Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

Beef, Lamb, Game (deer, venison), Poultry

Cabernet Sauvignon has a rich history in the Santa Cruz Mountains, as far back as the 1890s, with select cuttings brought over from Chateaux Margaux of Bordeaux and planted at a farm called La Questa. In the 1940s, Santa Cruz pioneer Martin Ray would, in turn, establish the first Cabernet vineyards at Mount Eden with cuttings from this farm. These Cabernet vineyards here sit at altitude, around 600m above sea level and overlooking Silicon Valley. They are planted on thin soils, yielding just 1 or 2 tonnes per hectare. The farming and property have been managed by Jeffrey and Ellie Patterson since the 1980s, who have steered the wines to prominence. It is a Cabernet region still overshadowed by the marketing grunt and comparable accessibility of the Napa Valley, and the heady prices wines they command. A benchmark for the region, Mount Eden represents the insider tip, producing varietal Cabernet both expansive and transparent.

Matured in 100% new oak for 22 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Mount Eden Vineyards is a small historic wine estate perched at 2000 feet overlooking Silicon Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Founded 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. Mount Eden’s lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is the longest in California. Planted in austere, infertile Franciscan shale on a cool, exposed mountaintop, these low-yielding estate vineyards have consistently produced world-class wines for over a half-century. In 2007 Mount Eden acquired an additional 55 acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills, which was christened Domaine Eden. Mount Eden Vineyards also produces non-estate Chardonnays from the central coast, primarily Edna Valley. They have great success making Chardonnay from the Wolff Vineyard and are continually recognized as making outstanding wines from that region. Since 1981 Jeffrey Patterson has guided the winemaking and grape growing at Mount Eden. His emphasis is on wine growing rather than winemaking; and an obsession with gentleness and naturalness in the handling of the grapes and wines is his ongoing passion.