Mount Eden Estate Pinot Noir 2015
(Santa Cruz Mountains, California) - [JD 96] [WE 96] [VM 94] [JG 94] [WA 93] [BH 93]

Notes from the Winemaker:
All of our estate vineyards are dry-farmed, and because of this we diligently track precipitation. A mere fourteen inches of rain fell during a nail biting "rainy" season, forcing us to severely reduce output on our Pinot Noir vines due to drought-stress.

Our Pinot Noir is a natural wine reflecting the place and the vintage. The crop may have been small, but the concentration and depth correspondingly increased. Classic blackberry/raspberry aromas greet you along with a deep ruby color. On the palate, great balance and acid/tannin tension continue. Despite the considerable concentration of red fruit, the all-important element of freshness is in abundance.

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Seeing roughly one-third whole clusters and a mix of new and neutral oak, the 2015 Pinot Noir Estate is another terrific wine from this benchmark estate. Possessing a more structured, backward feel as well as a deep, powerful nose of black currants, charcoal, and scorched earth, this is a serious, age-worthy Pinot Noir that needs 3-4 years of bottle age yet will see its 20th birthday in fine form." -Jeb Dunnuck (Feb 2019)

96 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Brilliantly fresh and snappy black raspberry aromas lead into a savory streak of mulberry-laced pork fat, hickory and tobacco smoke, with a hint of crushed slate on this wine's fascinating and shape-shifting nose. Peppery spice grips the palate immediately, then splashes fresh red plum and pomegranate flavors around, finishing on white pepper, cracked nutmeg and unrelenting tension." -Matt Kettmann (Dec 2018)

94 Points - Vinous:
"The 2015 Pinot Noir offers notable depth and textural richness, but it is also very closed in on itself. The aromatics and fruit density are both hugely promising, but readers should plan on being patient with the 2015, as it needs time. Whole cluster inflections from the 35% stems add savoriness throughout. The 2015 is a fabulous wine in the making. Harvest began between August 8 and 10, which is shockingly early." -Antonio Galloni (Aug 2018)

94 Points - John Gilman:
"Jeffrey Patterson's 2015 estate bottling of pinot noir is flat out gorgeous on both the nose and palate, and though the wine is unequivocally built for long and graceful cellaring, it is already very, very easy to drink! It comes in at a nicely ripe 13.5 percent octane and offers up a deep and very complex bouquet of black cherries, sweet dark berries, woodsmoke, raw cocoa, a great base of soil, a touch of black tea, lovely spices notes of nutmeg and clove and a discreet foundation of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, and rock solid at the core, with superb mineral drive, great length and grip, tangy acids, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and vibrant finish. This is first class pinot noir with grand cru-like palate authority!" -John Gilman (Aug 2019)

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2015 Pinot Noir Estate showcases Mount Eden's darker, brooding side with a smoldering nose of dried black fruits, damp earth, tobacco leaves and cracked leather. It is supple and round in texture, with soft acidity lightly bracing the edges of the palate. It is initially inward and closed on the finish before unclenching and continuing the savory, earth-driven style found throughout. This is a contemplative vintage that could be in an awkward phase, in need of immense aeration, or both. Drinking Window: 2018-2032." -Matthew Luczy (Apr 2024)

93 Points - Burghound:
"Here the nose is somewhat more deeply pitched with notes of both red dark berries and plum where the floral influence is noticeably more prominent. The medium-bodied flavors possess very good mid-palate density thanks to the abundance of sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm tannic spine shaping the firm and bold finish. This robust effort is clearly intended to age and a decade's worth should see this excellent effort in prime form. Impressive. *Outstanding*" (Jun 2018)