TN: 2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

WINE TALK
#1
  • 2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (11/11/2010)
    14.7% alcohol. Medium dark ruby red. Expressive aromas of red fruit and spice. Rich, concentrated, well-balanced and lively cherry, rasberry, black cherry and herbal flavors. Extremely tasty.

This is a prototypical new-word LWC wine. If you appreciate the style as I do, you’ll like this a lot. Drink now and over the next couple of years. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

#2

Hey, I really like the new label. Nice job!

#3

One of our own here in Berserker Land designed the new lables - Robert Yamada! In addition to the spiffy new AVA designated design, here are a few examples of the single vineyard lables:

#4

Brian was generous enough to taste us through the 09s recently. I noticed the cool new labels too. IIRC Brian said he took the photos. They’re a little lighter and clear than in the past, and all seem to have the white sky so that the Loring logo pops a lot more.

The 09 wines were very good. Brian could give his intentions/impressions but to me the last few vintage have attained a nice balance between structure and lushness. The wines are clearly still hedonistic early drinkers, but personally I get a better sense of balance than the early 00s wines, though I drank those too. The moderately priced appellation wines was very solid, with Santa Lucia my fave by a nose. No less serious than the single-vineyard wines and essentially the same fruit. I told Brian he should charge a little more.

No surprise that at/near the top for me were the Carg., Clos Pepe, Garys’, and Rosella’s. I’ve always loved these fruit sources and as usual Brian made solid wines from them. We had to pop another Garys’ later that night.

The Divergence is truly a compelling wine. Not for the faint of heart. It’s huge, ripe, and though it doesn’t show all the oak (200% new) it’s apparent. Also while Brian said it was very high acid, there was so much fruit that the acid and tannin are cloaked. I bet this stuff will be great in another year+. It should have been called Terminator, and screamed for some beef or nice cheese. I think our friend John had a mini-orgasm while he drank it.

#5

I really like those new labels.

Hey Brian- Send some Divergence down to AZ!! Would love to have a couple of those.

#6

Should have known that the labels were designed by number one LWC fan who happens to be a graphic design guy…duh! Congrats to Brian and Robert. My shipment arrived tonight and noticed the design right away. Just logged the mixed case into the CT program and can’t wait to try some whites soon!