2009 Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2009 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is a gorgeous wine for drinking now, as the aromatics are just beginning to show the first signs of complexity. Sweet tobacco, mint, cedar, herbs and dried cherries flesh out in ample, deeply expressive Pinot endowed with real depth. The 2009 should continue to drink well for another 10-15 years. Today, the 2009 is a bit shy relative to how it showed a few years ago, and may be going through an awkward phase as it makes the transition from a young Pinot to a more middle-aged wine.
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright ruby-red. A heady bouquet presents fresh red and dark fruits, candied lavender and Asian spices. Silky, dense and gently sweet, with intense black raspberry and cherry flavors complicated by cola and spicecake nuances. A jolt of blood orange adds lift and cut to the sweet, extremely persistent finish featuring darker berry and anise notes.
The 2009 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is the biggest and richest of the 2009s. It boasts stunning depth in its dark fruit, licorice, spices and sweet, balsamic notes. Layers of fruit totally saturate the palate as this majestic Pinot opens up in the glass. The sheer depth and nuance of the Jensen is simply breathtaking. Readers will have to be patient as the Jensen is very much built for the cellar. It is an American classic to savor and enjoy to age 20 and perhaps beyond.
The 2009 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is the biggest and richest of the 2009s. It boasts stunning depth in its dark fruit, licorice, spices and sweet balsamic notes. Layers of fruit totally saturate the palate as this utterly majestic Pinot opens up in the glass. The sheer depth and nuance of the Jensen is simply breathtaking. Readers will have to be patient, as the Jensen is very much built for the cellar. It is an American classic to savor and enjoy to age 20 and perhaps beyond. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. Readers who want to experience the finest Pinot Noirs being made in California should put Calera at or near the top of their lists. The 2009s are simply breathtaking in their beauty. I am not sure why I was so blown away by the estate’s 2009s, as the entry-level 2009 Central Coast Pinot I reviewed last year provided more than enough clues as to the quality of the rest of the lineup. Based on that wine, I should have known what to expect. Congratulations to proprietor Josh Jensen and his entire team on these magnificent, utterly compelling wines. Organic farming, native fermentations and minimal racking are some of the choices that inform the Calera wines. Tel. (831) 637-9170; www.calerawine.com
About the producer
Discover the wines from Josh Jensen’s pioneering estate in the Mount Harlan AVA, crafting elegant Pinot Noir from limestone soils in California