2016 Keplinger Caldera
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The 2016 Caldera (Mourvèdre/Grenache/Cunoise) is bright, polished and beautifully focused, with plenty of red berry, floral and minty character. Medium in body and gracious, the Caldera is another winner from Helen Keplinger. In 2016, the Caldera is unusually polished and nuanced, all of which makes it incredibly inviting.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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This is very intense and salty with loads of minerality and dark fruit. Wild strawberries, too. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a succulent and flavorful finish. Savory. Drink now.
Moving to the reds, the 2016 Caldera is a Mourvèdre-dominated blend that includes 30% Grenache and 6% Counoise, aged 16 months in neutral 600-liter barrels. Coming from the Eldorado region, this beauty offers a fabulous bouquet of black raspberries, toasted spices, cured meats, and some subtle bacon fat notes to go with a medium to full-bodied, seamless, layered profile on the palate. It shows more wild blue fruits with time in the glass, has silky yet present tannins, and a great finish. It’s proof positive that world-class wines can be made from the Sierra Foothills.
The 2016 Caldera is a blend of 64% Mourvèdere, 30% Grenache and 6% Counoise. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals scents of red and black cherries, warm plums and blackberry pie with an undercurrent of Indian spices, garrigue and black soil. The palate is full-bodied with a lovely soft texture and plenty of freshness lifting the black fruits to a long finish. 216 cases produced.