February 4, 2025 – In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Calera, winemaker Mike Waller led a special tasting, paired with food by chef David Jamrock.
The event was hosted by Mike Kohne, owner of Crave Wine Bar in Hollister, and we started by tasting the elegant 2019 Mt. Harlan Chardonnay—splendidly balanced between sweet orchard fruit and a bowl of citrus. The oak is so well integrated, it’s like lemon bars melting in your mouth. It was paired with a shrimp and salmon terrine with Romesco sauce.
This was followed by the 2020 Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir, deeply complex, and ever-evolving, starting with earthy, meaty aromas, then unfolding with cherry, cranberry, orange peel and baking spice. Jamrock put this together with a walnut crusted goat cheese atop a golden roasted beet and arugula salad. Dynamite pairing.
Waller then poured us the 2020 DeVilliers Vineyard Pinot Noir, dark and stormy, with aromas of salt, earth and mint, and grippy tannins, juicy acid and flavors of graphite and blackberry. Definitely needs time to unfold. Jamrock’s wild mushroom ricotta cannelloni with roasted garlic alfredo was a fun companion.
From the oldest of all the vineyards tasted, the 2020 Jensen Pinot Noir exhibited the most complexity. Very herbal, with earth and iron filings in the nose, the wine explodes with fantastic acid and a spirited pace, packed with punchy pomegranate and an almost chocolatey roundness. It was quite good with the duck confit in puff pastry with Bing cherry demi-glace.
The 2019 Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir showed its smooth and satiny self, flowing with strawberry and dark spiced cherry, and charged with energy and staying power. Jamrock’s lamb with roasted garlic spinach and balsamic glaze proved a hefty, gamey pair.
Chef Jamrock offers culinary classes, Teen Camps, private events and farm to table seasonal pop-up dinners all at 191 San Felipe Drive, Hollister. He has a special Italian menu for Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb 14. Seating at 7pm, $50/pp. Bring your own wine, beer, or whatever. Call or text to reserve: 831-537-3500
Calera will hold a special Omikase style dinner at the winery on July 19th, to celebrate the 50th anniversary, and to honor one of Jensen’s early sales outposts. He made frequent trips to Japan and never tired of showing off his wines to appreciative audiences. Waller is about to embark on a visit to Japan as well. Somebody has to keep up the tradition Jensen started.
Jeffrey Patterson Becomes Winemaker Emeritus
Speaking of tradition, winemaker Jeffrey Patterson is practically synonymous with Mount Eden Winery. His understated, thoughtful demeanor reflects the personality of the wines he’s created from this challenging mountaintop parcel overlooking all of Silicon Valley for over 40 years.
News broke recently that Patterson had turned over his official winemaker badge to Austin Chin, a Cal Poly graduate who made wine in Edna Valley, Santa Maria Valley and New Zealand, before traveling north to Sonoma to make Pinot Noir at Gary Farrell. He was still searching for the right fit when he showed up at Mount Eden in 2016 looking for a job. Chin became Assistant Winemaker at Mount Eden in 2018.
Patterson told us that after 40 years of winemaking, he was looking forward to the part of the process he loves the most: being in the vineyard.
“Nothing has really changed except on paper,” Patterson said. “Austin was doing all the basic winemaking anyway. Now he gets to make the calls on corks, glass and barrels to buy. I’m 72, and I don’t really want to be worrying about scheduling bottling and ordering all the supplies.”
Patterson will still be involved in blending trials, and the most important part of winemaking: growing the best possible grapes to keep the chapters unfolding.
ROAR Announces the Spring Release of Vintage 2023
The mailer announcing the 2023 vintage says the long, slow ripening conditions reminded Gary Franscioni of the 1999 and 2007 vintages, two of his personal favorites over the course of his winegrowing career. RoarSpringNews
J. Lohr Goes Lighter & Literary
If lighter style, lower alcohol wines interest you, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines invites you to give their latest releases of Bay Mist White Riesling and Wildflower Valdiguié a try. These wines are bright and tasty, with all their natural flavors and naturally low alcohol, due to careful picking decisions.
For those looking to avoid alcohol, the folks at J. Lohr would like to take you behind the scenes into the cellar to reveal the artistic process of crafting their ARIEL alcohol-removed Cabernet Sauvignon. Learn how Jerry Lohr’s pioneering reverse-osmosis technique gently removes alcohol while preserving the wine’s rich flavor and character. Take a peek inside the world of ARIEL with a video podcast that debuts here on Monday, February 10th. Ever a pioneer, Jerry Lohr has been making the ARIEL wines since the 1980s. Better vineyard and winemaking practices have elevated these wines greatly over the last 40 years.
Did you know that ARIEL is named for the Bard’s ethereal sprite in The Tempest? Join a session of the J. Lohr book club where they delve into famed actress Dame Judi Dench’s Shakespeare, The Man Who Pays the Rent, a revealing book, full of behind-the scenes personal anecdotes and goings-on from her long stage career. Discover the magic of Shakespeare through Dench’s eyes – this isn’t your high school English teacher’s version! Instead, enjoy the perfect pairing of some of the most immortal scenes every written with the classic flavors of ARIEL Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Podcast debuts here on Monday, March 3rd.
Sip ‘n Stroll
Looks like the winter Capitola Sip ‘n Stroll this Saturday, Feb 8, from noon to 5pm, might be well-timed for clement weekend weather. For $45, you get a glass and 12 tickets to taste from two dozen wineries. The list includes some newcomers, like David Baird’s Common Thread, Dan Petrocchi’s 3P, and Darin Winton’s Cellar 13 from Livermore. Lots of old favorites, too, including Alfaro, Bargetto, Burrell School, Kathryn Kennedy, Lago Lomita, Pelican Ranch, Windy Oaks and Wrights Station. Santa Cruz Cidery makes an appearance as well.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
