LIOCO, Pinot Noir 2022

Region: Mendocino, California Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir Tasting Notes: The nose opens with tart cherry, black tea, boysenberries, and sweet backing spices. The palate is light with a lifted red berry tone balanced by tea and baking spices. Producer: LIOCO was conceived in the alley behind Spago Beverly Hills by wine director Kevin O’Connor and wine salesman Matt Licklider. The year was 2001 -- and the two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed wines of the day, wondered if it were possible to make some local wines that favored nuance over sheer power. In 2005, relying on nothing more than their palates and their rolodexes, the two embarked on a winemaking odyssey. Europe was the inspiration, as were the more restrained California wines of the 1980’s. Vineyard & Winemaking: Today, the winery is owned and operated by the Licklider family. Husband/wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider and their small team produce the wines at a state-of-the-art winemaking cooperative in Santa Rosa. All o