# Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2017)

- **Producer:** Mount Eden Vineyards
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** raspberry, blackcurrant, dark cherry, redcurrant, violet, blackberry, cedar, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, smoke, cloves, forest floor, mahogany, dried fruit, earth, leather, tobacco, sandalwood

## About this wine

The Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a distinguished red wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA in California. Mount Eden Vineyards, with a history dating back to the 1890s and vine cuttings from Château Margaux, is committed to showcasing the unique terroir of its high-elevation, cool-coastal vineyard. This site, characterized by its distinctive shale soils, provides an environment that yields wines of refreshing acidity and elegant structure, a departure from typical California Cabernet Sauvignon profiles. The 2017 vintage benefited from favorable weather conditions, including ample winter rain and cool ripening temperatures, contributing to the wine's balanced character.

## Interesting facts

- Vine cuttings trace back to Château Margaux.
- Grown on unique shale soils at high elevation.
- Cool-climate California Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Known for significant aging potential.

## Food pairing

The wine's medium+ to full body and firm tannins are well-suited to rich protein sources like beef and lamb, where the tannins bind with the protein, softening both. The wine's dark fruit and earthy notes can complement the savory flavors of game and mushrooms, while its refreshing acidity can cut through the richness of fatty dishes.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for the Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon involves fermentation in small, 1,000-gallon stainless steel tanks with manual punch-downs. Post-fermentation maceration lasts for six to ten days. The wine then spends twenty-two months aging in Bordelaise chateau barrels, including new French oak, where it completes malolactic fermentation. Racking occurs three to four times per year. The grapes are sourced from a high-elevation vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, known for its shale soils and cool-climate influence.