SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – June 13, 2022 – Josh Jensen, the founding father of the Central Coast’s famed Calera Wine Firm, a visionary chief within the American wine neighborhood, and the long-lasting pioneer of luxurious California Pinot Noir died on Saturday, June 11. He handed away peacefully at his residence on the age of 78.
On the earth of nice wine, and to generations of Pinot Noir fans, Jensen was a legend. An innovator and a pioneer, he was named the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Winemaker of the 12 months” in 2007, graced the quilt of Wine Spectator in 2013, and was honored as a “Rock Star of Wine” at World of Pinot Noir in 2016. Universally revered by his friends, Jensen performed a pivotal function in establishing Pinot Noir as considered one of North America’s nice varietal wines. Whereas doing so, he constructed Calera into one of many world’s most revered wineries—a fascinating story that writer Marq de Villiers instructed in his 1994 e-book “The Heartbreak Grape: A California Winemaker’s Seek for the Good Pinot Noir.” Below Jensen’s management, Calera has been honored by Wine & Spirits as one of many “High 100 Wineries within the World” 9 instances, with famous wine critic Robert Parker hailing Calera as “California’s Romanée-Conti.”
For these acquainted with Jensen’s story, the comparability to Burgundy’s famed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is especially apt. Within the early Nineteen Seventies, after finishing his undergraduate research at Yale, the place he was a member of the rowing crew, Jensen traveled to England to attend Oxford, the place he continued to row whereas incomes a grasp’s in social anthropology. Throughout his time at Oxford, Jensen developed a consuming ardour for wine and commenced exploring the winegrowing areas of Europe. Impressed by these travels, he determined to attempt his hand at winery work, which led him to a coveted harvest place at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The next yr, Jensen deepened his understanding of viticulture and winemaking working at Domaine Dujac, and later on the Rhône Valley’s Château-Grillet.
Returning to america, Jensen started a quest to create a mode of Pinot Noir that had not beforehand been realized in america. To realize this aim, he spent the following two years trying to find land wealthy in limestone—uncommon in California, however a key issue within the vineyards he most admired in Burgundy. In 1974, he discovered what he was in search of on the steep slopes of Mt. Harlan, a 3,278-foot peak within the Gavilan Mountains that divide Monterey and San Benito counties. The next yr, whereas dwelling in a trailer on the distant property along with his spouse and her seven-year-old daughter, Josh based Calera, named for the Spanish phrase for “limekiln.” With no paved highway, electrical energy or telephone, he started planting his first three property vineyards: Jensen, Reed and Selleck, named after his father, Stephen Jensen, his father’s buddy and the one authentic non-family investor within the enterprise, Invoice Reed, and an early mentor for Josh on this planet of wine, Dr. George Selleck.
In 1978, these vineyards yielded their first small crop, leading to Calera’s debut trio of vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs. Jensen’s early releases had been a revelation for wine fans, providing a brand new degree of construction and class in New World Pinot Noir. Within the years that adopted, Jensen established his personal Calera Pinot Noir clone, and planted three extra small vineyards on Mt. Harlan: Mills, de Villiers and Ryan, in addition to small blocks of Chardonnay, Aligoté and among the earliest plantings of Viognier in California. He additionally started working with among the prime vineyards on California’s Central Coast to make Calera’s Central Coast Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier and a Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. Believing within the uniqueness of Mt. Harlan, Jensen spearheaded the institution of a Mt. Harlan American Viticultural Space (AVA), which he achieved in 1990. In consequence, like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Calera is among the solely wineries on this planet with its personal AVA.
All through all of it, Jensen adopted his personal uncompromising imaginative and prescient, by no means chasing developments, and all the time striving for the extraordinary. Due to this, Calera’s wines are revered by collectors for his or her purity and magnificence, each a liquid examine in terroir. Via his innovation and management, he helped to redraw the map of California wine, incomes the Central Coast accolades as one of many world’s nice cool-climate Pinot Noir areas. By doing so, he catapulted California Pinot Noir into conversations about North America’s biggest wines, and performed a pivotal function in establishing the inspiration for the trendy Pinot Noir increase.
Jensen’s achievements have been acknowledged on each side of the Atlantic. Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac as soon as famous, “I’ve tasted various Caleras over time, and I believe they show that limestone is necessary. To me they’re probably the most Burgundian of Californian Pinots, and those I’ve tasted that basically age properly.” In honoring Jensen because the San Francisco Chronicle’s “2007 Winemaker of the 12 months,” journalist Jon Bonné echoed this sentiment, writing, “His limestone quest yielded what can unequivocally be known as considered one of California’s grand crus,” including, “Jensen’s efforts present the most effective of American winemaking. They’re a reminder that probably the most extraordinary wines nonetheless come from a private quest for perfection, a willingness to brush again skeptics and persevere in untested locations.”
In August of 2017, after a storied 43-year profession guiding Calera, and with three grown youngsters every pursuing careers exterior the wine business, Jensen bought Calera to The Duckhorn Portfolio. Commenting on the sale on the time, Jensen mentioned, “Having began the vineyard on a hope and a prayer, this can be a great method to make sure the way forward for Calera. I used to be capable of place my life’s work within the fingers of true wine those who consider in high quality.” As a part of the sale, Jensen took a place on The Duckhorn Portfolio’s board of administrators alongside fellow wine icon and buddy, Dan Duckhorn, and continued to supply his knowledge and perception on Calera for the following a number of years.
“Buying Calera was a uncommon alternative to proceed the life’s work and legacy of some of the distinctive and influential figures within the fashionable American wine business,” mentioned Alex Ryan, president and CEO of The Duckhorn Portfolio. “Josh was a visionary. I take into account myself very lucky to have labored alongside him and gotten to know him. For many who perceive the story of American Pinot Noir, his contributions can’t be overstated. Via his ardour, perseverance and sheer drive of will, he actually helped to carve the inspiration for California Pinot Noir into the excessive slopes of Mt. Harlan. By doing so, he modified our business eternally. Whereas his passing is an immeasurable loss for everybody who knew him, we honor and have a good time his life by persevering with his legacy.”
For Mike Waller, who was appointed the winemaker for Calera by Jensen in 2007, Jensen’s legacy is obvious. “Within the Nineteen Seventies, when Josh started planting his first vineyards on Mt. Harlan, Pinot Noir was barely related in California—and site-specific, terroir-driven Pinot Noirs even much less so. However Josh had a dream, and he caught to it, by no means wavering. If you labored alongside Josh, knew him, and even simply tasted his wines, it was simple to grow to be a believer in Josh’s dream of making California Pinot Noirs that would stand alongside the world’s finest. Through the years, I’ve had quite a few winemakers inform me that they make Pinot Noir due to Josh. He confirmed generations of vintners and winemakers the way in which.”
Past his immeasurable contributions to the wine business, Josh Jensen will probably be remembered for his nice wit and appeal, distinctive trend sense, generosity of spirit, and his generosity in the direction of his beloved group at Calera. He was a bigger than life determine who was greeted like a rockstar in Japan within the early 2000s after Calera was glowingly featured in a famed wine manga. Again residence, he was continually on the highway, touring across the nation promoting wine, sharing tales and making American Pinot Noir converts. He lived an distinctive life, achieved extraordinary issues, and left an indelible mark.
“I’m unsure my phrases are sufficient to specific my love for my dad and the way a lot I’ll miss him,” mentioned his daughter, Sylvie Jensen, “however I’ll add that Josh was a real authentic. He was bigger than life, a dreamer, an idealist, a beneficiant spirit, a person devoted to his buddies, neighborhood, and household, and above all to the beliefs of friendship, fact, equity, good meals and wine, and stewardship of the land. We are going to all miss him tremendously.”
Josh Jensen is survived by his three youngsters, Silvie Jensen, Duggan Jensen, and Chloe Jensen; and 5 grandchildren. A remembrance e-book will probably be out there on the Calera Tasting Room for the following 4 weeks for anybody wishing to share a message, or condolences. The books will then be given to the Jensen household.
