Loring’s 2011 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard shows good mid-palate presence and fine overall balance. As in the 2011, the fruit is a bit overripe for my taste, but there is good delineation in the glass. Hints of blueberries and blackberries linger on the finish. This is a forward, juicy Pinot best suited to near-term drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2015. Brian Loring is a pretty simple person. He makes fruit-forward, juicy wines to drink young, just the way he likes them. An engineer in his former life, Loring has no patience for the imperfections of cork, so everything is bottled under screwcap. A few years ago I was not a huge fan of the Loring wines. I didn’t always think they reflected the personalities of their respective sites, but that seems to be much less of an issue these days. Readers who seek immediacy and exuberance are going to love these wines. Based on the wines I tasted, the 2010s are stronger than the 2011s.Tel. (805) 736-0053

There is, as usual with Pinots from Garys’, a lusty, almost overwhelming quality to the wine. It’s a full frontal assault of flavor, with cascades of cherries, raspberries, cola, licorice, sweet leather and smoky char that go on and on. It’s an achievement, but what the wine has in directness, it’s missing in subtlety. Drink this big, bold California Pinot Noir now, or hold through 2010.——S.H.(6/1/2008)—— 88

From the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2005 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard offers a medium light ruby color as well as more floral notes intermixed with underbrush, raspberries, and cherries. Tart acidity is also noticeable in this fresh, lively, medium-bodied effort. Tel. (877) LWC-WINE; Fax (805) 735-7416