2012 Schug Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

 

 

 

2012 Schug Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $19.79

I decided to take a shot on this one when I was it on a local wine store’s shelf.  Early reviews called 2012 a great, can’t miss vintage.  Unfortunately I have tried more than a few misses over the last several months.  That said, a 2012 Pinot Noir with the Sonoma Coast appellation on the label for under $20 is worthy of a tryout.

 

This 100% Pinot Noir uses grapes from the following vineyards, 43% Ricci; 20% Stage Gulch; 13% Sangiacomo; 12% Schug Estate, 8% Iund and 4% La Prenda.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a synthetic Nomacorc.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The slightly shy nose has cherries, baking spice, earthy underbrush, dusty minerals and dried flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  Tart cherries, spice and minerals hit the palate first with earthy underbrush dominating the back end.  The finish has decent length but gets a bit muddled.  Not bad for under $20 but there are better Pinots out there for the same price.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi – $26.59

This was another Long Shadows wine I was able to grab for about half off from an e-mail closeout offer from a local wine store.  This is a top notch winery and I have loved every wine of theirs I was fortunate enough to drink.

 

This wine is a blend of 45% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah.  The winemakers for this wine are Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari from one of Tuscany’s oldest and most prestigious wine families.

 

The wine has 14.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The intoxicating nose has black cherries, blackberries, licorice, dried violets, minerals, dried herbs, earthy underbrush, cedar and baking spices.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spicy oak and spice hit on the front with minerals, dried herbs and some underbrush coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried violet note entering the picture.  This has very nice balance and is built to age.  This could be even better in a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office – $14.88

This is another wine I was able to buy as an e-mail offer from the local wine store at a great price.  The suggested retail price for the wine is $27, so I was able to grab my bottles for close to half off.  Like I always say, it pays to support your local wine stores, besides great advice on wines you may not know, they can be the source for great values when an importer or distributor is overstocked and looks to unload some inventory.

 

This wine uses fruit from Padthaway and McLaren Vale.

 

This wine has an ABV of 14.5% and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has plums, currants, freshly ground espresso beans, vanilla, dark bittersweet chocolate, road tar, dried sage, crushed stones and dried wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, fruit and espresso jump out first with vanilla, sage and minerals coming in later.  The finish has nice length with some dark chocolate adds nice depth.  This is on the young side and would benefit from some time in the cellar.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $25.00

In my opinion, the Loring appellation wines are some of the best bargains out there when it comes to quality California Pinot Noir.  The Loring appellation wines are, at least to me, dialed down a notch compared to their single vineyard siblings.  This and the lower prices, under $25 make them a nice way to kick up a week night dinner several notches without breaking the bank.

 

This has 14.7% alcohol and is closed via a Stelvin+ screw cap.

 

Winery history

My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir.  OK, I’m also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that’s another story.  While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor’s), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic.  So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC.  Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying.  It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love.  But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established.  I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.

 

For more information, to buy wine, or to join the mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby red color.  The alluring nose has raspberries, warm baring spices, cola, cherries, wild flowers, plums, eucalyptus, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, soft tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the baking spices and fruit jump out and take hold slowly allowing a touch of eucalyptus and earthiness to break through on the back end.  The finish has good length and adds some minerality to the fruit and spice.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

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Cheers!

 

 

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!