2015 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard

There are a lot of highlights in this range from Calera. The Vin Gris, Aligoté and both Chardonnays are terrific. The 2015 estate Pinots - the core of the lineup - clearly reflect the stress of a year in which yields are just 0.5 tons per acre. To be sure, Calera's Mt. Harlan estate is a rugged site on its own, and yields will never be especially generous, but production is 2015 is dramatically low, even by the standards of this vineyard. Tiny yields along with a preference to use a high amount of whole clusters may explain why a number of the 2015 Pinots are reticent and hard to read today. Historically, the Calera Pinots blossom with age. I suspect that will be the case here as well. Readers will note the addition of two new non-estate Pinots, both from sites Calera has worked within the past for their Central Coast Pinot label. As a reminder, founder Josh Jensen sold Calera last year to Duckhorn. It will be a few years before the wines made under the new ownership show whether or not there have been any meaningful changes in quality.