Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A thrilling Pinot Noir that comes from a 13.8-acre vineyard planted in 1975 on mostly on limestone, at an elevation of 2,200 feet, the 2012 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard was harvested September 24 to October 21 and was aged 16 months in 30% new French oak. It offers a dark ruby color to go with a big, sweet nose of cranberry, wild strawberries, crushed flowers, forest floor and spice. Full-bodied, layered and elegant, with a supple, rounded and sexy texture, it packs plenty of fruit, yet is graceful, beautifully balanced and seamless. It's hard to resist now, yet should cruise for a decade in the cellar.
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Wine Enthusiast
Pioneering winemaker Josh Jensen delivers pure and focused aromas of deep red pomegranate and dark purple fruits, a shred of violet, a noticeable chalkiness and a hint of sweet sage. It’s rich and zesty on the palate, offering dark fruit flavors with a pine sap backbone, finishing strong on chocolate-dipped cherries.
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.”
At elevations reaching well over 2,000 feet, the Mt. Harlan AVA in the Gabilan Range is an anomaly among its surrounding Central Coast appellations. Recognizing the splendor of the area and its ideal limestone-rich soils, Josh Jensen chose Mt. Harlan as the home of his Calera Wine Company in the 1970s. Awarded his own AVA in 1990, Calera is the only commercial winery in the appellation.