Sourced from a lower parcel of the estate's oldest vines established in 1975, the 2022 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard derives from a mostly east-facing slope yet contains multiple exposures. It leads with a complex, dynamic nose that melds a rich, candied fruit profile with citrus-driven lift and a soaring, herbal energy. The palate falls somewhere between the various Mt. Harlan bottlings, offering a lifted, buoyant energy, a measured, composed depth and a deeply tensile, mineral-inflected sturdiness that carries through the refined, long and nuanced finish. While a touch less explosive and immediate than several of the offerings from Mt. Harlan, I found this the most complete expression of the site in this vintage.
Perched on a limestone mountaintop above the Cienega Valley in the San Gabilan Mountains known as Mt. Harlan, Calera is as unique and remote a site as exists in California. Named after a lime kiln built in the mid-19th century and situated at an altitude of 2,200 feet (above the fog line), the then-barren property was purchased by Josh Jensen in 1974. He established the first 24 acres of vines across the Reed, Jensen and Selleck vineyards, using suitcase cuttings and a self-taught approach to operating a bulldozer, and later expanded with the Mills, Ryan and de Villiers sites in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jensen's early experience working harvests at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Dujac influenced his winemaking methods, which emphasize whole-cluster fermentations, egg white fining and extended élevage in mostly François Frères barrels—techniques that remain central to the wines' identity today. Longtime winemaker and Hollister native Mike Waller has led the winery for the past 18 vintages, following years of mentorship from Jensen himself. The brand's acquisition by the Duckhorn Group in 2017 has thankfully done little to alter the style of the wines, which continue to showcase their bold power, tannic structure, overall intensity and age-worthiness.
The centerpiece of the portfolio is the array of vineyard-designates from the Mt. Harlan property, all of which show a clear identity and admirable delineation. Along with the stalwart Central Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings that enjoy wide distribution, the lineup includes a focused but fascinating array of vineyard-designates from purchased grapes, spanning Chalone, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Sta. Rita Hills. Produced without the use of whole clusters and a slightly shorter élevage, these editions are softer and more approachable, but they provide an insightful context for just how unique and tenacious the Mt. Harlan wines are. Recent developments in the vineyards include a substantial amount of replantings, including the entirety of the Mills site—longtime readers will note its absence from the 2022 lineup—as well as older, own-rooted sections of Selleck that had succumbed to painfully low yields in the face of several consecutive drought vintages.
Published: Aug 22, 2025