2008 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard
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Tasting notes
A deceptively medium-bodied wine, the 2009 Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard possesses stunning balance of fruit, acidity and structure, along with superb integration of the whole clusters. There is a mid-palate pliancy and richness to the 2009 that is simply breathtaking. The Mills is all about elegance. The Mills is all about elegance. Hints of pine, menthol and chalk linger in the empty glass. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Vivid red. Deep strawberry and raspberry aromas are complicated by of rose, cinnamon and musky herbs. Sappy and precise on the palate, with very good depth and vivacity to its sweet red fruit and floral pastille flavors. Silky tannins add shape to the long, spice-accented finish. Quite elegant, especially with an hour or so of aeration. (JR)
The 2008 Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard takes shape beautifully in the glass, with layers of bright red fruits, flowers, spices and tobacco. It is an impeccable, polished wine from start to finish. This is one of the wines that shows more stem character than some of the others. A textured, multi-dimensional finish of considerable elegance sets the Mills Vineyard apart. Here, too, there is a slightly fleeting quality, but there seems to be enough fruit for the wine to drink well for another handful of years, perhaps longer.
The 2008 Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard takes shape beautifully in the glass, with layers of bright red fruits, flowers, spices and tobacco. It is an impeccable, polished wine from start to finish. This is one of the wines that shows more stem character than some of the others. A textured, multi-dimensional finish of considerable elegance sets the Mills Vineyard apart. Here, too, there is a slightly fleeting quality, but there seems to be enough fruit for the wine to drink well for another handful of years, perhaps longer. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Josh Jensen and Calera. Vintage 2008 was not an easy one, as a severe spring frost reduced yields to less than one ton per acre. Most of the Pinots are made with 100% whole clusters. I am not sure each of these sites is ideally suited to such a high percentage of stem inclusion, especially in this vintage, but time will tell. Calera has what are easily the most informative back labels I have ever seen, with much more information and detail on each wine than I can reproduce here. Kudos to Josh Jensen for providing his customers with the maximum level of detail one could ever ask for. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the Chardonnays, but I will report on those wines as soon as possible. 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