Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Professional Ratings

• 95 Wine & Spirits
  Jeffrey Patterson’s cabernet vines—most planted in 1980 and 1981 on Mount Eden’s spare shale-dominated soil—ripened incredibly late in the cool 2011 season. Most of the grapes were picked in November. In terms of sugar, it was a lean year, yet the wine feels completely ripe and healthy. (Patterson points out that the autumn rains that plagued many vineyards in the North Coast with mildew and botrytis issues were much lighter in the Santa Cruz Mountains.) This train comes in slowly, the flavors distant for a while, yet building inexorably toward cabernet grandeur. As it takes on oxygen its aromas of mint and cocoa break through into a bright red, curranty streak of energy. It has the umami-laden pungency of pure, varietal cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the tannins firm yet pliable, harmonizing with the wine’s floral and herb aromas, mouthwatering acidity and the cedar bark character of its oak. It’s a vinous cabernet to age for at least ten years.
• 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a lovely example of one of the most overlooked vintages in California's modern era. It has unquestionably green and unquestionably beautiful aromas of dried herbs, matcha tea, baking spice and tobacco. The palate is red-fruited, balanced and energetic, finishing on a powdery tannin note with delineated focus. The more successful 2011 California Cabernets have aged remarkably better than their initial reputation would have consumers believe, the Mount Eden bottling being a particularly charming example.

• 92 Wine Enthusiast
  Smoked meats, black olive and tight fruits of cranberry and elderberry meld with dried oregano and leather on the nose of this elegant, earthy bottling from the historic producer. It's still tight and slowly unfurling on the palate, with elderberry and more barrel smoke alongside a rocky minerality. Drink 2018–2028.
• 91 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  Well, if one cannot get to Bordeaux, then take the 2011 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon for a Bordelais spin, this one shows excellent balance and restraint. Medium to dark ruby color; lead pencil, black earth and black fruit in the nose, very Bordelais-like, excellent persistence; medium bodied, firm and solid on the palate; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; black fruit and dusty in the flavors; medium to long finish. Drinking now, will greatly improve over the next few years. (Tasted: August 24, 2015, San Francisco, CA)