Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay
Mount Eden Vineyards is a small, historic wine estate located on a 2000 foot peak in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Founded by Martin Ray in 1945, it is recognized as one of the original boutique California Winery properties, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Mount Eden Vineyard has been continuously producing estate bottled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay longer than anyone else in California.
Jean-Pierre Wolff farms 55 acres of Chardonnay vines in the bucolic Edna Valley, outside the town of San Luis Obispo. Originally planted in 1976 by Edna Valley wine pioneer Andy Macgregor (Wolff purchased the property from Macgregor in 1999), the vineyard is the oldest in the Edna Valley. Mount Eden has made Chardonnay from this vineyard since 1985. These mature vines typically yield two to four tons per acre.
The winemaking process is essentially the same as with Mount Eden’s Estate Chardonnay. The fruit is pressed without crushing and entirely barrel-fermented in two to five year old French Burgundy barrels. Full malolactic fermentation; aged eight months in barrel until bottling.