A Pair of 1997 Mount Eden Pinots

Tasted Friday, January 13, 2012 by jfagan with 342 views

Introduction

1997 marked Mount Eden's 25th anniversary although the vineyards date back to 1942. Two Pinots were bottled in this vintage--the regular "Estate" and a "Cuvee des Vieilles Vignes" which was the last wine made from the original 1942 planting made by Martin Ray. I believe these old vines were replaced after this vintage. Despite the historic circumstances, neither wine has performed well over the years IMHO. Having a few bottles left of each, I decided to try both side-by-side and was pleasantly surprised.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 1997 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir 91 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Decanted 2 hours. No sediment. Lighter color than the Cuvee des Vieilles Vignes" with a wide clear rim. High toned aromatics show savory herbs and smoky, briary red fruit that set the stage for decidedly tart red fruit flavors of cranberry and cherry with just enough sweetness to keep the balance. The wine is mouth-wateringly bright but not at all dried out or severe and the finish is long, juicy and pleasurable. Along with its vintage stable mate, this too is showing better now than in the past but should be drunk over the next year or two.

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  • 1997 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Old Vines 89 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    The last (only?) bottling made entirely from the original 1942 Martin Ray planting. Decanted about an hour. No sediment. The color is light throughout but still bright and fresh looking with a wide clear rim. Herb tea, dried flowers and some sweet spice on the nose lead to light but still lively flavors of dried cherry, rose hips and a touch of iron. There is still a sense of sweetness to the fruit and the wine finishes bright and clean. What I thought was likely its "last gasp" might actually be a second wind as this is showing better now than at any previous time. That being said, it is in need of drinking and is not among the many outstanding Pinots from this historic estate. Note: the bottle is labeled "Cuvee des Vieilles Vignes" not "Old Vines".

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