Winemaker Notes
The prized 1975 plantings of Jensen Vineyard have yielded a gorgeous Pinot Noir that strikes a seamless balance between lushness and finesse. On the nose, aromas of ripe red cherry, cedar and black raspberry rise from the glass, followed by hints clove and spice. The palate is silky and generous, with abundant layers of ripe fruit gliding to a vibrant and lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Strong aromas of black cherry and Christmas spice are plump on the nose, while the palate is minty and earthy, combining sagebrush, raspberry and cranberry flavors. From a brand that was recently purchased by Duckhorn, this is a complex, layered wine.
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Wine & Spirits
Josh Jensen planted his namesake vineyard in 1975, and from the moment this wine is poured, it shows the elegance and integration of old vines. It balances subtle oak notes with whole-cluster scents, dried lavender, purple flowers and notes of fine leather. The flavors feel vinous and bright, red-cherryscented and slightly more acid driven than the other Calera wines reviewed here, with a sleek texture that feels cool and built to age, if you can keep your hands off it in the cellar.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Calera Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir is one of California's most excellent wines. TASTING NOTES: This wine is striking and beautiful. Pair its aromas and flavors of concentrated red and black fruits with a slow-cooked lamb stew. (Tasted: April 26, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard, aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, has a pale to medium ruby color and is slow to unfurl on the nose, with tangerine, dried cranberries, wild blackberries, dried thyme, underbrush and hints of peppered meats coming through over time. Medium-bodied and silky, it unfurls in the mouth to amaro character, firmly framed and finishing long and fresh.
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Wine Spectator
This shows pretty floral accents to the damson plum, dark cherry and wild currant flavors, with flinty notes. Crushed stone and spice accents burst forth on the finish.
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.