No travel shock here. Loads of black and red fruit is seasoned with a healthy dose of vanilla oak. Quite possibly the easiest to drink Loring wine in history. I could just gulp this all night. My friend Steve had asked me what was the “hallmark” of Loring wines & this bottle demonstrated that hallmark. The big puppy dog is back again, jumping all over you and licking your face because he’s just so happy to see you. (That’s how I describe Loring wines!) This was great with a duck risotto by the way, so if you are afraid about matching such big Pinot with food, try duck.

David,
Great note! Love the oak integration on this puppy dog...only to integrate more as it evolves into an elegant greyhound! Peter C. is a fruit master!, even when fully clothed! My .02, Brian's 2003's are his best to date...so much pure elegance!

Andrew

Thanks for taking one for the team!!! Something tells me that this is going to be even better when the oak has a chance to fully integrate. I plan to wait until this time next year to open my first.

it's on my turkey day menu. brian, you rock!

I have this AND APVin on the T-giving Day wine menu. Can't wait!

How much time in the decanter did the wine need? Splash decanted?

I did not decant. It was delicious without it.

I can't understand that. It's virtually impossible that that wine wouldn't improve with time in a decanter. Whether or not it was delicious right from the start is irrelevant. When it showed its best is what I'd like to know.

You know what...I'm really not interested in what you want. I liked it out of the gate. I have more bottles so I can experiment later.

So let me get this straight. You responded to my question but didn't answer it. I see.

Board_O,

I do not just drink wine for the purposes of analysis. Nor do I drink it to provide other people with data points.

This bottle was drunk with some friends as a part of a very casual meal where we were more focused on enjoying each others' company than scoring/rating/evaluating the wines.

To top it off I don't care if I answered your question.

And to think, I thought you cared.

I've got this down as a X-Mas dinner wine for the trip to NH...can't wait!!

Let me clarify this a bit. I care about how the wine tastes. I care if it's going to get better. I'm happy if I can provide you with worthwhile information (though that is not very important to me except when I'm doing "critical" tasting). But sometimes I just choose to pop open a bottle and enjoy.

Sure I could have decanted the Cargasacchi. Will I next time? Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on the situation.I've never worried about how Brian's wines "evolve" because I just drink them for the pure fun of it. I think the only time I will ever do a critcal tasting of Brian's wine is when I pop open my 4 year vertical that I am saving of the Garys' Vineyard in 2006 or so.

Sorry to sound so pissy before. I just didn't like (and never have) the implication that I tasted a wine the wrong way.

There was an apparent misunderstanding. I didn't say or imply you tasted it the wrong way. I just wanted to know how much time it took to show its best.

I brought the 2003 LWC Cargasachhi Pinot Noir to Bouchon at the Venetian, Las Vegas last night to have dinner with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law, Mike.
The waiter opens the bottle and pours it into a decanter. He pours a small amount into Mike's glass.
Mike's eyes go big and says, "wow, that is excellent." So we're talking not even 5 minutes from the bottle being opend, splash decanted, into the glass, taste and we're in pinot heaven with a fabulous glass of wine.
The nose of the wine was of bright fresh fruit. The first taste fresh fruit followed by the silkiest, sexist, smoothest glass of pinot I've ever had. The finish was so smooth it went on forever.........
The wine was elegant. I told the waiter to have the sommelier come by the table for a taste, but he never did. Too bad for him because he missed out and there was more for us!!!

AKH, how was Bouchon?

Bouchon was outstanding Marco, I will post a review later today.

No decanting...instant black and red berries with vanilla icing. It's one of those Loring puppy dog wines that jumps up and slobbers all over you. Rich red and black fruit flavors with a hit of toasty oak. Delish with my dinner.