2013 Loring Wine Company Mateo Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir (Screwcap)

Loring Wine Company was started by Brian Loring, who has written that “my obsession is Pinot Noir.” Located in Lompoc, on the Central Coast, Loring produced its first commercial vintage in 1999. Loring sources its grapes from Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Sonoma Coast, the Russian River Valley and Willamette Valley in Oregon. He makes only about 3,000 cases annually and is best known for his Pinot Noir, though he also makes Chardonnay. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Loring’s wines “intensely fruity, soft, consumer-friendly Pinots…”

Santa Rita Hills AVA in northern Santa Barbara County was granted appellation status in 2001. Located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton, it has a total area of 30,720 acres with 2,700 vineyard acres. The area is considered a cool climate for vineyards, so vineyards are most often planted with the cool-weather grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The hills in the western part of this appellation are directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, meaning that maritime winds and fog make the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA particularly cool. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard planted in 1971 was the first vineyard in the district and is still considered one of the best.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.