At 23–28 years from vintage, these are mature wines showing dried red cherry, dried herb, forest floor, leather, and savory earth with softened, integrated tannins. The 1997 California vintage was excellent; 1998 was challenging due to El Niño but produced age-worthy wines from top sites; 2002 was excellent. Bottle condition is the key variable on wines this old.
- Varietal
- Pinot Noir
- Region
- USA / California / San Benito County / Mount Harlan
- Body
- Medium
- Style
- dry red, age-worthy, structured, traditional, mature
The producer
Jensen Vineyard is Calera's flagship single-vineyard Pinot, named for founder Josh Jensen. The site sits on limestone-rich soils high in the Gavilan Mountains and has produced what many consider the most age-worthy California Pinot Noir over decades.
What critics say
Calera Jensen has received consistently strong critical reviews across decades and is regarded as a benchmark for age-worthy California Pinot.
Pairing
Mushroom-forward dishes, slow-roasted duck, hard aged cheeses