The wine is Mount Eden Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 1990,
estate bottled, bottle #06523, 13.2% alcohol. The wine was stored
properly since release, the fill was very high, and the cork was very
sound.

The color is light yellow. The wine is holding well, with no
oxidation, and likely will keep well for at least a few more years.
The general structure of the wine is about as close as you likely are
to come to an excellent Puligny Montrachet in California. The wine is
now perfectly balanced with ample, clean acidity and great complexity
of fruit - you may get hints of citrus, apple, minerals, wild flowers,
etc., but it is difficult to say exactly what. The finish is long.
There is now a bit of creamy character. The oak is well under control.
The alcohol level is not excessive. Unfortunately, this was my last
bottle.

When everything is right, Mt. Eden Estate can be the top Chardonnay in
California. It can be rather harsh when young, and the best examples
require many years to come around, but then so do many top white
Burgundy wines. It is one of the few California wines that often
improve for many years, can hold over 10 years, and often much more.
However it has varied quite a bit over the years. There have been
changes in ownership and wine makers which sometimes have made a
difference. On the average, the top reserve wines of Au Bon Climat are
a safer buy. However, when everything is right, Mt. Eden Reserve is
more Burgundy like and perhaps can even outlast Au Bon Climat, which
often ages well for 10 years or more. If one is looking for instant
gratification, neither mentioned wine likely is the first choice.
However, if you are willing to properly store the wine for several to
many years, it often will outclass nearly all other Chardonnays made
in the US.

"cwdjrxyz" in oups.com :
> The wine is Mount Eden Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 1990 ...


Thanks for this note, cwd.

You probably know that Mount Eden is the evolution of the old Martin Ray
operation (historically important for Burgundian varietals in California).
Turnover that you mentioned among winemakers there (including Chalone
founder Dick Graff ) occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s. For the last 25
or so vintages, Jeff Patterson has made the wines.

He also makes some interesting Pinots, and is by coincidence a sometimes
member of the local tasting group that did the recent 1998 Burgundy/PN
tasting I posted here (though he did not participate in that one).

-- Max