Winemaker Notes
In 2015, the Mills Vineyard yielded an alluring, red fruit-driven expression of Pinot Noir, with vibrant layers of Bing cherry and red plum, underscored by sophisticated notes of pine needles, earth, mushrooms and black pepper. On the palate, the tannins are round and supple, adding a plush textural element to the wine that accentuates the lushness of the flavors and carries the wine to a graceful finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Less than one-third of a ton per acre came off of this nearly 35-year-old vineyard from this drought-addled vintage, but what made it to bottle is quite amazing. Aromas of earthy thyme, sagebrush, wild black cherry and cocoa are layered and elegant. The palate is rich and thoroughly engaging in flavors of roasted tomato, mulberry and purple flower.
-
Wine & Spirits
From a southeast-facing parcel planted on limestone in the mid-1980s, this feels warmer than the wine from Ryan (also recommended in this issue). The flavors of simmering plums and cloves have a velvet heaviness to them, a weight of saturation and wholeness that grounds the wine. It’s dark, focused, detailed, and merits cellar time to find out what comes next.
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.