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Wow!
Just got a
call from my friends at Loring Winery. Kimberley Loring is coming to Imbibe Wine on Wednesday Feb 3rd from 5-7 pm
to pour their new release 2008 Pinot Noirs!
We will be pouring the
following bottling of Pinot Noir:
Chalone
Brosseau VineyardRosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia HighlandsChalone Naylor Dry
Hole VineyardGraham Family Vineyard Russian RiverGary's Vineyard Santa
Lucia HighlandsShea Vineyard. 
Read what
James Laube of Wine Spectator has to say about these outstanding wines below. These wines are
very limited and will be available for purchase the night of the tasting. Cost
is only $20 to try all 6 wines and we will discount each bottle $5.00 up to a
total discount of $20 if you make a purchase this evening. Don't miss this event!!
15 California Pinot
Noirs
Brian Loring's 2008 lineup of Pinot Noirs from Sta.
Rita Hills to Sonoma shows the
variable vintage's potential
James Laube
Posted: December 21, 2009
The 2008 crop of California Pinot Noirs will offer the most
variable quality in several years. But there will be some tremendous wines,
and the new Loring Pinots offer
evidence of that
success. Eleven of the 15 new releases from Loring Wine Company earned
outstanding marks, topped by the Brosseau Vineyard bottling (in the Chalone appellation) and
the Rosella's Vineyard from the Santa Lucia Highlands. Those two wines showed the depth of
concentration of ripe Pinot flavors, along with a sense of elegance and finesse. All but two of the
2008s are single-vineyard wines, extending from Sta. Rita Hills to Sonoma.
Statewide, winemakers faced a hard spring frost, which sharply
reduced the crop and led to an
uneven set and ripening. Then the summer's forest fires caused
smoke-taint damage to many
grapes, forcing vintners in North Coast appellations to decide
whether to bottle the wines or not.
"Luckily, we didn't have any vineyards that were affected by
smoke," said winemaker Brian
Loring. "But we did have to deal with problems due to frost, the
foremost of which was uneven
ripening. Picking decisions were extremely critical, since you
had to walk a tight rope between
letting some fruit get overripe so that the fruit farthest
behind was just ripe. You also had to be
almost draconian in your sorting, even if that meant throwing 25
percent of the fruit on the winery floor. "We didn't get everything right, which meant for the first time
we declassified a significant number of lots [of wine]," he said. "But what remained turned out to be
pretty amazing. I think that overall the 2008 success stories will be at the bigger, bolder end of
the spectrum for Pinot Noir."
LORING Pinot Noir Chalone Brosseau Vineyard 2008 Score: 93 | $46
Firm and spicy, complex and concentrated, with a rich, vivid
core of wild berry, blackberry,
raspberry and mineral. Full-bodied, gaining depth and richness
on the finish. Drink now through
2016. 225 cases made. -J.L.
LORING Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's
Vineyard 2008 Score: 93 | $46
Combines firm wild berry, black cherry, plum and mineral notes
in a tight, structured manner. Fullbodied, complex and concentrated, revealing extra flavor and depth. Ends
with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015. 575 cases made. -J.L.
LORING Pinot Noir Chalone Naylor Dry Hole Vineyard
2008 Score: 92 | $46
Trim, firm, complex and concentrated, with ripe, firm, vivid
blackberry, wild berry, black cherry, anise and mineral notes that are full-bodied and subtle, ending
with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015. 50 cases made. -J.L.
LORING Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River
Valley Graham Family Vineyard 2008
Score: 92 | $46
Fresh, intense, ripe and vibrant, with a mix of blackberry,
cherry, plum and wild berry fruit that's full-bodied, delicate and spicy, gaining velocity and depth on
the finish. Drink now through 2014. 200 cases made. -J.L.
LORING Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Garys'
Vineyard 2008 Score: 92 | $46
Gentle and supple-textured, yet firm and structured, with ripe
plum, black cherry and wild berry fruit that offers a hint of anise and sage, gaining depth and
nuance on the juicy finish. Drink now through 2016. 525 cases made. -J.L.
LORING Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard 2008
Score: 92 | $46
Combines subtlety with finesse, offering rich, elegant layers of
plum, black cherry and wild berry fruit that's delicate, floral and spicy. Gains depth on the
finish. Drink now through 2015. 250 cases made. -J.L.
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