Wine Review

Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette 2001, $90
With its 845 acres of pristine woodlands and vineyards and its elegant, towering Victorian mansion, Spring Mountain Vineyard represents a unique convergence of past, present and future. A winemaking icon from which this entire American viticultural area (among others, producers include Pride Mountain, Barnett Vineyards and Terra Valentine) takes its name, this estate comprises three of the Napa Valley’s most historic properties: La Perla, Chevalier and Miravalle, all of which were originally planted to vines in the 19th century.

“It’s like making wine in a national park,” muses winemaker Jac Cole, who coaxes from these spectacular hillsides stylish contemporary wines that, in their combined power and subtlety, evoke these cool, fragrant, and majestic vistas. The 2001 Elivette—a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot—exhibits an intricate and complex array of light and dark notes that suggest Spring Mountain’s dappled forest floor. The aromas of wood and spice meld with blackberry and bright cherry, as well as a dusty mocha. On the palate, this wine is rich and ripe, blooming with lavender and violets and ending on silky tannins and a mineral trace of pencil lead. 877-769-4637 or 707-967-4188; springmtn.com.

Loring Wine Company Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004, $48
Brian Loring’s long journey from novice to winemaker began in his salad days working at a wine shop in Hollywood. The owner of this establishment had a predilection for red Burgundy, and so Loring’s oenological education entailed much sampling and sipping of wines from Domaine Dujac and Domaine Romanée-Conti, two of that region’s most magnificent grand crus. When his curiosity turned to the domestic expression of the Pinot Noir grape, however, Loring was disappointed. After he discovered Cottonwood Canyon, however, his views on California Pinot changed radically, and under the guidance of Cottonwood’s Norman Becko, he set about learning to make this wine of kings himself. Thus, Loring Wine Company was born.

It is no coincidence that Loring produces many of his most-admired wines—all single-vineyard Pinot Noirs—from properties in Santa Barbara County, where he learned his craft. The 2004 vintage included 10 different wines in quantities varying from as little as 75 to as much as 750 cases (still a very modest amount).

Only 125 cases of 2004 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir are being released this March, and Pinot lovers will do well to buy as much of it as they can lay hands on. The wine exhibits an intense fruitiness that envelops the senses without overwhelming them, steeping the nose in scents of black cherry, plum and currant. A soft, sage-like lavender scent also emerges, and the succulent black fruit tingles on the taste buds before fading gradually in a wave of sweet tobacco. 714-280-0994; loringwinecompany.com.

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