WTN: 2002 Calera Mount Harlan Cuvee Pinot Noir California.

2002 Calera Mount Harlan Cuvee Pinot Noir California. $12.00 a glass at Endless Vines. Deep red color, deep hue, lovely fruit aromas and tastes with an intense berry flavor note, medium mouth feel, long finish, bit edgy now, but showing great promise for further development. Distinctive. 4*.

[Jenise]

Good note. People, including me, sometimes get so caught up in describing a wine from the toenails up we forget to put a final spin like "distinctive" on what we've observed, when in fact that final detail can make the difference between compelling and ordinary. Sounds like a step up from the last Calera Harlan I had.

The Calera Mt. Harlan is a great deal. I like the CC Pinot Noir, but for $5 more, the Mt. Harlen is a gem. Very Mini-Mills.


Prost!
Bill

Thanks, Jenise. As usual, you make me think a bit. I went back and reviewed other Calera PNs I've had. Interesting -- what I used to think of as a "single note" wine is now a "distinctive" wine. And, for sure, the 2002 is a step up from earlier vintages.

Thanks for poking me up -- I learned something.

3/2/98 1992 Calera Mills Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir San Benito County California. King’s Choice. Good red color; good fruit aroma and taste, a bit thin and a single note; some floral overtones; somewhat acid; ten second finish. 3*.

3/3/98 1994 Calera Mills Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir San Benito County California. King’s Choice. Good red color; good fruit aroma and taste, more substance than the 1992 and with better floral overtones; somewhat acid; ten second finish. 4*.

4/26/99 Mon 1997 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast California. $29. Pale red color, very bright and pretty; light hue; slight fruit aroma with great earthen notes, the fruit opening very nicely with lots of swirling; good berry, spice and earth taste, somewhat tannic, but very good balance; medium mouth finish; long, single note finish. Pleasant but less complex than I like; it did open well with time. T3*. [Buddy 8.5; group 13, 11th place.]

I recently posted a note on the 2003 Calera Ryan Vineyard Mount Harlan Pinot Noir (which I liked). Bob, do you know if the glass you had recently was from Ryan Vineyard? A restaurant in Raleigh is going to be stocking the Ryan Vineyard but it will be available only by the bottle, not the glass.

Sorry, I didn't look at the label for some reason -- not sure what vineyard it was.