January 6, 2023 - Drinking really well, tea, raspberry pie, orange liquor, swamp, grape bubble gum, and marjoram… really good, dark and youthful
May 13, 2020 - Notes of cherry, dried raspberries, black tea, and forest floor. Mature but not complex. Decent.
August 27, 2019 - Some initial funkiness upon opening, but most of it blew off with air. Notes of warm cherry pie, macerated raspberries, ripe black plum, and orange liqueur. Some underlying earthiness due to age followed by a tart finish. Silky mouthfeel. Very good now, with lots of life still in it
July 10, 2014 - The fruit is not nearly as big as it was a couple of years ago. Perhaps it is beginning to fade, but that is only a guess. This vineyard bottling strikes me as one of the lesser of Brian’s bottlings, but that just one man’s opinion. Nevertheless, the wine is a very balanced. The attack seems more akin to strawberry than any other fruit. Asian spice and sweet cola soon compliment the fruit and carry through to the finish. 13.7% alc. With broiled salmon under a balsamic glaze and olive tapenade. Recommended.
June 4, 2014 - Opened a light ruby to clear at the rim. Funky notes of musk, dark game, black fruits and tea. Slightly effervescent, black tea notes on a slightly sweet, light to medium body. Definitely in the secondary flavor window, and at 13.7% offers a nice curveball to the usual higher octane offerings. Day two not as much character....drink up and in one setting.
June 2, 2014 - Good nose, a bit muted fragrance due to age, enjoyable and developed nicely over the course of the meal.
March 28, 2014 - Pop/pour. Elegant and clear ruby color. A bit reticent on the nose. Both nose and palate display a pleasant spiciness. Body weight surprised me - it is relatively refined and balanced as compared to some of the other Lorings from vintages in the mid-2000's. Less alcoholic punch/heat. Which frankly came as a pleasant surprise.
July 3, 2013 - Opened for Avery's arrival, paired with Mulligan stew. Light bodied, watery light ruby. Nose of roasted oak, grained pinot muscadel, grapefruit, sassafras, ethanol. Bright very sweet fruit, with strawberry and raspberry. Imbibed quickly.
February 15, 2013 - This was really extraordinary for a winemaker whose wines were "not made to age." Floral nose is still pure and robust for an SLH PN, signifying the quality of the wine making I expect from Mr. L. On the palate, the fruit has receded a tad (some cynics might state it's more in balance and less fruit-forward...but "eh..."), but it remains lengthy and (almost) lip-smacking. This wine is in total harmony, seven years out. Wunderbar, Brian!
January 20, 2013 - Still a balanced, if fruit-forward, PN. Well done and enjoyed by all.