Starting to glow with that deep golden garnet we all love in Pinot. Smoky, dusty nose showing deep vegetal tertiary: that green, sagey polish where the fruit condenses down into sweet cinnamon, compost and blackberry-ridden turgid smoothness.
Loring’s Pinots always have a chubby streak to them: they are not necessarily shrill, match-head monsters so much as daring takes on California ripeness. And Santa Lucia Highlands will typically exacerbate those nuances. Christmas spice on intake influences the entry, driving incredible concentration into the tongue. At that point, ridiculous graphite and match-head DO emerge, riding on raspy acidity quickly turning to still-bitter tannin in a finish full of fruit, but weighted toward structure. This is glorious, complex stuff, something which won’t insult Burg-bro *too* much, and might just be a bit angsty for 99% of alleged Pinot lovers. It manages ALL the things we adore this grape for, and does it all with intelligent ease and edgy splendor.
2018 LORING WINE CO Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Monterey Co. 14.3
Stephen McConnell 