2018 Domaine Eden, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA

Domaine Eden

Domaine Eden, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, is an extension of Mount Eden Vineyards, acquired by the estate in 2007. This renowned property is celebrated for crafting approachable yet refined expressions of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon, using grapes sourced from its own vineyards. The cool, maritime climate and diverse soils of the Santa Cruz Mountains provide an ideal environment for growing high-quality grapes, resulting in elegant and complex wines.

What sets Domaine Eden apart is its commitment to sustainable farming and traditional winemaking techniques. Each bottle reflects the meticulous care and craftsmanship synonymous with the Mount Eden legacy. While Domaine Eden wines are more accessible in style than the age-worthy offerings of Mount Eden Vineyards, they still embody the same dedication to quality.

Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is a Viticultural Area that is based around the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. The appellation enjoys a large diveristy of micro-climates, affected by the mountain topography, the Pacific Ocean, and the nearby San Francisco Bay.

The  wine appellation encompasses 1,500 acres of vineyards, dominated by mainly Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, with more smaller blocks of Cabernet Franc, Carignane, Dolcetto, Grenache, Malbec, Malvasia, Merlot, Mondeuse, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel.

Notable wineries in the appellation include: Bonny Doon Vineyard,  Ridge Vineyards , Neely

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.

The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.