Sea Smoke and Loring

• 2009 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Botella 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  This is really quite nice. Rich, forward red and dark fruit with licorice, earth, sassafras, spice and pepper notes and a moderately long finish. Nice depth and complexity, especially for their entry level PN. My favorite of the evening.

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• 2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Another big, forward Cali PN. The dark red fruit here was certainly more forward than the Sea Smoke with a similar flavor profile. The sassafras component was more dominant here but over all this was abit lacking in depth and complexity. Enjoyable, none the less.

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• 2009 Sea Smoke Chardonnay 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Very heavily oaked with green fruit, anise, spice and white pepper. This is a big, rich Cali Chardonnay that is dominated by its oak treatment. Not at all my style, but if you are a fan off the big Cali chards, you'll love this one.

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• 2010 Loring Wine Company Chardonnay Parmelee-Hill 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Another big, rich Cali chard. This bottle was abit cloudy but the flavors were all big oak, green fruit and anise. Over oaked and one dimensional, this wine is not at all my style.

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While the Loring and Sea Smoke wines have similar styles and flavor profiles, it seems to me that Loring is abit more aggressive in their use of oak and abit more forward in the presentation of fruit.