Who We Are

Mount Eden Vineyards is a small historic wine estate perched at 2000 feet overlooking Silicon Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Founded in 1945, it is recognized as one of the original “boutique” California winery properties, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Mount Eden’s lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is the longest in California.  Planted in austere, infertile Franciscan shale on a cool, exposed mountaintop, these low-yielding estate vineyards have consistently produced world-class wines for over a half-century. In 2007 Mount Eden acquired an additional 55 acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills, which was christened Domaine Eden.

Mount Eden Vineyards also produces non-estate Chardonnays from the central coast, primarily Edna Valley. They have great success making Chardonnay from the Wolff Vineyard and are continually recognized as making outstanding wines from that region.

Since 1981 Jeffrey Patterson has guided the winemaking and grape growing at Mount Eden.  His emphasis is on wine growing rather than winemaking; and an obsession with gentleness and naturalness in the handling of the grapes and wines is his ongoing passion.

Philosophy

Winemaking is simple in its basic process. In fact, it is the natural decomposition of the grapes. Yet on the way to fine wine, it can get very complex. Wine, at its essence, is a snapshot of the ecology of the vineyard. By the ecology I mean the slope, soil, exposure, wind, sun, grape variety, and weather that particular year. At Mount Eden every bottle is a succinct expression of the vineyard’s ecology. Year in and year out we produce wines from the same vines, in the same cellars, by the same people. With that purity of expression comes a true “vineyard wine”. This is so even with our non-estate Chardonnay from the Wolff Vineyard in Edna Valley.

Most large commercial wines in the marketplace are blends from several vineyards and are what I call “winemaker wines”, meaning the composition and harmony are built by the palate and pocketbook of the winemaker. “Vineyard wines” differ in their basic approach and are usually very small in volume. I know it’s a well-worn cliché, but I do believe that all great wines are “made in the vineyard”. Therefore, over the years I have found myself working in my vineyards more and more. The connection to the estate vineyards and my influence over the quality of the fruit is my biggest satisfaction.

Not to say that the wine cellar is not important or satisfying, but the challenge and creativity is greatest in the vineyard. There is also a larger legacy left in the vineyard operations. The overall design and health of the vineyards that I will leave my successor one day will be the best possible, and I take a lot of pride in that. In the winemaking arena the approach has always been to let the wine and the vintage speak for itself. A gentle handling of the fruit, no pumping for instance, is the first step, as well as careful monitoring of the fermentations using natural yeast populations. Like an airline pilot, I intervene only when necessary, guiding the process and being there should any unexpected turbulence occur.

The human factor in any vintage is significant. For instance, harvest parameters and subsequent wine style, method of fermentation, type and age of barrels used, length of aging cycle, how one finishes the wine (whether or not to filter) are all important and are totally in the hands and head of the winemaker. Experience is a great help, and I am fortunate to have spent my entire career here at Mount Eden. The style of our wines are for a select few who typically have a long and wide wine-drinking history. Our customers are able to appreciate the intensity of character and purity of the terroir because of this.

Fine wine should be fun and delicious. Whether with food or without, it shouldn’t be too serious or pretentious, yet it often is. I try in my public persona to communicate this levity and hedonism whenever possible.