Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis blend from sites across the Central Coast carries all the expert hallmarks of the brand, from ripe fruit to earthy spice. Tightly wound aromas of pomegranate, berry, soil and star anise lead into a crisp yet savory palate of raspberry and deep cherry. Pinches of dried sage and thyme linger on the finish.
Aged 10 months in 10% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Central Coast has a pale to medium ruby color and open, inviting aromas of wild blackberries, oolong tea leaves, dried cranberries and cherries with touches of underbrush, charcuterie, dried flowers and earth. The palate is light to medium-bodied with a firm, finely grained frame and earth-laced fruits, finishing with lovely freshness and spice.
Calera's 2017 Pinot Noir (Central Coast) has come together beautifully over the last year. Spice, dried tart cherry, cedar and mint give the 2017 striking aromatic presence to match its mid-weight personality. Sweet, perfumed and expansive on the palate, the Central Coast Pinot is a real joy to taste today. This is a notable level of quality for a wine that offers both good value and that is relatively easy to find. Drinking window: 2020 - 2024.
In 1975, legendary vintner and American wine pioneer Josh Jensen founded Calera (Spanish for “lime kiln”) high in the remote Gavilan Mountains of California’s windswept Central Coast. There, in Mt. Harlan’s low-yielding, limestone-rich soils and cool, arid climate, he began planting what would ultimately become six small estate vineyards. Today, these vineyards are recognized as some of the New World’s most revered Pinot Noir sites.
Calera is a vision, and Calera’s wines truly express the sense of place. Rather than follow the recommended path, Josh Jensen became a pioneer in American Pinot Noir. Taking his cue from the great domaines of Burgundy, which have grown grapes in limestone soil for centuries, he set out in search of the perfect spot in California to create wines unique to the world but in the style of the greatest wines of France. Site selection was vital as he ventured off the grid to plant on the site of an old limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of California's Central Coast.
Under the stewardship of Winemaker Mike Waller, each vineyard is renowned for producing singular wines of uncommon purity, elegance and aging potential. In addition to its beloved single-vineyard wines, Calera partners with some of the top vineyards on California’s majestic Central Coast to make Calera’s beautiful Central Coast wines, including a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
