Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay 2021 - 750ml

96pts Jeb Dunnuck

A wine with tremendous lineage and ageability, the 2021 Chardonnay Estate offers a depth of golden nectar, pear, and toasted oak, with a prestigious length and breadth that only begins to suggest its ability to age another 25-30 years. (Winemaker Jeffrey Patterson has been driven for decades by a dedicated vision of longevity for these wines.) The high levels of acidity lead toward a refined palate of elegantly demure fruit, a quench of Meyer lemon, and nuanced, integrated oak, just a touch of hazelnut accenting the long finish to great effect. With its pedigree for aging wines, this should drink best 2031-2046.

94pts Vinous

Deep golden yellow in the glass, the 2021 Chardonnay Estate Bottled is soft-spoken and inward today. It’s clearly holding its power in reserve as it plots its next move. Briny, focused, lemony acidity presses on with much gusto, energizing a deep well of crushed stones, soft floral tones and green pear fruit. Rounded and enveloping, it unfurls at a snail’s pace as lime zest and subtle tropical flourishes inflect the finish. This classy, restrained wine needs a couple of years in bottle to fully blossom.

94pts Wine Advocate

The 2021 Chardonnay Estate strikes an admirable balance between textural decadence and tensile sturdiness. It leads with a rich, layered nose of honeyed orchard fruits, blanched almonds and baking spices. The palate harnesses a soft, creamy richness with lifted acidity and impressive, saline length on the finish. Continuing the time-tested style of Mount Eden, this should build further complexity and intensity for nearly a decade.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

Smooth and inviting aromas of peach and lemon peel are immensely pleasant on the nose of this bottling. There is ample tension to the palate, which is awash in bold citrus flavors of lemon and grapefruit peel that cut into the apple flesh midpalate and guava-laced finish.

93pts James Suckling

A filigreed and pure nose turns to a lean, flinty palate with mouthwatering citrus fruit, tarragon and a finish that nods in the direction of Chablis with its confident chalkiness.

92pts Wine Spectator

A concentrated white, with white peach, candied orange peel and ginger candy flavors at the core. Cardamom, grilled bread and clove accents give this an aromatic boost, while additional citrus notes on the finish leave a fresh impression. Drink now through 2034.

Winemaker Notes

The full-bodied Estate Chardonnay displays fine underlying acidity and a long finish. Hints of cardamom, anise and hazelnut add interest to the core lemon, mineral flavors. Of all Mount Eden's estate-grown wines, the Chardonnay is most in need of further bottle aging at release, requiring an additional two to four years to fully reveal its true character. Many vintages are still fresh and enjoyable after fifteen years, explaining why Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay is considered one of California's longest-lived white wines.