Calera Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan "de Villiers" 2017
(Central Coast, California) [JD 95] [VM 94] [WA 93] [WE 92]

Notes from the Winemaker:
Once again, de Villiers Vineyard has yielded one of Mt. Harlan’s most luxurious and robust Pinot Noirs, with deep, penetrating flavors of ripe plum, black cherry and cassis. As it unfurls, the wine reveals beautiful underlying complexity, with fine-grained tannins and hints of white pepper, sassafras and cigar box lingering on the finish.

Production:
A wet winter, with more than double our average annual rainfall, made for very happy vineyards in 2017. While budbreak arrived slightly later than usual, warm spring weather led to excellent fruit sets at our Mt. Harlan vineyards, with above-average yields for both Pinot Noir and our white varieties. Thanks to the abundant early season rains, and Mt. Harlan’s high elevation and marine-influenced climate, our estate vineyards weathered a significant Labor Day heat event wonderfully, producing complex and elegant wines, with beautifully balanced acids and sugars.

Ratings and Reviews:

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Deeper ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir De Villiers Vineyard reveals more black raspberry, sassafras, tea, and spicy notes. It's medium-bodied, with a juicy, elegant style and a great finish. - (Sept 2020)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2017 Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard is fabulous. Rich, exotic and bold, the 2017 offers striking immediacy. Inky dark fruit, spice, lavender and menthol open up first, followed by a range of more savory, mineral notes that are typical of Mt. Harlan. The interplay of fruit intensity and structure makes for a compelling Pinot. (Drink between 2022-2032)" - Antonio Galloni (Sept 2020)

93 Points - Wine Advocate:
"Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir deVilliers Vineyard, aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, gives up broody cherry coulis, underbrush, crushed stone, dried redcurrants and cranberries aromas with notions of blood orange, tea leaves and cured meats. Medium-bodied, intense and layered, it's well framed and juicy with a long and pleasantly restrained finish. 1,382 cases produced." - Erin Brooks (Feb 2020)

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Roasted boysenberry, crushed stone, baked earth and a slight plum-skin tang show on the nose of this bottling from vines planted in 1996. There's a warm-weather sense on the palate, where cooked berry flavors dominate, yet the acid and rocky tension keep it complex and intense." - MK (11/2020)