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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 64 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by oldcorke on 10/22/2022 & rated 95 points: Properly cellared - Fabulous dark fruited modestly earthy nose. Satisfying, virile taste balancing rich black & blue fruits against proper acid & tannin with not excessive oak influence. Very happy where this is now, & looking forward to retaste in 4-5 years. (678 views) | | | Tasted by Marmie11 on 9/20/2020 & rated 88 points: This needed a half an hour decanted to come together. A little more one dimensional than I hoped for, considering the bottle age. Sour fruits and herbal on the palate. The nose was heavy on the prunes and somewhat astringent at first, but mellowed after some time and showed faint cherry cola. At $129 Canadian, I hoped for more. Glad I tried it though.
The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, herb and cola. It tastes like red currant, cherry, forest floor, medicinal, lead pencil and alcohol/hot. The body is light/medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has medium acidity.
Second night. Used a Vacu Vin to cork the bottle. Much improved. Buttery silk on the mouth feel. Better balance between the alcohol heat, acidity and sour fruit. (1752 views) | | | Tasted by Necowine on 3/24/2020 & rated 94 points: From glass. Coppering around rim, but still dark at its core, rather an ordinary, greener nose of dilled red fruit, sour veg. What a surprise on the palate then, after getting those notes on the attack, to be flooded with clean, refreshing dark fruit and lots and lots of flavorful cocoa. Rich, deliciously rich, but never too rich; still some powdery sweet tannin, but smooth and never heavy. Some nibble of earthy mineral there too on the long finish. Evoking a sigh after every sip. Glorious California pinot. (2047 views) | | | Tasted by stevenjstein on 3/22/2020 & rated 95 points: Plenty of fruit left, but also elegant and complex. Soft red fruit, with earth and spice notes. (1833 views) | | | Tasted by jkscully on 9/13/2019: Dark cherry and purple fruits with cola, vanilla, mocha, baking spices, and lots of chocolate. Very rich and powerful at 14.9 % alcohol. Very fruity and California in style, but with some lively Burgundian acidity and sous bois too. A little simple, but so delicious. Great match with lamb. I would buy more and curious about the Jensen too. Unlike some other Cali Pinot Noirs, this drank well without too much air. (2013 views) | | | Tasted by Jon Mills on 1/5/2019 & rated 95 points: Mature, balanced, delicious - sadly my last bottle. (1918 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 7/29/2018 & rated 97 points: Delightful pinot drank with pan grilled red salmon. this wine had everything you can expect in good mature pinot. Sadly my last bottle of this beauty. (1782 views) | | | Tasted by kkleg on 6/23/2018 & rated 96 points: Lovely color, with subtle bricking around the edges. Beautiful nose, showing both Sonoma fruit and a Burgundian funk. On the palate, there’s a perfect balance of earthy fruit and nice acidity. Finishes just a tad short, or it would be a point higher. Even so, this is one of the finest Pinots I’ve ever had.
Edit: After 3 hours of air, the funky notes smell like a wonderful Gigondas. I’ve never seen this in a Pinot. (1647 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 2/11/2018 & rated 97 points: Wowser! What a stunning bottle of Pinot. Delicious earthy cherry fruit. Superb balance. Probably wouldn't be a hit with the AFWE crowd but for those who like fruit driven Pinot this is amazing wine. Drink or hold... happy to have another bottle. (1870 views) | | | Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 9/3/2015 & rated 89 points: had this on the day of purchase, this was a fine cali pinot but a little too big for my tastes, some red but mainly darker fruit, a hint of grittiness which i hope portends some spice, cinnamon, grip etc if i hold off for ten to 15 more years, i love the Mills from Calera from the 90's these days so maybe this just needs a long sleep (4383 views) | | | Tasted by jnewman77 on 5/5/2015: This seems to be in an awkward phase right now. The nose has dark fruit, a kirsch like liqueur smell, some dried flowers, and baking spice. The palate has big dark fruit and spice, but is a bit hot. I'm not sure on this, I think it will come together as it has plenty of fruit and with another 4-5 years should come back around and have some more interesting tertiary notes, but it seems to lack acidity and not sure how the alcohol will play in. (4185 views) | | | Tasted by Reblin on 2/8/2015 & rated 91 points: Rich but not overpowering fruit; mild acidity. Slightly heavier than the Calera Jensen of the same year. (4070 views) | | | Tasted by dransford on 1/19/2015 & rated 93 points: Awesome (4154 views) | | | Tasted by subir on 11/30/2014 & rated 92 points: Dark garnet color. Huge nose of candied cherries and red licorice. The nose has one note, and it's beating it with a big drum. Medium body, medium acidity. Overall quite a nice wine, but was a bit warmer than I normally like my pinots. (4334 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 2/12/2014: Big, harmonious, great drinking Pinot. Lots of structure. Give it time. (3567 views) | | | Tasted by tfharris on 1/30/2014 & rated 93 points: OMG - this is grand and delicious. Big juice. (3123 views) | | | Tasted by mreinhard74@gmail.com on 10/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Really fabulous with some age. Sorry mine is all gone. (3455 views) | | | Tasted by maderay on 2/8/2013 & rated 94 points: VG-DEL. Dark cherries, spices. Could go well with a filet mignon. (4522 views) | | | Tasted by Edclr on 10/10/2012 & rated 92 points: Ditto last note. Great value wine as are all the Calera single vineyards. (5135 views) | | | Tasted by Edclr on 7/9/2012 & rated 92 points: Evolving beautifully. Alcohol now in the background, fruit still very vibrant, starting to mellow out, but this is a 10 year wine for it's prime drinkning (4439 views) | | | Tasted by mreinhard74@gmail.com on 5/19/2012 & rated 93 points: A great example of Central Coast style. Cherry and vanilla but with a sharp acidity that I enjoy but others may not. Going to let the remaining bottles rest a bit longer. (4615 views) | | | Tasted by MindMuse on 4/6/2012 & rated 92 points: I knew this would be too soon, but whenwe needed more Calera at dinner after the 09 Central Coast was empty, I realized one of my guests was a Mills, so I just grabbed this for the name value. It's a stronger wine, but not showing as well at all on pop and pour. Will reward a bit more patience though. 92+ (4433 views) | | | Tasted by Pointchaser on 3/24/2012 & rated 91 points: Bright red cherry. Refined tannins on the finish. A very satisfying and worthy drink. (3536 views) | | | Tasted by markellen.foodies@gmail.com on 3/9/2012 & rated 93 points: I brought this as a backup to the 07 David Family(Santa Lucia Highlands), which i was doubtful of after decanting for 3 hrs. Erica, John Harte(Mr Chow's), and I preferred the Calera. It was more aromatic and elegant with acidity indicating further development. The acidity turned Ellen and Spring off. (3181 views) | | | Tasted by Edclr on 9/14/2011 & rated 90 points: fruit vibrant, was more so than most other Calera wines of other vintages. Still too young to evaluate. Alcohol shows up more than I would like, but let's give it some time. Not sure where this will go. (4139 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Calera Wine Company Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard Mt. Harlan) Subscribe to see review text. | By Allen Meadows
Burghound, October 2010, Issue #40
(Calera Wine Company Pinot Noir - Mills Vineyard Villages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/23/2010)
(Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard) Mineral, black cherry nose; mineral, black cherry palate; medium-plus finish 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Burghound and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Calera Producer websitePinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.Mills Vineyard Calera Wines website says about the Mills Vineyard: The 14.4 acre Mills Pinot Noir vineyard was planted in 1984, nine years after the original Calera plantings. The vineyard was named for Everett Mills, a neighbor and friend who made it his business to keep an eye on Josh’s progress during the early development years, in the hills south of Hollister. This vineyard was planted on its own roots using plant material from the original vineyards. The Mills vineyard is located between 2,200 and 2,300 feet above sea level on a gentle south-facing hillside that slopes down toward Harlan Creek. Pinot noirs from the Mills Vineyard are characterized by a fragrant spicy, cedar-like aroma, with underlying cherry and red berry fruit. Flavors include plums, olives and bittersweet chocolate. The wines have a long finish showing broad round tannins.
USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA Wikipedia |
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