Wine Advisor
Calera, Central Coast Chardonnay 2020
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Chardonnay (Central Coast) is a delicious, appellation-level wine. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, spice and light tropical accents all grace this understated, classy Chardonnay from Calera.
About the Producer
Calera Winery is one of the leading wineries in California, USA, and was one of the first wineries in the region to cultivate the Aligote grape. Château Carrera has always been farmed organically. The grapes are harvested when they reach the ideal state of ripeness. After picking, the Pinot Noir is screened and broken into skins and then fermented in fermenters at 32°C. The single vineyard wines are matured for 16 months in 30% new French oak barrels with a capacity of 60 gallons. The Central Coast wines are matured for 10 to 11 months in 12 to 15% new oak barrels before bottling. The Chardonnay, on the other hand, is peeled and de-seeded and then fermented in oak barrels. The fermented Chardonnay is then matured in barrels with the lees for a further 9 to 10 months. Over the years, Château Carrera has gained widespread acclaim from wine critics. The famous wine critic Robert Parker has said that "Carrera" is not only a notable Pinot Noir in the New World, but a Pinot Noir to watch all over the world. Notably, the 2010 vintage of Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast Thirty-Fifth Anniversary was included in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012 list.
