If you’re a Pinot Noir fan, you’ve most likely have heard of, or even personally enjoyed the wines from Calera. Calera is THE iconic US producer of Pinot Noir - legendary because the back-vintages age and improve like red Burgundy.
Calera was founded by the late Josh Jensen who set out to produce California wines that would rival the best French Burgundies. He spent time working at some of the top domaines in Burgundy (Domaine de la Romanee Conti and Domaine Dujac) and was on a mission to find the perfect limestone soil in California to plant Pinot Noir. Jensen followed Burgundy’s lead that limestone-rich soils are a necessity for fine Pinot Noir, and in 1974, he sourced an amazing high altitude, cool-climate property near Mt. Harlan that he named Calera. In 1978, the founding vineyards (Jensen, Selleck and Reed) produced its first crop. A few years later, his wines began to receive attention, and he was on his way to becoming one of the top Pinot Noir producers in the US. The New York Times remarked that Jensen, “…became the first producer of consistently excellent American pinot noir.”
We have a very small, limited allocation of 2020 Calera Jensen Vineyard Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir that is quickly dwindling! The 2020 sells for $130 at the winery, but we are able offer this 97 pointer at $119. Jensen Vineyard, one of the original three vineyards, is among the highest and coolest vineyard sites in California. Its vines are nearly 50 years old, and the juice is coveted by Pinot fanatics. Calera wines never last long in our inventory – they are highly sought-after and are downright delicious.
If you’re a fan of Calera, don’t hesitate on scooping this up! “Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth." - Robert Parker
Cheers!