Inexpensive Pinot has a fairly low bar. Most producers who include a cheap Pinot in their lineup usually offer something that is pleasant and inoffensive, with slightly candied fruit and very little structure. Calera’s entry level Pinot is a different beast. It exhibits pretty red-fruited aroma, and the wine has spine, with firm acidity and fine tannins. It may not run with the big boys, but it laps the field in the under-$25 category.
Calera, Central Coast (California) Pinot Noir 2010
By Robert Whitley