January 25, 2012
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Loring Wine Company
| Owner(s) | Brian Loring, Kimberly Loring |
| Web site | www.loringwinecompany.com |
| Link to this site |
I first wrote about self-admitted “pinot freak” and owner of Loring Wine Company, Brain Loring, in 2002 when his wines were receiving considerable press and interest. While in college, he worked at a wine store in Southern California where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic. Brian’s first experiences with Burgundy were from producers he quickly admired like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer and Domaine Romanee-Conti (who wouldn’t?). Early safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle of the 1980s were unsatisfying until he tried some Calera. Eventually he came to understand and enjoy other California Pinot Noirs like Williams Selyem, Chalone and Sanford. But it was the friendship he developed with winemaker Norm Beko of Cottonwood Canyon Winery that got him started in the wine business. While participating in the 1997 crush, he made two barrels of his own Pinot Noir and the Loring Wine Company was hatched. The name was a homage to Josh Jensen and the Calera Wine Company . Brian was to be one of the first boutique Pinot Noir producers to enter the field cold so to speak (he was a software engineer). Unimpressed by his own good fortune and success, he has shared his enthusiasm and knowledge freely, and inspired a number of other pinot freaks such as Greg Piatigorski (Alcina Cellars), Jamie Kutch (Kutch Wines), and Andrew Vingiello (A.P. Vin).
His success has been predicated in part on his insistence of acquiring first-rate Pinot Noir grapes from prestigious vineyards. Anyone in the business can tell you that you can’t make great Pinot Noir from inferior grapes (although many try). He never professed to be an experienced winegrower, so he allowed vineyard owners to farm his blocks as they farmed the ones they used for their own label. He began humbly, with 150 cases of Pinot Noir in 1999, increased this to 950 cases by 2002, and expects to craft 6,000 cases in 2006. This plateau will allow him to devote his energies full-time to make wine for Loring Wine Company as well as consulting on other projects. An investment group who were fans of Loring’s wines started Pali Wine Company and built a large winemaking facility in Lompoc. Brian crafts the Pinot Noirs for Pali in exchange for the use of the new winery for producing his own Loring Wine Company Pinot Noirs.
The Brian Loring style is representative of the New World or “Caliesque” Pinot Noirs in that the wines are dark-hued, bursting with showy and sappy fruit, full-bodied in structure, possessing a toasted oak character from the use of plentiful medium toast new French oak, and in some cases, firm tannins, and normally significant alcohol levels. In recent vintages (since 2007), Loring is picking at lower sugar levels to moderate the alcohol and although the style is still intense, the wines have better acidity and balance.
In 2009, Loring branched out into Chardonnays and a red wine called Divergence.
The wines are sold through a mailing list and there is widespread retail distribution. Tasting is by appointment in the "Lompoc Wine Ghetto," behind the Home Depot in Lompoc. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 (Monday through Thursday by appointment - 805-742-0478).
Articles About Loring Wine Company
Clos Pepe: A Grape named Pinot, a Vigneron, a Facilitator, a Dead Head, a Dog named Bud, and a Horse named Charlemagne (8.12 3/11/2010)
Garys’ Vineyard 2004 Horizontal Tasting (7.21 7/9/2009)
Green Valley Pinot Noir: The Secret is a Three Letter Word (8.11 2/15/2010)
Loring Wine Company: The Sample Pack (8.14 4/23/2010)
Pinot Briefs (8.22 9/22/2010)
Pinot Freak Brian Loring (6.25 5/7/2007)
Shea Wine Cellars & Shea Vineyard (6.52 1/30/2008)
Small Sips of Pinot (6.46 11/20/2007)
Sta. Rita Hills Wine & Fire (6.33 7/23/2007)
Reviewed Wines
2008 Loring Wine Company Aubaine Vineyard San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., screw cap.
·
Very dark purple color in the glass. Aromas of oak toast,
plum sauce, soy and cigar box. Purple fruit driven with reigned-in tannins
creating a velvety texture. Very easy to drink with admirable balance of fruit,
tannin and acidity. The next day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle
the wine had taken on a porty, cooked character. This wine will have many fans,
but drink it now. Good
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Keefer Ranch Vineyard Green Valley Pinot Noir
15.1% alc., screw cap.
·
Aromas of black cherries, huckleberries, baking spices,
oak and a whiff of alcohol. Intense purple fruits with a big acid spine. Fruitdriven
but not jammy with a silky mouth feel. Develops interest in the glass over
time. Tasted the next day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle the
aromas and flavors had become raisiny. Good, but drink up now.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., screw cap.
·
Locked up like a tight chastity belt. The nose offers little
fruit but plenty of oak. Lovely plum core is brooding and overwhelmed by oak
and tannin. Very smooth in the mouth with admirable persistence on the finish.
Potential here if the oak integrates more over time. More expressive the next
day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle indicating short-term
cellaring will be rewarded. Good.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Graham Family Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
15.2% alc., $40, screw cap.
·
Penetrating and haunting aromas of red plums, red berries, violets and
graham cracker. Really impressive and tasty sweet red berry attack that
progresses to a memorable finish. This hedonistic, Caliesque sucker
hangs around for at least half a minute. The fruit is startling good and
the very smooth mouth feel brings the hair on your neck to attention. The
alcohol is well integrated and the wine was still delicious the next day from a
previously opened and re-corked bottle indicating the balance is spot on. This
is a great sipping wine that aims to please.
Reviewed February 15, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Co Clos Pepe Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
14.9%
alc., $45. Clones 115 and 667.
·
Bright aromas of dark berries, brown spice and
fresh-cut flowers. Riper flavors with an underlying riff of tar and earth framed by
bold tannins. Fruit-driven and flashy. Good.
Reviewed March 11, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Durrell Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 425 cases, $46.
·
Earth-kissed dark stone fruits accentuated by oak, soy and herbs. Plentiful tannins are evident on the clean
finish.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc., 675 cases, $46.
·
Very sensual aromas of dark cherries,
baking spices, musk and prime oak. A hint of alcohol peeks out. Clean and
uplifting deeply colored cherry fruit, richly flavored with lively acidity and
gripping tannins.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Graham Family Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., 250 cases, $46.
·
Vivid aromas
of fresh Bing cherries, a hint of raisin and a slight touch of oak. Plenty of
sweet and loamy black cherry fruit accented with flavors of cola and spice.
Bright acidity provides a clean finish that sports mild dry tannins.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Keefer Ranch Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 900 cases, $46.
·
This wine
really stands out from the pack. I would love to bottle the scents of Bing
cherries, strawberries, and baking spices. This wine has the reddest fruit
profile in the lineup, showing off crushed strawberries in particular. Modestly
weighted and easy to drink due to polished, dry tannins and an uplifting, tangy
and dry finish accented with grapefruit.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 725 cases, $46.
·
A big fruity wine with grill-marked
black cherry and plum fruits, reigned-in oak toast, and some good Pinot
barnyard aromas. Nicely composed and soft in the mouth with a touch of citrus
in the background.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.2 % alc., 400 cases, $46. About a third of
the barrels containing this wine were bulked out, unusual for this vineyard.
·
Attention-grabbing scents of rich black cherry, spice and a touch of oak. A
broad-shouldered gulp of dark fruits with nicely balanced t ‘n a. Mild polished tannins and noticeable oak on
the slightly astringent finish. The aromatics are far ahead of the flavors at this stage and this wine demands a
couple of years in the cellar.
Reviewed January 1, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir Barrel Sample
Muscular from
toe to toe, this is brimming with black cherry, cassis and plum reduction sauce.
The wine is still un-evolved and awkward with the core of unctuous fruit outdone
by oak and a tannic finish.
Reviewed July 23, 2007
ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc, $45.
·
Brian
Loring’s first vintage under his label for this vineyard (he made the 2005 and 2006 Pali Shea Vineyard
Pinot Noir) and he has crafted a beauty. Complex aromatics of blackberry, oak spice and pepper. The
wine is darkly fruited, with slippery tannins, soft texture, and a nice toasty finish.
Reviewed January 30, 2008
ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot
14.0% alc., 530 cases, $46, screw cap.
Brian Loring’s first wine under his label from Shea Vineyard grapes (he crafted a 2005 vintage
Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir for Pali).
·
Leads off with blackberries, pepper and oak spice in the aromatics. Darker Pinot fruits predominate, with respectable acidity, silky tannins, and a nice toasty, albeit shallow finish.
Reviewed November 20, 2007
ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Russell Family Vineyard Paso Robles Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., 175
cases, $40. The grapes come from a cool and westerly vineyard.
·
This wine has an arsenal of red cherry
and earthy aromas and flavors with noticeable oak in the background throughout. The texture is soft and
sexy. There are moderate tannins on the long finish which smooth out with a couple hours of air time.
Reviewed May 7, 2007
ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Cargasacchi Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
13.7% alc., 400
cases, $45.
·
The complex nose features wet leaf, mushroom, tea and toast. There is plenty of stuffing but
the wine comes off as quite demure and feminine. The mid palate erupts with red fruit, spice (cardamom)
and tea notes leading to a finish of oak-tinged cherries and coating tannins. Still a little closed but with
great potential.
Reviewed May 7, 2007
ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 800 cases,
$45.
·
This wine has the darkest color of the lineup. The nose is terrific with notes of crushed red cherries,
cocoa, and vanillin. After two hours, the nose was more cherry vanilla cola with a hint of alcohol. This Pinot
is packed and stacked with fruit with plush black raspberries in the middle and oaked tart cherries at the
end. The tannins are under wraps and the texture is downy. Prodigious wine.
Reviewed May 7, 2007
ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
13.2%
alc., 400 cases, $45.
·
This is the most elegant wine in the lineup. Terrific aromatics bring plenty of hi-tone
cherry to the front. Both red and black fruits are evident in the structured core. The fruit is embraced by
toasty oak on a finish featuring fine-grained tannins.
Reviewed May 7, 2007
ARTICLE »
2004 Loring Wine Company Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc., screw cap.
·
Aromas of black cherries, blackberries, oak,
barnyard and alcohol. Rich and full-bodied cherry and berry flavors with oak in
the background. Fresher than many wines in the lineup.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Aubaine Vineyard San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., screw cap. · Very dark purple color in the glass. Aromas of oak toast, plum sauce, soy and cigar box. Purple fruit driven with reigned-in tannins creating a velvety texture. Very easy to drink with admirable balance of fruit, tannin and acidity. The next day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle the wine had taken on a porty, cooked character. This wine will have many fans, but drink it now. Good Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Keefer Ranch Vineyard Green Valley Pinot Noir
15.1% alc., screw cap. · Aromas of black cherries, huckleberries, baking spices, oak and a whiff of alcohol. Intense purple fruits with a big acid spine. Fruitdriven but not jammy with a silky mouth feel. Develops interest in the glass over time. Tasted the next day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle the aromas and flavors had become raisiny. Good, but drink up now. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., screw cap. · Locked up like a tight chastity belt. The nose offers little fruit but plenty of oak. Lovely plum core is brooding and overwhelmed by oak and tannin. Very smooth in the mouth with admirable persistence on the finish. Potential here if the oak integrates more over time. More expressive the next day from a previously opened and re-screwed bottle indicating short-term cellaring will be rewarded. Good. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Loring Wine Company Graham Family Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
15.2% alc., $40, screw cap. · Penetrating and haunting aromas of red plums, red berries, violets and graham cracker. Really impressive and tasty sweet red berry attack that progresses to a memorable finish. This hedonistic, Caliesque sucker hangs around for at least half a minute. The fruit is startling good and the very smooth mouth feel brings the hair on your neck to attention. The alcohol is well integrated and the wine was still delicious the next day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle indicating the balance is spot on. This is a great sipping wine that aims to please. Reviewed February 15, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Co Clos Pepe Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., $45. Clones 115 and 667. · Bright aromas of dark berries, brown spice and fresh-cut flowers. Riper flavors with an underlying riff of tar and earth framed by bold tannins. Fruit-driven and flashy. Good. Reviewed March 11, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Durrell Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 425 cases, $46. · Earth-kissed dark stone fruits accentuated by oak, soy and herbs. Plentiful tannins are evident on the clean finish. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc., 675 cases, $46. · Very sensual aromas of dark cherries, baking spices, musk and prime oak. A hint of alcohol peeks out. Clean and uplifting deeply colored cherry fruit, richly flavored with lively acidity and gripping tannins. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Graham Family Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., 250 cases, $46. · Vivid aromas of fresh Bing cherries, a hint of raisin and a slight touch of oak. Plenty of sweet and loamy black cherry fruit accented with flavors of cola and spice. Bright acidity provides a clean finish that sports mild dry tannins. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Keefer Ranch Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 900 cases, $46. · This wine really stands out from the pack. I would love to bottle the scents of Bing cherries, strawberries, and baking spices. This wine has the reddest fruit profile in the lineup, showing off crushed strawberries in particular. Modestly weighted and easy to drink due to polished, dry tannins and an uplifting, tangy and dry finish accented with grapefruit. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 725 cases, $46. · A big fruity wine with grill-marked black cherry and plum fruits, reigned-in oak toast, and some good Pinot barnyard aromas. Nicely composed and soft in the mouth with a touch of citrus in the background. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.2 % alc., 400 cases, $46. About a third of the barrels containing this wine were bulked out, unusual for this vineyard. · Attention-grabbing scents of rich black cherry, spice and a touch of oak. A broad-shouldered gulp of dark fruits with nicely balanced t ‘n a. Mild polished tannins and noticeable oak on the slightly astringent finish. The aromatics are far ahead of the flavors at this stage and this wine demands a couple of years in the cellar. Reviewed January 1, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir Barrel Sample
Muscular from toe to toe, this is brimming with black cherry, cassis and plum reduction sauce. The wine is still un-evolved and awkward with the core of unctuous fruit outdone by oak and a tannic finish. Reviewed July 23, 2007 ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc, $45. · Brian Loring’s first vintage under his label for this vineyard (he made the 2005 and 2006 Pali Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir) and he has crafted a beauty. Complex aromatics of blackberry, oak spice and pepper. The wine is darkly fruited, with slippery tannins, soft texture, and a nice toasty finish. Reviewed January 30, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 Loring Wine Company Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot
14.0% alc., 530 cases, $46, screw cap. Brian Loring’s first wine under his label from Shea Vineyard grapes (he crafted a 2005 vintage Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir for Pali). · Leads off with blackberries, pepper and oak spice in the aromatics. Darker Pinot fruits predominate, with respectable acidity, silky tannins, and a nice toasty, albeit shallow finish. Reviewed November 20, 2007 ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Russell Family Vineyard Paso Robles Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., 175 cases, $40. The grapes come from a cool and westerly vineyard. · This wine has an arsenal of red cherry and earthy aromas and flavors with noticeable oak in the background throughout. The texture is soft and sexy. There are moderate tannins on the long finish which smooth out with a couple hours of air time. Reviewed May 7, 2007 ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Cargasacchi Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
13.7% alc., 400 cases, $45. · The complex nose features wet leaf, mushroom, tea and toast. There is plenty of stuffing but the wine comes off as quite demure and feminine. The mid palate erupts with red fruit, spice (cardamom) and tea notes leading to a finish of oak-tinged cherries and coating tannins. Still a little closed but with great potential. Reviewed May 7, 2007 ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 800 cases, $45. · This wine has the darkest color of the lineup. The nose is terrific with notes of crushed red cherries, cocoa, and vanillin. After two hours, the nose was more cherry vanilla cola with a hint of alcohol. This Pinot is packed and stacked with fruit with plush black raspberries in the middle and oaked tart cherries at the end. The tannins are under wraps and the texture is downy. Prodigious wine. Reviewed May 7, 2007 ARTICLE »
2005 Loring Wine Company Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
13.2% alc., 400 cases, $45. · This is the most elegant wine in the lineup. Terrific aromatics bring plenty of hi-tone cherry to the front. Both red and black fruits are evident in the structured core. The fruit is embraced by toasty oak on a finish featuring fine-grained tannins. Reviewed May 7, 2007 ARTICLE »
2004 Loring Wine Company Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc., screw cap. · Aromas of black cherries, blackberries, oak, barnyard and alcohol. Rich and full-bodied cherry and berry flavors with oak in the background. Fresher than many wines in the lineup. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
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