FLAVOR PROFILE: The 2007 Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir has a wonderful, deep, sleek, juicy black plum bouquet which is beautifully integrated with the signature Mt Harlan minerality. It expresses very nice balance, excellent structure, good grip and a graceful mouthfeel combined with deep flavors of currant, raspberry and dark spice. It’s an alluring wine, quite delicious now, yet has a long life ahead.

APPELLATION: Mt. Harlan area of San Benito County, California VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Pinot Noir ALCOHOL: 14.8% PRODUCTION: 1,847 cases WINEMAKER: Josh Jensen

FOOD PAIRING: I love this with pork chops or pork tenderloin, but lamb is also a time-honored partner with Pinot Noir. Less strong fish, such as salmon, swordfish, and tuna does very well. Poultry, especially coq au vin is perfect, as well as quail and game birds. It's a great picnic wine, so try mild cheeses, a plate of charcuterie and sliced ham and turkey.

WINE REVIEW: 93 POINTS ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE: "...the 2007 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard reveals nearly overwhelming notes of sassafras, root vegetables, plums, red currants, and raspberries. It is a spicy, earthy effort with an autumnal-like herbaceousness."

VINEYARD INFO: Ryan Vineyard is the youngest Mt. Harlan pinot noir vineyard planted to two blocks; the upper portion, 9.4 acres, planted in 1998 and the lower portion, 3.7 acres planted in 2001. This (total 13.1 acre) west facing vineyard stretches up to 2500 feet above sea level at its highest point. The Ryan vineyard is planted a bit more densely than the older pinot noir vineyards (7.5' x 4.5') and was grafted onto four different rootstocks.

Calera’s vineyards are planted on limestone, a rarity in California, on Mt. Harlan, near Hollister, CA, some 140 miles south of Napa and Sonoma. These vineyards, at an average of 2,200 feet above sea level are among the highest, and coolest in California. The chill comes from cold marine air carried eastward by prevailing westerlies from the Pacific Ocean and the great eastward indentation in the coastline of Monterey Bay in an unobstructed, high-altitude flight path that reaches the upper elevations of the Gavilan Mountains and Mt. Harlan. Temperature is further influenced by the height of the vineyards themselves. On average, the temperature drops about 3 degrees for every 1,000 foot rise in elevation.

Because of this Region I-like microclimate, vineyards on Mt. Harlan have a very long growing season. Harvest typically begins the second week of September.

The area is relatively dry with an average rainfall of between 12 and 15 inches per year, falling mostly in November through March. Yields in these arid, steeply sloped mountain vineyards are consistently low, rarely exceeding 2 tons/acre.