The 2015 Estate Chardonnay grapes developed during the fourth year of our recent drought cycle, but remarkably, the wine does not reflect it. After the previous two early August harvests caught us by surprise, we were ready this time. Knowing when to start picking--at just the right moment--is one of the hardest tasks a WInemaker/grapegrower has, yet it is the most fundamental. That decision sets the style and the delicate art of a wine. No other event in the year has this level of significance.The thing that sets Mount Eden apart from the most Chardonnay producers, outside of Burgundy, is its ageability. It is the singular aspect that separates good from great. The best wines in the world share this one attribute, longevity. Good acidity also creates a wine that is slow to show its qualities; which is why we release late.Our Chardonnay spends ten months in the barrel sur-lie and a full two years in bottle before release. The reticence that it displays early on is encouraging, along with knowing that the richness and complexity will emerge with time. This Chardonnay exhibits fresh acidity, minerality, and leesy complexity. Expect full development by 2002.
