2014 Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard

The 2014 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard strikes as highly appealing middle ground in this range. Aromatically precise and deep, but not heavy at all, the Jensen has it all. Beams of tannin give the wine its length and overall shape and yet all the elements are very nicely balanced. This is another super-harmonious, polished wine from Calera.

From a drought year, the third in a row, the 2014 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is more about texture than fruit, with insanely powerful tannins. The winery trucked two million gallons of water up to the vineyard, that’s how bad things were, and harvest was fast, furious, and early. Pronounced flavors of earth and dried herb give the wine a distinctly savory, umami character that’s compelling alongside a lingering note of black cherry pie. It will easily go another few years; drink now through 2034.