Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The brilliant 2009 Chardonnay Mt. Harlan, the finest Chardonnay Calera has made in many years, was produced from 1.65 tons of fruit per acre, and spent 10 months in French oak barrels. A chalky component (from the limestone soils of this appellation) is intermixed with quince, white currant, nectarine, orange blossom, and lemon butter notes in an incredibly complex, crystalline style. Full-bodied with stunning concentration, length, and texture, this fabulous Chardonnay could easily pass for a grand cru white Burgundy in a blind tasting. Enjoy it over the next 5-7 years.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
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.