Mount Eden Vineyards

Mount Eden has the feel of a viticultural island, given their perch high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The cloud of fog, when present, seemingly lapping at its shores. It’s unusual to see Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon thriving in the same vicinity, but alas, here it is, alongside Eden’s third specialist varietal, Chardonnay. Founded in 1945 by Martin Ray, a viticultural legend in these parts, it is among the eldest producing boutique estates in California, boasting the longest lineage of estate produced wines.

In 2007, Mount Eden purchased the vineyards that would become Domaine Eden. The two properties are less than 2km apart (albeit a far longer drive on winding mountain roads) but on different mountaintops, with differing soils. Mount Eden’s thin soils are built on shale and rocks, that bring a little austerity to the wines, whilst the vines at Domaine Eden sit on textured loamy soils, the wines driven by fruit.