Vintage Chart

Classicaly austere in a Santa-Cruz-Mountains-Chardonnay-grown-at-2,000-feet sort of way, this is Jeffrey Petterson’s take on some legendary vines. The Mount Eden vineyard features generations of plants selected by him, by Martin Ray, who came before hom, and by Paul Masson, who planted the original material from Burgundy at his La Cresta Vineyard in Saratoga. The oak come first, in a toasted-sesame scent that moves toward grilled veal. Then yellow scents of roses, chamomile and lemon come u, the flavors lasting with smoky, earthy pallor. This should age with grace. (1,176 cases)—J.G.

The 2014 Chardonnay Estate from Mount Eden is terrific, offering up a youthful bouquet of buttered apples, pear, toasted nuts and brioche that revels more and more nuance as it sits in the glass. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, pure and racy, with a satiny attack, deep core and bright acids. The finish is long and mouthwateringly chalky. This is one of the best recent released of the Estate Chardonnay, and it comes warmly recommended. —W.K.

Faced with the driest season since Martin Ray founded the estate in 1945, Jeffrey Patterson cut back his crop by half, to diminish the stress on his vines. It turned out to be a very early harvest, with chardonnay starting on August 9^th. That might explain the reticence of the wine, with pale pear and citrus notes turned golden by their time in oak. The rich and supple texture is worth the price of admission for now, though the flavors should develop far beyond their current mint and caramel hues with a few years in bottle.

The spicy oak is dominant, giving this a cedary flavor and texture, slowly rolling into a core of pear, melon, fig and apricot notes. Drink now through 2023.—J.L.

An oil-like shade of yellow in the glass, this is still a baby, showing aromas of walnut, seared lemon, yogurt, white flowers, oak and smoke. The acidity is pure and strong, cutting through the nutty flavors and savory richness. Sea salt, browned butter, Meyer lemon peels and orange marmalade flavors will only grow more cohesive with time. —M.K.

The 2014 Chardonnay Estate comes from 43% of the average yields (it was a tiny crop due to the drought) and was barrel fermented in 70% new French oak and aged 10 months on lees before bottling. It’s another youthful, slightly reserved Chardonnay that’s going to benefit from cellaring. Brioche, buttered citrus, almond paste and honeysuckle all give way to a beautifully balanced, layered, rich effort that has vibrant acidity as well. There’s 1,495 cases.

The 2014 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a rich, almost viscous wine endowed with palpable intensity in all of its dimensions. Orange peel, apricot, mint, wild flowers and chamomile are all nicely pushed forward. Deceptive in its mid-weight feel, the 2014 possesses quite a bit of structure. Even so, it is the wine’s precision and energy that I find most impressive at this stage. I would give the 2014 at least a few years to fully come together, as it is pretty tightly wound, even after a few hours of aeration.