Mount Harlan AVA

Mount Harlan's wine history begins in 1971, when Josh Jensen returned from working harvests at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. Convinced that limestone soils were essential to great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, he spent two years poring over geological survey maps searching for plantable limestone in California. In early 1974, he found what he was looking for on the steep slopes of Mt. Harlan, a 3,278-foot peak in the Gabilan Mountains dividing Monterey and San Benito counties, approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco and 37 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. He founded Calera, named for the Spanish word for limekiln, in 1975, with the first estate vintage produced in 1978. The AVA was officially recognized on December 15, 1990. Jensen sold Calera to Duckhorn Wine Company on August 15, 2017, and passed away on June 11, 2022, aged 78, widely mourned as the foundational figure of California's fine Pinot Noir movement.

• In 1975, Jensen planted the first 24 acres of Pinot Noir in three parcels, named individually in the Burgundian tradition: Jensen Vineyard (14 acres), named for his father Stephen Jensen; Reed Vineyard (5 acres), named for investor William G. Reed Sr.; and Selleck Vineyard (5 acres), named for the mentor who introduced Jensen to wine.
• The first estate Pinot Noir vintage was 1978, produced from the three founding vineyards. Josh Jensen made the first Calera wine in 1975, producing 1,000 cases of Zinfandel from purchased grapes while the estate vines matured.
• The AVA petition was approved December 15, 1990, making Calera one of the only wineries in North America with its own AVA, a distinction it shares with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
• Josh Jensen's story was chronicled in Marq de Villiers' 1993 book 'The Heartbreak Grape,' revised and updated in 2006. The de Villiers Vineyard, planted in 1997, is named for the author.

The Mt. Harlan viticultural area lies at elevations of 1,800 to 2,200 feet in the Gabilan Mountains, approximately 25 miles east of Monterey Bay and 9 miles south of Hollister. The appellation is distinguished from neighboring valley AVAs by cooler temperatures, higher rainfall, and less fog incursion due to its elevation. As the California Central Valley heats each morning, rising air pulls moist Pacific Ocean air inland from Monterey Bay through Chittenden Pass and Pacheco Pass. The Gabilan Range acts as a natural barrier, keeping much of the cooling marine air west of the valleys, but the vineyards on Mt. Harlan, positioned above the fog line, receive full sun while those in Cienega and Lime Kiln Valleys below are blanketed under morning fog. Average annual temperatures of 56 to 60 °F within the AVA contrast with the warmer 60 to 62 °F recorded in adjacent valleys, translating to a harvest two to four weeks later on the mountain than in the valleys.

• Elevations of 1,800 to 2,200 feet within the AVA boundaries; Calera's vineyard blocks reach as high as 2,500 feet, making it one of California's highest and coolest wine-growing sites.
• Marine influence arrives through Chittenden Pass and Pacheco Pass from Monterey Bay, providing cooling effects even at the mountain's higher elevation.
• Average annual temperature of 56 to 60 °F (13 to 16 °C) within the AVA, compared to 60 to 62 °F in neighboring Lime Kiln and Cienega Valleys.
• Harvest occurs two to four weeks later on Mt. Harlan than in adjacent valleys, allowing longer hang time and more gradual flavor development.

The limestone soils of Mt. Harlan make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay the obvious choices, mirroring Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Calera produces six single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, each vinified separately in the Burgundian tradition. All estate Pinot Noirs are fermented with native yeast and significant whole-cluster inclusion, aged approximately 15 to 16 months in French oak barrels with 30 percent new oak, and bottled with mild fining and no filtration. The Mt. Harlan Chardonnay, planted in 1984, also receives 30 percent new French oak. A 2-acre Viognier block was planted in 1983, making it among the first Viognier planted in California. Calera is also one of the original producers of Aligoté in California, with approximately half an acre planted in Jensen and Chardonnay vineyard blocks, first produced commercially in 1998.

• Six single-vineyard Pinot Noirs: Jensen (14 acres, 1975), Reed (approx. 5 acres, 1975), Selleck (approx. 5 acres, 1975), Mills (approx. 14 acres, 1984), de Villiers (1997), and Ryan (1998); each farmed and vinified separately.
• Winemaking regime: native yeast fermentation, whole-cluster inclusion, 30 percent new French oak, 15 to 16 months barrel aging, no filtration, mild fining.
• Viognier planted in 1983, among California's first plantings of the variety; low yields deliver concentration and intense aromatics with the mineral character rare in this grape.
• Aligoté, approximately half an acre total, is split between the Jensen and Chardonnay vineyard blocks; Calera is one of California's original Aligoté producers, with the variety first commercially produced in 1998.

Founded in 1975 by Josh Jensen in the Gabilan Mountains of San Benito County, Calera Wine Company is the only commercial winery in the Mt. Harlan AVA and one of California's most acclaimed Pinot Noir producers. Jensen built the winery in 1977 on Cienega Road, about 1,000 feet lower in elevation than the vineyards, utilizing a partially built gravity-flow structure he discovered on the site. This seven-level gravity-flow winery became the world's most complete example of the technique. In 2009, Josh Jensen appointed Mike Waller as head winemaker; Waller had joined Calera as assistant winemaker in 2007 after working at Chalone Vineyard. On August 15, 2017, after 43 harvests, Jensen sold Calera to Napa Valley-based Duckhorn Wine Company, with the deal including the winery, tasting room, brand, and all 85 planted acres of estate vineyards. Mike Waller remained as winemaker following the acquisition. The Mt. Harlan vineyards were certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) in 2008.

• Founded 1975 by Josh Jensen; first vintage 1978. Acquired by Duckhorn Wine Company on August 15, 2017, including the winery, tasting room, and 85 planted acres of estate vineyards.
• The Calera winery itself sits in the Cienega Valley on Cienega Road, approximately 1,000 feet lower in elevation than the Mt. Harlan vineyards, which means Calera technically cannot use 'estate bottled' on its labels.
• Mike Waller, appointed head winemaker by Jensen in 2009, oversees six distinct single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, each made to express its individual site character.
• Mt. Harlan vineyards certified organic by CCOF in 2008, using beneficial insects, compost, and cover crops to maintain soil health. Yields rarely exceed two tons per acre.

Mount Harlan AVA was established by petition of Josh Jensen and Calera Wine Company to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, approved December 15, 1990. As a federally recognized American Viticultural Area, wines labeled Mount Harlan must contain at least 85 percent grapes grown within the AVA boundaries. The AVA covers approximately 7,440 acres, measures six miles east-west and three miles north-south, and is distinguished from neighboring San Benito County AVAs by its unique combination of limestone soils, high elevation, and cooler microclimate. Mt. Harlan and Chalone AVA are both recognized as sub-regions within the broader Gabilan Mountains AVA, but retain their own designations because of their distinct geological and climatic characteristics. Calera may also use the broader Central Coast AVA and San Benito AVA designations on its wines.

• Federal 85 percent fruit sourcing requirement applies to all wines labeled Mount Harlan AVA.
• AVA covers 7,440 acres (12 sq mi), measuring six miles east-west and three miles north-south in San Benito County's Gabilan Mountains.
• Limestone soils are the defining geological characteristic, distinguishing Mt. Harlan from neighboring valley appellations that sit on alluvial lowland soils of the Hanford series.
• Mt. Harlan exists as a distinct sub-appellation within the larger Gabilan Mountains AVA; Calera may also label wines under Central Coast AVA or San Benito AVA designations.

The Mt. Harlan viticultural area lies approximately 25 miles inland from Monterey Bay and 9 miles south of Hollister in San Benito County. When Josh Jensen first purchased the property in 1974, the remote, rugged location had no paved roads, no electricity, and practically no running water. Jensen lived out of a trailer on the property during the early planting years. The Calera winery itself is located on Cienega Road, in the more accessible Cienega Valley, approximately 1,000 feet lower in elevation than the mountain vineyards. The Mt. Harlan vineyards received CCOF certified organic status in 2008 and have been farmed using beneficial insects, compost, and cover crops for decades. Calera's tasting room is operated by Duckhorn Wine Company and provides access to the full Calera portfolio.

• Located 25 miles inland from Monterey Bay and 9 miles south of Hollister in San Benito County, near the border of Monterey and San Benito counties.
• When Jensen first arrived in 1974, the Mt. Harlan site had no paved roads, electricity, or running water. The winery was constructed on Cienega Road in 1977 at a more accessible lower elevation.
• Mt. Harlan vineyards certified organic by CCOF in 2008, using beneficial insects, composting, and cover crops in place of pesticides.
• The Calera tasting room is on Cienega Road near Hollister and is operated under Duckhorn Wine Company ownership since the 2017 acquisition.