WTN: Garden of Eden

[Jenise]

2013 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Did not decant (no sediment, seemed ready). Medium red color with ripe warm-climate pinot aromas. On the palate red fruits and soft textures with a short alcohol bite in the finish. Missed the typical Santa Cruz structure and minerality. In fact, missed most everything expected of this wine, including any indication that it could be a 25 year wine as per reputation and other 2021 reviews on CT. Not bad at all, but should show better at nine years out.

[David M. Bueker]

In general I think Mount Eden has lost its way.

[Jenise]

This is definitely not the wine I believed it would be or become. Should have been a good bottle, these were supplied to a local retailer direct from the winery and therefore not exposed to mistreatment by a distributor or anything like that.

[David M. Bueker]

I have poked at various Mount Eden wines over the last decade+, and found nothing that impressed. My dad also did some exploration, and was left unimpressed.

The old bottles, when you get one with good provenance, are amazing.

[Jenise]

Yes, it was having had two of those amazing old bottles that convinced me to pick up these when the winemaker came thru town. A friend is the retailer who hosted his visit, so I had to buy something but admittedly I was not that impressed even then. Last night I asked Bob, who was poured blind as usual, what he thought I paid for what he was tasting. "About $40," he opined. IOW, average/good but not special.

I'm much more fond of Mt Eden than David, though I moslty buy Chardonnay (Reserve might well be my fave CalChard). I think only red I own now is a single bottle of this one, and I'll dig it out. Looking at CT it looks like you really loved this a couple years ago, Jenise, are you sure this wasn't just an off bottle?
I do love the Mt Eden CS from 70s and early 80s.