CLONYC 49 - Brian Loring and Rachel Silkowski comes east.

I like to watch the puddles gather rain.

I am the luckiest man alive. Forming CLONYC has been one of the best wine-related decisions I have made. It has opened doors that might never have opened for me before. That said, I would be remiss if I thought all the joy was mine alone; there is a group of about 10-18 friends of mine that get to reap some of the ‘clonycal’ rewards too. Last night that group, myself and my beautiful daughter Danielle indulged in the CLONYC wonderful gift of hosting winemakers. Mr. Brian Loring just ‘popped’ in with a few of his wares, 15 of them, all with backup bottles. I know you all must be sick and tired of me telling you what a wonderful time was had, so I will save you the suffering. I do want to mention Brian’s sense of humor, one that strangely aligns with another 54 year old I am very familiar with, myself— that Brian dude is funny, down to earth and quite talented in his vocation. Add that to the amazing wines, wonderful conversations , great grub and smiling faces and it was a magical…….oh, I forgot I was not going to do that to you again; my ‘bad’, and I don’t even use that stupid saying.

On to it…

One bit of housekeeping: I was told to remind you all from Brian that no dolphins were harmed in the making of ANY of the LWC wines but I have not tested my mercury as yet today to confirm such.

2009 LWC Brut Rose- WOW, this is amazing. I never pretended to know much about great bubbly but I know one when I taste one and this is spectacular. Recent disgorged (Feb) and just overflowing with notes of toastiness , creaminess with a full body but lithe feel. Amazing stuff that confused me as it had a beer-like crown cap on it. Find it, love it, you’re welcomed.

2014 LWC Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay- This is light and airy with intensity that it should not have. Beautiful citrus notes with an amazing viscosity I really dig. Just awesome. 100% Chardonnay from the 3D vineyard you won’t find in 2015.

2014 LWC Rosella’s Vineyard Chardonnay- Wow, a different direction for sure. More tropical fruit in its approach with wonderful acidity, this is super fragrant and glossy. Wowsa.

OK, if you have had one too many ‘awesomes or wows’ I would well understand if you closed this thread down and go back to that PC thread. I got your back….

I think I messed up as there was a Durrell Chardonnay that I should have served next. Hey, I’m an old man, what do you expect, perfection?

Pinot Flight number 1

2014 LWC Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir- Beautiful structure with pretty aromatic even if a little butter popcorn is in there. It’s deep and lovely.

2014 LWC Keefer Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir- Always a fan of Ed Kurtzman’s Keefer, this one seems to ring my bells in a big way. Nose of deeply perfumed frangipani this is deep and long and quite spectacular. Light on it’s feet and deft in it’s approach with fine tannins and awesome balance. My favorite of a great flight.

2014 LWC Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir- I know Gary’s Vineyard has its followers, I wish I were fine-tuned enough in my Pinot-prowess to discern bottles like this. I found it the ripest of the group and the darkest.

2014 LWC Rosella’s’ Vineyard Pinot Noir- beautifully textured with deep dark red fruits. Intense and near-flamboyant and in the same class at the Gary’s above. Me not worthy to discern more. Maybe when I am 55……

Pinot Flight number 2

2014 RASI Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills- I have been with Rachel and her little label since inception, even if that inception was a year ago with her 2013 version. This one comes of a bit more complete and polished. Nice blue-black fruits with great bounce and lift while being full and super balanced. Great wine and one you owe to yourself to at least try.

2014 LWC Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir- Another one of my favorites on the night and keeping with my own demons, I have become enamored with a few vineyards in particular and Clos Pepe is within my top 3. This (to me) has it all, verve and harmonic while crisscrossing my palate with elegance and style. Wow.

2014 LWC Kessler-Haak Vineyard Pinot Noir-This one has some edginess and maybe a bit more tannins a-poppin. Lovely and in sync with its family and glad to have a peek in.

2014 LWC Rancho La Vina Vineyard Pinot Noir- similar to the Kessler-Haak but I guess it would be, these all come across as more serious in approach and maybe could use some bottle time. Try one in February and report back

Last flight of the night

2012 LWC Russell Family Vineyard Grenache- Nice and fragrant wine but let’s face it, I’m done.

2012 LWC Russell Family Vineyard Mourvedre- OK, it may be late but lateness can’t cover greatness and this is amazing. Lithe and airy with dark red fruits and a fragrance that is almost haunting. My daughter loved this one and so did I

2009 LWC Divergence- Hmmm, I said this was a bit port-like and dense but it had it’s fans, so there you naysayers, I don’t always love every bottle that crosses my lips.

The simple voting went like this RASI had 6 WOTN. Gary’s had 3. The Mourvedre had 2 and the Keefer had 1----me!

By the way, accompanying Brian was his lovely assistant, Miss Rachel Silkowski who is responsible for that little bottle of RASI we poured tonight. Check out what the Prince Of pinot has to say about her wine and email her as soon as you can.

What a great night. The conversation ranged from pizza to porn. Good stuff!!

Thank you, Brian and Rachel!

Mike, thanks for sharing. I see Brian’s wines coming up on restaurant lists from time to time, and to date I think I’ve only had one glass (of Pinot, which if I remember correctly, I enjoyed). Your notes will definitely encourage me to give LWC another shot when I come across them.

I had a glass of the ‘14 Garys’ the other day, and it is pretty ripe, but it’s balanced. I liked it.

Brian’s cool. Met him a few times now, most recently a few months ago with another buddy and don’t forget, his wines show up on Berserker Day. He likes PN but I prefer his Mourvedre and Grenache.

It was another amazing CLONYC experience. I’ve long been a fan of Loring pinots, and tasting through the '14 lineup reminded me again to drink my Lorings YOUNG! They showed great, and this is coming from someone who prefers wine with some age. Brian’s pinots are delicious right from the start and there’s no need to hold off. I enjoyed every single one, and I was one of the people who liked Gary’s best.

I have had several vintages of the Divergence, and it’s always a MASSIVE wine with a distinct flavor profile a la Clio and El Nido from Spain, which I also enjoy and have a place for in my cellar. But I never tasted Brian’s Grenache or Mourvedre before and they were EYE OPENING. That Mourvedre - wow, just wow.

Thanks to Mike for once again organizing a wonderful evening, and thank you to Brian and Rachel for providing such tasty wines and fun company!!!

My WOTN was RASI, and the Chard was the #2. Even Mike had the Chard very close to the #1… and his daughter checked whether he is feeling well
Gary’s was my #1 on the first flight. RASI #1 for the second (and wotn). Special mention to the bubbles that do show progress.
Found few fellows with a palate that aligns with mine on the rankings

Hey Mike - doesn’t CLONYC stand for cabernet lovers? Hope all is well and glad to see you are still doing these dinners, they rock!

Nice notes. Great to see the Rasi be appreciated. Apparently, Brian not only can make terrific wines but is a pretty damned good mentor to boot!

Thanks for the info. Bought 2 bottles of the 14 Rasi based on the info here, Cellartracker, and the Prince of Pinot.

PLONYC???

I’m reminded of one of Sean Connery’s character’s lines in The Untouchables. Sorry to have missed PLONYC 1. Sometimes other duties and responsibilities bite.

Mike, thanks for the comprehensive report on these wines. My 2014 Rasi is yet to be tried, sitting in the cellar.

To me, Brian is the template for generosity and support, having been one of the key benefactors of Falltacular since the beginning and I can’t thank him enough for his support every year. We have all the 2014s teed up for next month here at the house, which your notes help to guide people.

Thanks again for these.

My 10,000th post so I might as well put it here!!!
Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Very much enjoyed my 2nd C(P)LONYC - good wines, great company, and very interesting to get a chance to meet and talk to Brian and Rachel!

Like many other folks, my WOTN was the Rasi - thought it was an excellent blend of the “three barrels” it was made from - tasting it alongside wines made from each of its components was quite interesting, and I thought it achieved a harmony and completeness that none of the other three did by themselves.

Lots of contenders for WOTN #2 for me… in particular the Rita Hills Chardonnay, the Divergence, and both the Gary’s and Rosella’s Pinots - although perhaps unlike the group I mildly preferred the Rosella’s to the Gary’s.

That said, I found the wines quite good pretty much across the board…

Brian/Rachel - thanks for coming! Mike - thanks for organizing!

-Dennis

Frank - I wouldn’t hesitate to try the Rasi now, especially if you have a few bottles. It’s drinking beautifully!

Mike, thanks for sharing. Great lineup.
Also, congrats on your 10,000 post.

Sherri, I can spare mine as we are fortunate to have Rachel coming over in 4 weeks to pour her wine inside of Falltacular. She’s got a bottle of the 2014 in the silent auction too so for any of you Falltacular people that like the wine, you can bid on the bottle in the gair-udge after you taste it in the house.

A FANTASTIC night! A HUGE THANK YOU to Mike for setting it up - and to everyone who came out on a school night. You guys are the BEST!!

B, I still dig the one barrel high layout in that picture. Have you reached the point of two high yet anywhere in that room?

Last year we needed to stack a few barrels 2 high until we racked. This year… just lots of empty barrels stacked due to such low yields.