CLONYC 51 (Well, a PLONYC actually) commenced last evening at North Square restaurant. Food, wines and company were awesome.
Thank you Brian for the never ending generosity you always show the group.
Here is the rundown.
2013 Loring Brut Rose, (test dosage)- Quite pale for a rose, a pretty light salmon for sure. Nose showed beautiful florals with a note of honeysuckle and frangipani as well and a hint of gingerbread. Very balanced, with great pureness and finesse. I think Brian will adjust just a wee-bit for acidity. Was a fan with his 2009 and I am a fan now.
20013 Loring Wine Company Brut Blanc de Blancs (test dosage)- more boldness of fruits with good lift, this showed some honeysuckle and citrus. Pretty and precise, this will also get some adjusting from its master. Very great promise.
2015 Loring Wine Company Chardonnay Sierra Mar Vineyard- Wow, this shows great purity. Lovely fruits of melon with warm baking spices and a touch of toasted almond. The Chard-butter quotient is precise and it never gets even close to ponderous, even as it sits a bit. It is deft an precise with elegance and poise. One of the best Chardonnays I have had in a long while.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch- Such a pretty nose of frangipani and cardamom, this has a deftness of palate; red/black fruits with cranberries, dark strawberries. An interesting wine that reflects it’s site well, or at least what little knowledge I have of it. 
It garnered a few favorite votes on the evening.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard- Rubber, meet road. This is quite spectacular; amazing floral nose with some plush blackberries and boysenberries coming up. The intensity is a few notches higher than the Keefer as is its structure. Wonderful balance and presence, this has some great albeit youthful stuffing to go on and on and will make you quite happy in about 3-4 years if you are fortunate to have it. Almost went bulk, crazy stuff this thing wine. This was my early WOTN until Clos Pepe came to town.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Gary’s Vineyard- I have this love/hate relationship with Gary’s vineyard Pinots. I can’t really explain why, but they seem to be focused in a different direction that I usually want to go when I pop one. If told this was on the table of 5-8 others, I am almost sure I could spot on nose alone. It’s big, it certainly has its legions of Cab drinkers clamoring and its dark. It’s boldness of black fruits and statement of site makes it earn its reputation well. I just need to keep up with something that is as fickle as……me. Not easy. Some WOTN votes too.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard- As with all of its siblings, these have a near haunting nose. This is bigger in body that its sibs too. Bold black/red fruits within a framework that although you, shows tremendous promise for both this and all Sierra Mars that came after it. Young vines begging to get matured. Very nice.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard- Clos Pepe Clos Pepe Clos Pepe, if only saying it three times can magically make a glass of it appear in my hand. Wow, Elvis has closed the doors and locked himself up with us all. Time to rock. Blue-black-red fruits with tremendous depth and mind-bogggling presence, this displays grace and grandeur and elegance and pizzazz. As it sits it unfolds itself for you; it shows you just a bit of itself and lets you want more, then shows more. It plays with you and you accept it.
2015 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard- This one had the sweetest nose of the bunch. Reddish fruits and nice balance, it just showed slightly awkward tonight. Chalk it up to youth, travel or all of the above. Anything coming after Clos Pepe was at a disadvantage from the moment you twisted its cap and Elvis had just left the building.
2015 Loring Wine Company Mourvedre Russell Family Vineyard- Deep dark and pure, this is a variety I just……don’t get at all, so I won’t pretend to tonight. Sorry Brian. That’s cool though because my smile was still fresh and real because oh yeah, we just opened another Rosella’s Pinot Noir.
My favorites on night were the Clos Pepe PN, the Rosella’s PN, the Brut Rose and the Sierra Mar Chardonnay.
Great night indeed.
