Loring Wine Company Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2009

A brilliant, opaque “Loring Red” fills the glass. The nose is full of licorice, smoke, and cherry jam. “Big” best describes the nose with a distinct sweetness from the fruit. In the mouth, the bigness and sweetness from the nose carry over. The licorice, smoke and cherry jam ay down the attack while brown sugar flank the mid-palate. Some Dr. Pepper forays in for the finish. The tannins are well integrated but are in no danger of fading away anytime soon. 14.6% alc. With roasted salmon under panko, sea salt and EVOO. 10.26.17. Recommended.


Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Barbara Co., Ca. 2012

No surprise in the glass: “Loring Red”. Coke-cola, cloves, teaberry, black cherry all on the nose. The nose is huge and ripe, but not jammy or over the top in any way. Those notes carry through on the palate with precision, but without any complexity; a very linear wine. But like the nose, the palate pops with ripe, rich and extracted fruits. A huge wine. 14.9% alc. A tiny amount of sediment. With blue cheese, molé salumi and crusty bread. 09.29.17. Recommended.


Loring Wine Company Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Ca., 2008

Thankfully, this is my last bottle of this wine. As previously reported, “cranberry, teaberry, cloves, black cherry and cinnamon” shake out of the bouquet. But then .... the more air to hit this, the more band-aid sets in. A quick wash of fruit then leads to a reductive, burnt rubber, band-aid mid-palate and finish. 14.9% alc. With barely seared Ahi tuna and olive tapenade. 10.05.17. Not Recommended.
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BEB

"I've wrestled with reality for 35 years and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd