PATTERSON'S THE TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2008
94 points - 2006 Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega Vineyard
"Luscious black cherry and racy acidity; fresh and intense with perfect ripe flavors."
SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT - JULY 2008
To read the article, please click here.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - AUGUST 2008
90 Points - 2006 Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills
"You can almost smell the minerals and acids in this Chardonnay. The flavors verify the aroma, adding fruitier notes of limes, sweet apples and white peaches, complexed with the creamy, smoky nuances of new oak and sur lies aging."
- S.H.
FOOD & WINE Magazine - MARCH 2008
WINE & SPIRITS Magazine - APRIL 2008
92 Points - 2006 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard
"Rick Longoria planted the Fe Ciega Vineyard in 1998 close to the Pacific at the cool western end of the Santa Rita Hills. This sixth release from those vines feels plump and rich in its youth with a texture like ripe Volnay. Firm, grainy tannin frames the generous flavors of black cherry, while a refreshing streak of acidity keeps it nimble. Cellar for a year or two and then pour with a bavette steak seared rare. (832 cases) - Joshua Greene
WINE ENTHUSIAST - March 2008
"The Santa Barbara Pinot Noirs, and particularly the highly coveted single-vineyard bottlings from the Santa Rita Hills, are every bit as rich and vibrant as in past years, but in general possess an acid-inspired sleekness that makes them utterly delicious right away-a quality Brewer calls "precocious." Yet they're also capable of aging, although not for as long as a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. The best of the '05 Santa Ritas-Sea Smoke's Southing, Longoria's Fe Ciega, Brewer-Clifton's Mt. Carmel, Ojai's Fe Ciega-are wines of silky power that will offer plenty of pleasure over the next 6-8 years."
-Steve Heimoff for Wine Enthusiast
FOOD & WINE Magazine - MARCH 2008
2005 Longoria Tempranillo made their WINE WATCH what to try now page! Megan Krigbaum wrote, "The warm Santa Ynez Valley provides a perfect home for the flavorful Iberian grape. Case in point: this elegant, medium-bodied wine.
FOOD & WINE Magazine - AUGUST 2007
Best New California Chardonnays - 18 Best Bottles - 2005 Longoria Chardonnay - Sta. Rita Hills - Cuvee Diana
"Winemaker Rick Longoria named this wine for his wife, Diana. She has every reason to be pleased by this association; it's a graceful, focused Chardonnay, with a chalky minerality and flavors that recall quince and spice." - Ray Isle
WINE ENTHUSIAST - APRIL 2007
To read the article, please click here.
LONGORIA’S TOP SCORING WINES
95 Points – 2005 Pinot Noir – Fe Ciega Vineyard $48.00
“You’d never guess the power from the pale color. A multi-clone blend, it impresses from the first sniff, all pureed ripe cherries and strawberries, leading to a dramatically fruited, fresh, pure and vibrant mouth feel. Should hold and improve for a decade.” Editors’ Choice – S.H.
95 Points – 2005 Chardonnay – Cuvee Diana $40.00
“The volume on this wine is kicked way up over Longoria’s regular ’05. It is a voluptuous blend of two old-vine vineyards, Sanford & Benedict and Sweeney. The wine possesses a weight and density that impress, with a rich, exotic array of flavors. Key lime pie, pineapple custard, candied ginger, macaroon, honey and buttered toast, with a finish of mineral and steel. Completely balanced, this gorgeous Chard will hold for many years.” Editors’ Choice – S.H.
94 Points - 2005 Pinot Noir – Sanford & Benedict Vineyard $42.00
“Classic S&B Pinot, young and grapy now, and a little sharp in acids, this wine’s aristocratic rusticity calls for time in the cellar. Shows primary fruit cherries and black raspberries, with earthy, forest floor Portobello mushroom notes and distinctive tannins. Made from the oldest vines in the vineyard, it’s a wine that should ease into its own by 2009, and hold for another five years.” - S.H.
93 Points – 2005 Pinot Noir – Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard $45.00
(To be released in June)
“Made from the Pommard clone grown at the Foley estate vineyard, near the eastern edge of the appellation, this Pinot is tremendously aromatic. It’s slightly rustic and backward now, with rhubarb, mushroom, cherry jam and Asian spice flavors. Shows gobs of complexity and is rich and balanced, but will benefit from short-term aging. Give it four years in the bottle.”
Cellar Selection – S.H.
92 Points - 2005 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills $32.00
“What a beautiful translucent ruby color, so clean and pure! The wine itself is direct in raspberry, cherry and cola flavors, but it’s not simple. Shows layers of spice, leather, Provencal herbs and fine oak, with a silky mouth feel. A real sommeliers’ wine. Its’ a blend of Longoria’s Fe Ciega vineyard and the Foley estate.” – S.H.
90 Points - 2005 Chardonnay – Santa Rita Hills $28.00
“A blend of the Foley and Sweeney vineyards, both of them top estates, this Chard has rich lemon drop and mineral flavors, with a subtle cost of toasty oak. It’s crisp and clean and very fine.” - S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIASTUSIAST - December 15th, 2006
Top 100 Wines of the Year
93 Points - 2005 Albarino, Clover Creek Vineyard
“Granted, there haven’t been many, but this is the best California Albarino I’ve had. A wonderful wine, crisply acidic and deeply flavored. Candied citrus zest, peach pie, pink grapefruit, buttery honeysuckle, apricot, nectarine, and no oak because it doesn’t need any. A spectacular food wine or just cocktail. Shows the promise of this variety in the right climate.” Editors’ Choice. –S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - December 1st, 2006
92 Points - 2003 Syrah, Alisos Vineyard
“A new wine from veteran Rick Longoria. It combines both cool climate and warmer aspects, showing ripe, forward, almost jammy cherry and cassis fruit as well as the acidity and tannins associated with, say, Santa Rita. It’s a compelling wine, complex and delicious.” Editors’ Choice. –S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - November 15th, 2006
95 Points - 2004 Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega Vineyard
“Firm in acids, with some tannins, yet not at all hard. This is a magnificent, masculine Pinot Noir. It floods the palate with cherry pie, cola and mocha flavors, Asian spices and a sweet, smoky, buttery phyllo pastry quality. So technically perfect, with such structure, it seems guaranteed for the cellar. Drink now through 2010, but who knows how long it will last.” Editors’ Choice. –S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - November 15th, 2006
93 Points - 2004 Chardonnay "Cuvee Diana"
“Don’t look for fat, buttery stuff here. This wine is as streamlined as a steel girder. With high acidity and a firm minerality, it hits the palate clean and spicy. But once it warms up, wham! Exotic kiwis, limes and mangoes take over as well as the buttercream effects of barrel fermentation. Fantastic concentration, and probably good for a decade.” –S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - March 2006
96 points - 2004 Pinot Noir, Mt. Carmel Vineyard
"Longoria makes one of the most balanced Pinots in California, combining power and charm with early drinkability. This beauty is complex in aromatic bettroot, cherry, cola, oakspice and smoke notes, and drinkds dry and supple, with fairly tight tannins. It shows brilliant structure, with firm silky texture and brisk acidity. It is a wholesome, completely fulfulling Pinot Noir." Editor's Choice - S.H.
FOOD & WINE Magazine - December 2005
10 Top Vineyards and Bottles
"Bien Nacido Vineyard: A vast property in California's Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Supplies lush Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and other varieties to more than 40 top producers including Ojai, Qupe, Au Bon Climat and Testarossa."
TOP BOTTLE: 2003 Longoria Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir
"Winemaker Richard Longoria sources this coolly herbal Pinot full of red cherry flavor from some of Bien Nacido's oldest vines."
(Read the article at http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/tasting-room-10-best-vineyards)
WINE ENTHUSIAST - February 2005
92 points - 2002 Chardonnay “Cuvee Diana”
"Combines just the right amount of fresh acidity, ripe fruits and spices, and smoky oak to produce a balanced, delicious wine. Packed with powerful tropical fruits, cinnamon, vanilla, toast, even a white chocolate richness on the finish. - S.H."
"Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Wines of 2004" - Dec. 2004 issue
2002 Pinot Noir - Mt. Carmel Vineyard
WINE ENTHUSIAST - November 1, 2004
94 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Mt. Carmel Vineyard
"A great success, a great wine that seems to epitomize this appellation. Brimming with cool-climate acidity, firm and steely in texture, but lush and seductive. The cherry, mocha and cinnamon flavors go on forever, massive yet balanced and harmonious." - SH
91 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Fe Ciega Vineyard
"Similar to Longoria's Mt. Carmel bottling, but trades a shade of opulence for greater tannins and an earthy, tobaccoey note beside the cherries, mocha and oak. Rich and complex, with firm acids and a silky texture. Serious Pinot Noir. Editors' Choice." - SH
91 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
"Plush, oaky and young, but clearly very fine, this Pinot exudes blackberries, cherries, smoky oak, vanilla and spice, with firm acids. It's so ripe, it's almost jammy. Delicious now, but give it a year or two to knit together." - SH
WINE SPECTATOR - September 15, 2004
93 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Mt. Carmel Vineyard
One of James Laube's Top-Scoring Pinot Noirs
"Fans of California Pinot Noir should run, not walk, to secure their share of the 2002 vintage, the best vintage I've tried in more than 25 years of writing about the category."
"Great balance. Ripe plum and berries unfold gracefully and gain amplitude at mid-palate; long aftertaste is framed by lively acidity and ripe, integrated tannins." - JL
ROBERT M. PARKER, JR’S - THE WINE ADVOCATE - August 2004
87 points - 2002 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills
90 points - 2002 Chardonnay - Cuvee Diana
92 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido Vineyard
89 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Fe Ciega Vineyard
91 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Mt. Carmel Vineyard
90 points - 2002 Pinot Noir - Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
"Longoria is another Santa Barbara winery that is ratcheting up the level of quality. This portfolio appears to include the finest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs they have yet produced. The 2002 Chardonnay-Cuvee Diana is a crisp, high acid effort with notes of white currants, crushed stones, minerals, and citrus offered in a grand cru Chablis-like style. It is a subtle yet substantial, medium to full-bodied, elegant, pure white to consume over the next 2-3 years. More obvious as well as fruit driven is the 2002 Chardonnay-Santa Rita Hills. This well-made medium bodied effort reveals aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, spice box, and earth. It should be drunk over the next 1-2 years. Longoria's quartet of Pinot Noirs include the 2002 Pinot Noir-Mt. Carmel Vineyard. A beauty, it possesses plenty of black cherry characteristics along with hints of caramel, earth, and plums presented in a fleshy, full-bodied, seamless, dense, supple yet seductive style. The wine's perfume and headiness suggest consumption over the next 3-4 years is warranted. The saturated, deep purple-colored 2002 Pinot Noir-Sanford & Benedict Vineyard reveals gorgeous aromas of smoke. Chinese black tea, chocolate, barbecue spice, and cherry cola-like aromas. Medium-bodied, heady, and tasty, it should be consumed over the next 3-4 years. Lastly the brilliant 2002 Pinot Noir-Bien Nacido Vineyard boasts a deep ruby color as well as a rich sumptuous bouquet of black cherries, flowers, minerals and Asian spices. Its medium to full body, outstanding freshness, zesty underlying acidity and long, blackberry and cola-infused finish suggest this beauty should be enjoyed now and over the next 5-7 years.
Wine International Magazine - August 2004
Larry Walker's Diamond Dozen
95 points - 2002 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills - Cuvee Diana
"Floral and spicy opening with layers of fat flavous in the centre. The close is long and round with bright acidity. Very impressive. Drink 2004-2012"
PINOT REPORT - Issue No. 24 - Release Date: 8/31/04
94 points - Pinot Noir - Mt. Carmel Vineyard
93 points - Pinot Noir - Fe Ciega Vineyard
92 points - Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido Vineyard
91 points - Pinot Noir - Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
For more information, go online at www.pinotreport.com.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - March 2004
2001 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills - Fe Ciega Vineyard - 94 points
"A gorgeous wine that impresses for its early charm, complexity and ageability. It's delicious now, with the flavor of a black cherry and cassis tart sprinkled with cinnamon and vanilla, wrapped in a smoky-sweet buttery pie crust. Feels super in the mouth, soft and elegant, while a trace of earthy tannins in the finish will protect it in the cellar." - S.H.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - February 2004
2001 Syrah - Alisos Vineyard - Rex - 93 points
"A brilliant and impressive wine whose rich fruit, lush tannins and structure recommend it. A melange of blackberries and plums, with notes of mushrooms, herbs and peppery spices. It's fully dry, but the fruit flavors are so ripe, they finish with a delicious sweetness. Drinkable now, but also cellarworthy." - S.H.
2001 Syrah - Santa Barbara County - 92 points
"An excellent red wine, with nice body and structure. The flavors range from plums and black cherries to white pepper, and the tannins are voluptuously soft and complex. It's totally dry, a beautiful wine to pair with your finest foods." Editors' Choice. - S.H.
THE WINE NEWS - February/March 2004
2001 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills - Mt. Carmel Vineyard - 93 points
One of the best of the current Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir releases culled from a blind tasting of 35 wines sampled in July:
"Nose of ripe raspberry, coffee bean and cinnamon-clove spice. Round and luscious on the palate with a deep core of raspberry fruit, the wine impresses with its opulent texture and bright acidity, finishing with a flourish of vanillin oak." - Steve Pitcher
LOS ANGELES TIMES - Food Section - Wednesday, February 4, 2004
2001 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills - Fe Ciega Vineyard
One of the 6 top rated new California Pinot Noirs:
"A more masculine Point, with pleasing leather and tobacco aromas and firm acid. This one would be good with cured meats or cheese." - Corie Brown
WINE ENTHUSIAST – December 15, 2003
2001 Chardonnay – Santa Rita Hills – 92 points
“Brilliantly flamboyant grapes went into this wine, to judge from the results. Huge, massive flavors ranging from the ripest pears to succulent tropical fruits. The wine is big enough to support the extensive lees and new oak. Best of all is the acidity, which seems distinctly Santa Barbara in scope.”
WINE ENTHUSIAST – October 2003
2001 Pinot Noir-Santa Rita Hills-Mt. Carmel Vineyard – 92 points:
“This dramatic wine is dark, young and closed. It opens with a flourish of black
cherry and currant aromas conjoined with the smoky vanillins of oak, but it hasn’t all come together. Yet it impresses with its sheer flashy depth. Give this puppy a few years to knit together. It is a very, very good wine.”
ROBERT M. PARKER, JR’S - THE WINE ADVOCATE – October 2003
2001 Chardonnay – Santa Rita Hills - 87 points
2001 Chardonnay – Santa Rita Hills – Mt. Carmel Vineyard - 87 points
2001 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills - Fe Ciega Vineyard - 86 points
2001 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills - Mt. Carmel Vineyard - 87 points
“In the mouth the 2001 Chardonnay, Mt. Carmel Vineyard, is very high in acidity revealing flavors of oranges, candle wax and caramelized white currants. The 2001 Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills has tropical fruit/orange and citrus oil aromas, that are followed by a medium to full-bodied textured Chardonnay that should be consumed over the next 1-2 years. From an 8-acre vineyard, the 2001 Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega Vineyard exhibits copious amounts of spicy oak, lean austere flavors, and a pinched finish. Attractive underlying currant, fig, and plum flavors are compressed by high acidity. The dark ruby-colored 2001 Pinot Noir, Mt. Carmel Vineyard reveals additional sweetness as well as texture in its vibrant personality. Notes of strawberries, cherries, plums, and earth in addition to well-integrated acidity are found in this medium-bodied 2001. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.”
WINE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE – August 2003
Larry Walker wrote the article featuring Santa Barbara County wines, including photos of Rick and Fe Ciega Vineyard.
“Longoria’s Chardonnays are among the best in California…”
Top 20 Santa Barbara County Wines included:
92 points – Longoria 2000 Chardonnay, Mount Carmel Vineyard
“Deep, ripe green apple flavors following a hint of cinnamon on the opening. The center is rich and creamy, leading to a long finish with a good minerally bite echoing the opening. Drink 2003-2007.”
88 points – Longoria 2000 Syrah, Santa Barbara County
“There’s 11% Mourvedre in this richly concentrated wine. Raspberry and black pepper on the opening, looping back at the finish. Drink 2003-2006”
ROBERT PARKER’S THE WINE ADVOCATE – August 2003
2000 Syrah, Santa Barbara County - 86 points
2001 Syrah, Santa Barbara County - 88 points
2001 Syrah, Alisos Vineyard – Rex - 90 points
“Longoria’s 2000 Syrah reveals straightforward berry, herb, fig and licorice characteristics along with vivid acidity, medium body, and a fresh lively finish. Enjoy it over the next 5-6 years. In contrast the 2001 Syrah exhibits more heady alcohol as well as attractive fig, black currant, licorice earth, and camphor notes, medium to full body, and an elegant flavorful personality. With additional length and oomph than its older sibling, it will drink well for 6-8 years. The finest of this trio, the inky purple-colored 2001 Syrah Alisos Vineyard Rex boasts terrific aromas of blackberries and blueberries. It is full-bodied with admirable power buttressed by tangy acidity. Although sizeable, it’s light on its feet because of the acid, tannin, extract and balance. It should develop even more complexity over the next 10-12 years.”
PINOT REPORT Issue No. 16 – August 2003:
2001 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills – 88 points
2001 Pinot Noir – Santa Maria Valley – Bien Nacido Vineyard – 90 points
2001 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills - Mt. Carmel Vineyard – 92 points
2001 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills – Fe Ciega Vineyard – 92 points
Go online to www.pinotreport.com to read these reviews.
WINE COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE - April 2003
2000 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir - BEST IN TASTING out of 81 South Central Coast Pinot Noirs.
"South Central stalwart Rick Longoria delivers a dense, vibrant package of ripe raspberry laced with coffee and chocolate, which turns smoothly dark and mellow in your mouth and then lingers on your tantalized taste buds. All alone in first place."
WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE - APRIL 2003
1999 Santa Barbara County Merlot - 87 points
"Good, dark color, and opens with intriguing aromas ranging from fresh blackberries through coffee, pepper, spiced plums and herbs. Smooth drinking, but with pronounced tannins and crisp acids. Will benefit from mid-term cellaring, and should be very nice by 2004." - S.H.
Wine & Spirits Magazine - October 2002
2000 Santa Barbara County Syrah - 92 points
"Dark-roasted coffee beans and chocolate melting in the sun - they both offer a caffeine buzz. And all three somehow relate to the power and grace of this syrah, a sunny, dense and complete wine. The dark fruit is firm and tight, the tannins soft and gentle, followed by lasting smoke. Lovely stuff."
|
