in this style?

Mark Lipton

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Mark Lipton

I have not had recent vintages of MEV Estate Chardonnay. The 2002 costs about US $33 at Brown Derby, which is not cheap, but is exceeded by quite a bit by many others. Matt Kramer, in the Oregonian, calls MEV Estate among the best of the California Chardonnays and says MEV Estate, with proper cool storage, can improve upwards of a decade. Robert Parker rated the 2001 at 93/100. MEV has made other Chardonnays from time to time, but these often are not as high a quality as the Estate. This property has a history all the way back to when Martin Ray owned much of what is the present vineyard. It is high up in the Mountains with a quite cool climate which may in part explains why it can produce Chardonnay that has plenty of acid and that can age well. I tasted some Chardonnay that Martin Ray made there in the past. They ranged from outstanding to awful, but that was typical of Martin Ray's wines in general.

Reply to
cwdjrxyz

Thanks for the information. Yes, despite Martin Ray's pioneering role in CA, his wines were often hit-and-miss (and his personality another matter altogether). I don't drink much CA chardonnay these days: Grgich-Hills (a friend is on the sales force) and Ch. Montelena are the bulk of it. I've also got to try some Stony Hill, but I'll make a search from some MEV, too.

Mark Lipton

Reply to
Mark Lipton

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