2014 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard

Brian Loring's wines have been gaining in elegance for the last few years, mainly because he has reduced his use of new oak to an average of about 25% across the board. A big reason for that approach is the fact that many of the vineyards he works with (and his sourcing has been very consistent since his first commercial vintage in 2000) now have mature vines and "bring their own structure." He believes that this makes the tannins delivered by new oak not only less necessary "but a distraction from the fruit, and fruit is what my wines are all about." So fans of Loring's full-throttle, fruit-driven style needn't worry that he's made a dramatic 180-degree turnaround from the kind of wines that made the winery successful." Nor has he altered his goal of making wines that drink best on the young side, although he does believe that they also have the depth of fruit to ensure that "they don't fall apart after just a few years."