2007 De Villiers Pinot Noir

The debut release of a new bottling, the dark ruby-hued 2007 Pinot Noir de Villiers is from a 13.1-acre vineyard planted in 1997 on pure limestone soils. Cropped at an unbelievably low .78 tons of fruit per acre, the wine spent 16 months in Francois Freres oak barrels (30% new), and was bottled without filtration. It offers notes of rhubarb, sassafras, sweet cherries, strawberries, and herbs in a full-bodied, dense, complex, juicy format. With silky tannins, decent acidity, and a long finish, it should drink well for a decade or more. This may be the strongest group of wines Calera has produced in many years. From their less expensive whites through the generic and single vineyard Pinot Noirs, this remarkable portfolio showcases this idiosyncratic terroir isolated on Mt. Harlan. For starters, Calera has once again made the finest Aligote in America. Tel. (831) 637-9170; Fax (831) 637-9070