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 Brian
Loring, LWC
His name is Brian Loring and his obsession is Pinot Noir. OK, he is also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that's another story. While in college,
he worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor's), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic. So,
his very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC. Needless to say,
he found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying. It wasn’t until
he literally stumbled into Calera (He tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that
he found a California Pinot Noir that he could love. But it would be quite a while before
he found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established.
 Rosella's
Vineyard
Rosella's Vineyard is owned by Gary Franscioni, "The Other" Gary at Garys' Vineyard. Rosella's, named after Gary's wife, is located in Monterey County, near Soledad, Ca, about a mile north of Garys'. Gary has many different Pinot clones planted at Rosella's - and Brian Loring got all 667 in 2002. In 2003,
he'll probably also pick up some 777 just for fun!
 Loring Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard 2004
Winemakers Comments 2004 brings us bigger things from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It was an unusually warm year in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and the Rosellas Pinot Noir is a testament to that. Roasted coffee, hazelnut and floral berry provide a distinctive bouquet. On the palate, it's intense and complex, with vivid cherry, berry and plum notes that turn delicate and elegant.
Rated 93 Wine Spectator
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Santa Lucia Highlands
Approved in 1991 as a unique AVA, the vineyards here are planted on the southeast facing terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range, overlooking the Salinas River Valley. The vines’ elevated locations take full advantage of the morning sunshine before the afternoon maritime breezes cool the vineyards. This climatic combination results in an especially long growing season, which allows the grapes to fully develop and attain maximum varietal potential. Today, over 4,700 wine grape acres are currently under cultivation, with the majority heavily weighted toward Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Rhone varietals are also in evidence, with Syrah from many of the properties gaining increasing notice. Winegrowers of the Santa Lucia Highlands are innovators – almost every single vineyard is a living laboratory. |
