Calera Selleck Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

Professional Ratings

• 98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Even better is the 2007 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard, perhaps the finest Pinot ever made by Calera. This 4.8-acre vineyard planted in 1975 has a much warmer southwest exposure than some of the estate’s other sites. Only 411 cases were produced of this compelling Pinot Noir. Sassafras, black cherry, raspberry, plum, pomegranate, cedar, and underbrush aromas are accompanied by a full-bodied, ripe wine with beautiful acids, an intense underlying minerality/terroir character, and a long finish. The 2007 Selleck is slightly less evolved than the Jensen, but it is an impressive Pinot that should age effortlessly for 10-15+ years. Kudos to Josh Jensen for producing this remarkable group of wines!
• 96 Wine & Spirits
  In 1975, Josh Jensen planted the Selleck Vineyard on Mt. Harlan, a rocky, south- to southwest-facing slope where he found more limestone in the soil than in his other vineyard sites. The exposition lends this wine more concentration than Reed (recommended below), shown in the depth of color, darker fruit tone and grip of the mineral-inflected tannins. Transparent and vinous rather than directly fruity, this hints at woodland cherries and fraises des bois. There's a purity and honesty to the flavors that are rare in the New World and increasingly difficult to find in the Old. Both the Selleck and Reed '07s are magnificent California wines, suited to long aging.