2016 Calera Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Unfortunately, I was only able to taste a single wine from this benchmark estate. Aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard offers a rocking, rounded, sexy, medium to full-bodied style as well as loads of red currants, blackberries, ground herbs, spice, and subtle salinity and minerality. With a rounded, expansive texture, ripe tannins, and terrific balance, it's well worth seeking out. Aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, it has a good decade of prime drinking ahead of it, possibly more.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard from Calera is pale ruby in the glass and has a wonderfully classic nose of pipe tobacco, woodsmoke, tree bark, dried citrus peel and a delicate red and black fruit core. It's medium-bodied in the mouth and silky textured with nuanced fruits framed by gentle grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long.
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido is soft, pliant and accessible, all of which make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Lifted floral/spiced notes, bright red cherry fruit and silky tannins all add to the wine's immediacy and overall appeal.
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