2001 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (24) Avg Score: 87.6 points

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  4/25/2020 - lars1014 Likes this wine:

  A surprisingly dark and intense color given the age of this wine. Some bricking around the edges gives a hint to the tenure in bottle. A prominent cassis, mineral and savory nose. The wine has a meaty-mineral texture with black tea and mouth watering fish sauce flavors. This is a full bodied pinot noir, but not over the top. Owned since release and consumed over two days.

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  7/4/2018 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Surprised to see such a short date range on the drinking window. This is far from past due. Only now beginning to show signs of age (compared with the 1999, drunk a few days ago, that is well on its way). This has great structure, good length and plenty to interest you and will hold its own do at least another 3-4 years and maybe longer.

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  4/5/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points

  Pristine bottle, purchased at the estate. The Mills vineyard (14.4 acres) is 2,200 feet above sea level, south facing, on limestone soils, vines planted in 1984. Yield was 1.15 tons per acre (app. 18 hl/ha), aged for 16 months in 30% new French oak, 1,096 cases produced, 14.5% ABV. Mature but lively appearance, a warm bricky red; wonderful nose, warm and inviting, smoky Pinot Noir, complex notes of black tea, spice and anchovy, harmonious and deep, ripe yet fresh fruit with a hint of forest floor, excellent mineral depth; the palate is gentle and mature, satiny yet fresh, seamless, elegant, with perfect grip from the oak tannins, has lost a bit of weight but not drying, mature fruit flavours, develops a chocolaty note; lovely minerality and drive on the finish, very good length. A wine with real individuality and sense of place.

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  4/15/2014 - curtr wrote: 89 Points

  Ready to drink with 1 hour decant. Food a must.

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  8/5/2012 - davidga75 wrote:

  Tasted from MAG.....the nose on this wine was wonderful - complex and it evolved nicely over the course of the evening. There were notes of pine/menthol mixed with brown spice, hints of earth and some red fruits (raspberry, cranberry, etc.). The palate was medium bodied with red fruit flavors dominating and a bit of earthy spice as well. On the finish it showed quite a bit of firmness - both moderate acidity and some grittiness to the tannins which seemed a bit unusual for an 11 y.o. Pinot (but based on others tasting notes, plus the larger format bottle, this seemed to be in line with what I expected). The structure made the wine a bit rough to drink on its own, but with a grilled pork roast it was tamed down. Long story short, the nose was great, and although the wine was a bit coarse on the palate, having it with food helped to balance it out. I don't think that any more time will help because it's likely that the tannins will outlast any remaining fruit....drink em if you've got em.

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