Mount Eden Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay 2021 Wine (75cl)

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In the glass, it displays a youthful golden hue. Aromas open with wet stone and citrus pith, unfolding into layers of fresh-pressed apple, lemon zest, and a light spice. On the palate, the wine is supple and texturally rich, with mineral notes evolving into a saline edge and a savory umami character. Subtle hints of cardamom and shiitake add complexity. Elegant yet restrained, it offers both depth and length. While beautifully expressive now, this wine will continue to evolve over the next 15 to 25 years. Bottled at the same time as the estate 2022, the 2021 Chardonnay Reserve sees more lees contact, aging on the lees in new and one-year-old French oak over 10 months, then another year on the lees in tank before yet more years of aging in bottle. There's tremendous structure and tension, as well as a highly refined palate of elegant stone and orchard fruit to the wine, a medium-bodied, lovely, balanced expression of the exceptional site and winemaking at its core. I was quite impressed with the 2021 Chardonnay Reserve, which, even in its youth, delivers everything one can expect from a Mount Eden Chardonnay: rich, golden power with equal measure of clarity, vibrancy, dimension and length. The nose is round, detailed and pleasantly lees-influenced, gradually revealing citrus and flint top notes. It is suave, tensile and seamless on the palate, concluding with a punchy yet slow-moving, nuanced finish that gains tension with time in the glass. This deserves another few years in the cellar to blossom, and I suspect that fans of mature Mount Eden Chardonnay will be rewarded by aging this into its second decade. Rating: 95+ So full of texture and personality, with nectarines, citrus, salty minerality, white tea and chamomile. Tensile acidity and lemon blossoms in the finish. Hold for a year or two, and then enjoy over the next several.