2014 Mount Eden "Estate" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s rare to find a Cabernet with such elegance and precision that’s also firmly grounded in the grandeur of the Pacific coast. Jeffrey Patterson grew it on 13 acres of vines he planted in the early 1980s: He propagated the plants from three acres Martin Ray had established on the property in the 1930s, having selected cuttings from La Questa Vineyard, a site Emmett Rixford had planted in the late 19th century, with cuttings he imported from Château Margaux. The third generation of those immigrant vines now prospers on a ridgetop 15 miles from the ocean, where they grow fresh, ripe grapes and sustain a robust community of yeasts to ferment those grapes into this fragrant, bright cherry-scented wine. It’s delicate and brisk, tingling with cool, hunger-inducing juiciness, even as its stature and staying power suggest waiting ten years or more to get the most out of this California original.

If you're into old-school, classically styled, structured California Cab...then look no further. To be honest if wines of that ilk are your thing, then chances are you're already familiar with Mount Eden as they have been putting out benchmark wines in this style for many decades. The 2014 is just starting to warm up its vocal chords and will probably reach a crescendo 10-15 years or so from now and sustain that note for another 5-10 years. Yes they truly age that well. I recently attended a tasting at the request of longtime winemaker and custodian of Mount Eden, Jeffrey Patterson. At the event we tasted 2005 vintage Cabernet-based wines from around the world. Wines included: Heitz Martha's, Ch. Montrose, Ridge Monte Bello, Almaviva and more. Despite being significantly less expensive that all the other wines in the tasting, I thought the Mount Eden Cab was the wine of the lineup. The wines have impeccable pedigree and refinement and deserve a place in everyone's cellar.