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 Vintage2009 Label 1 of 36 
TypeRed
ProducerLittorai (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardSavoy Vineyard
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionNorth Coast
AppellationAnderson Valley

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2019 (based on 17 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 91.6 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 78 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by gsiokis on 3/6/2024 & rated 92 points: 15 years and this wine is still going strong. Drank over two nights. Great acidity with cherry/pomegranate notes. Some secondary notes as well..... (89 views)
 Tasted by stvjackson on 7/9/2023 & rated 92 points: Still amazingly fresh at 14 years in. Ample acidity brings bright cherry and pomegranate to the fore, while there's plenty of woodsy, herbal aroma and a judicious amount of oak spicines. Tannins are in a great, silky place in their evolution. This has at least another half-dozen years of life left in it, easy. (339 views)
 Tasted by Troon on 1/15/2023 & rated 90 points: Purchased about a month ago from BWG. Did not decant. First 90 minutes were exquisite. The wine was Burgundian, subtle, and smooth. It started to decline after that. I am still glad I bought it, and I did get to enjoy a Littorai with a bit of age at a fair price. (516 views)
 Tasted by gsiokis on 5/20/2022 & rated 92 points: No specific notes. Still in great condition. (750 views)
 Tasted by bdhanna on 12/5/2021 & rated 94 points: As I wrote nearly 4 months ago, this Pinot Noir is delicious and at peak !!
Perfect cork after over a decade in the bottle, removed easily. Consumed at dinner with friends and really shined over the Burgundy's consumed that night. My last bottle of this vintage in my cellar. (927 views)
 Tasted by RonniePiemonte on 9/26/2021 & rated 92 points: Purchased at the Vineyard in 2012. Lovely nose. Mellow with nice acid up front with floral fruit thru to clean fresh finish. (1006 views)
 Tasted by ohne_musik on 8/15/2021 & rated 88 points: Getting a bit tired, or else just in an awkward place. At least on this bottle, the fruit has darkened to black plum and fig, perhaps a bit muddled and wizened. There is some earth and spice, but it’s not developing secondary elegance or nuance. Good acid stil and there’s a bit of structure left so I wonder if this still has time to transform into something more exciting or if it’s just getting old. (1008 views)
 Tasted by bdhanna on 8/11/2021 & rated 93 points: Wow, this wine is delicious and at peak !!
Perfect cork after over a decade in the bottle, removed easily. Consumed over two days and from the first sip I knew, this is a very special wine. This balanced wine showed more fruit on the first day and I had to resist dinking it all. Fortunately, I saved half for day two where this mature wine really started to shine. This balanced wine had softened just a little to an increased depth and integrated complexity. Medium ruby color with no oxidation and excellent clarity. Aromas of red cherry and cranberry. Flavors of bing cherry, pomegranate, and rhubarb with a hint of forest floor. This Pinot Noir has a medium to long finish. A balanced and flavorful Pinot Noir is fully extracted in the California style and is the perfect example of what make me love Pinot Noir. This wine may have more years of life remaining, fortunately I still have one bottle of this vintage remaining in the cellar. A great fruit sources from the Savoy Vineyard in the Anderson Valley appellation of Mindocino County. Dijon 114, 115, 667 & 777, Calera and Pommard clones planted over 25 years prior on soils of Pinole and Boont loams over Franciscan shale. All of these elements and great winemaking from Ted Lemmon combine to consistently produce a fine Pinot Noir. (896 views)
 Tasted by kthornton78 on 7/25/2021: last bottle. what a gem of a wine. bright acid, cranberry/pomegranate, soft tannins. blows a premier cru 2009 burg I had recently out of the water. (771 views)
 Tasted by bobdobilina on 12/5/2020 & rated 92 points: World of Pinot Noir Tasting (13 Pinots from Burgundy, Germany, New Zealand, Oregon and California); 12/5/2020-12/6/2020 (Zoom): Crystalline garnet color.

Lovely nose of strawberries, cherry, potpourri and nutmeg.

Great fruit intensity on the palate. For me cherries, both red and black. Has great length and has nice spice to it. Finishes with a mineral note.

This bottle is in great condition and i think this still has more development.

92+ (1105 views)
 Tasted by rosenst1 on 9/9/2020 & rated 92 points: PnP. Medium dark red. Initially this was closed on the nose and seemed rather simple on the palate with good "winey" flavor but not much complexity. After about 30 minutes this really opened up and was quite lovely with a nose with both red fruits and a floral scent. On the palate this had softened and showed lovely red fruits and spice, with a soft but long finish. I would say at peak with some air. Savoy is not one of my favorite Littorais but this was very nice. I would say drink up. (1020 views)
 Tasted by jlgnml on 5/31/2020 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 45 min. Enjoyable, light color, good flavor, time to drink it up. (1043 views)
 Tasted by ohne_musik on 11/29/2019 & rated 89 points: Very pure cherry, with some savory herbs and incense. not overdone, but feeling a bit tired tonight, and perhaps on the downslope. (1375 views)
 Tasted by Ben F on 7/4/2019 & rated 92 points: Dinner at Home, Mill Valley, CA. Popped and poured. Imbibed over three evenings.

First night this wine seemed stewed and past its prime. After letting the glass sit for over an hour it didn’t improve, just seemed pruny and tired. Disappointing for sure.

What a difference a day of resting in the fridge made. I thought for sure the wine would be even more dried out and unengaging. However, by the second evening the wine had come to life, exuding mature Pinot fruit enveloped in a complex nose of soil and underbrush. No prune or stewed notes in evidence, in complete contrast to the prior night. One large pour remainder for the third evening. I expected it to be past its prime by then, but the wine was even more detailed and engaging albeit a little past optimal drinking.

A very illuminating experience. I would not based on the first evening’s showing have thought this wine just needed extended breathing time, but I was mistaken. The next bottle will get an extended slow-ox before serving. (1312 views)
 Tasted by kthornton78 on 5/11/2019: decanted 45 minutes: in a really nice place. cranberry and pomegranate with damp earth/cedar(?). savory notes on the back end. plenty of acid and fruit. seems to have many years ahead of it. (1301 views)
 Tasted by jlgnml on 1/29/2019 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 45 min. Deep black color, dense plate taste, long finish, good nose dark cherry. Fantastic. (1255 views)
 Tasted by pjhr on 10/5/2018 & rated 94 points: Drinking even better than the last bottle! Lovely pinot! (1125 views)
 Tasted by ohne_musik on 2/3/2018 & rated 91 points: Drinking nicely. A bit of VA that blows off quickly, with red fruit, a hint of rose, and damp forest on the nose. Palate is more crancherry, with some savory spice notes - birch bark, cedar, sandalwood. slightly lacking mid-palate, and mostly integrated tannins. (1616 views)
 Tasted by rosenst1 on 10/30/2017 & rated 92 points: PnP; cork broke but retrieved without impacting pour. Medium red. Complex red fruited nose. On the palate this is lovely - depth long finish and a hint of the structure still lurking under the fruit. No need to open these but if you do you won't be disappointed. (1800 views)
 Tasted by Mark H. LeQuire on 8/31/2017 & rated 95 points: Absolutely outstanding in my opinion. Wonderful. Comparable to any of its peers and any French Burgundy. Wonderful colors and nose. Classic pinot flavor. No tannin/acid. Low to medium alcohol. Long finish. Perfectly ready to drink, and, plenty of bottle life left. (1901 views)
 Tasted by Keeping It Real on 5/27/2017 & rated 88 points: WineLA event: Pinot Taste Off (Downtown Los Angeles): Scored blind. Like Concord grapes... Tasty. Some stems on this one as well. I noticed a lot of these Pinots from Sonoma, Russian River Valley, and Anderson got that Concord grape taste. I grew up eating Concord grapes brah. (2708 views)
 Tasted by ohne_musik on 4/20/2017 & rated 90 points: Nose is perfumed with violets, plums, orange peel. Palate has red fruits veering into black cherry and boysenberry, candied violets, faint sous bois. A bit of a weird acetone note. impression of sweetness and not quite enough acid, plush and velvet mouthfeel, impressively long finish. (2065 views)
 Tasted by Oskiwawa on 12/25/2016 & rated 91 points: Popped and poured. Enjoyed over the next 2 hours. Not as impressive as my last bottle a year ago but still pretty darn good. Bright fruit that is not over the top. Really enjoyable. Will drink the remainders over the next 5 years. (1823 views)
 Tasted by amateurwino on 11/24/2016 & rated 92 points: Open nose of ripe but not overripe red fruits and damp earth. Excellent balance on the palate and while distinctly Californian in style, still a wine that most red burg drinkers could appreciate. Smooth tannins make this feel ready to drink, but no hurry here. (1842 views)
 Tasted by King Cab on 11/24/2016 & rated 93 points: Amazing deep color ad a nose of soft spring flowers and pretty strawberries. The palate shows a lithe and wispy style of Pinot Noir that I truly enjoy; it's expressive and commanding while not being intrusive. As it sits it gains some weight and takes on a wonderful Bing cherry quality that has just the faintest hint of orange zest. This is all Anderson Valley. Perfectly balanced and fully resolved, I would not hold this much longer based on its pure awesomeness today. Pure awesomeness....I love that. (1844 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, The Best of Sonoma (Feb 2012)
(Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Anderson Valley) Subscribe to see review text.
By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2011, Issue #33, Recently Tasted California Wines The Search for Traditionalists Turns Up A Crowd
(Pinot Noir “Savoy Vineyard” (Anderson Valley)- Littorai Vineyards) Login and sign up and see review text.
By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2011, IWC Issue #156
(Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard Anderson Valley) Subscribe to see review text.
By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/7/2013)
(Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard) Very light red color; appealing, baked cherry, French oak, lightly savory nose; tasty, silky textured, delicate, tart cherry, baked raspberry palate with grip; medium-plus finish 93+ points  93 points
By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/23/2011)
(Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard) Medium red color with pale meniscus; tart cherry, baked raspberry nose; tasty, focused, tart cherry, cinnamon, baked raspberry palate; medium-plus finish  92 points
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Littorai

Producer Website

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

Savoy Vineyard

The meticulously farmed vineyard of Richard Savoy lies in one of the coolest regions of Anderson Valley just west of the town of Philo. The southwest-facing slopes are cooled by afternoon breezes and the effects of the coastal climate. We harvest seven clones from different sections of the vineyard to create the final blend, capturing the full range and quality of Savoy.

*Savoy vineyard was acquired by FEL (Cliff Lede) in 2011

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

California

2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson

North Coast

The North Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California, covering more than three million acres, includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties. (see The Wine Institute for more information)

Anderson Valley

http://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-appellation-map/
Anderson Valley stretches from Yorkville Highlands (located in a highland meadow straddling the upper Rancheria Creek and upper Dry Creek watersheds) through Boonville (located on Anderson Creek) and Philo (located on Indian Creek) to Navarro (located on Soda Creek). Rancheria, Anderson, Indian and Soda creeks are tributaries to the Navarro River, which flows north and west through the coastal range to the Pacific Ocean; Dry Creek flows south into the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. The main stem of the Navarro River begins less than a mile south of Philo at the confluence of Anderson Creek and Rancheria Creek. The mouth of the Navarro is 10 miles (16 km) south of Mendocino, California. Encompassing 315 square miles (816 km²), the Navarro River watershed is the largest coastal basin in Mendocino County.

Such unique geography results in a wide diurnal range, with daily high and low temperatures occasionally diverging 40 or 50 degrees. This enables Pinot Noir growers to keep acid development in line with sugar and flavor formation through long, warm Indian summers. It also makes for superb Gewurztraminer and Riesling, giving rise to the valley’s annual Alsatian Varietals and Pinot Noir festivals.

The climate in the Anderson Valley appellation is tempered by cool marine air. Steep hills and mountains surround rolling to nearly level alluvial terraces. The dominant natural vegetation is a mixed forest of Coast Redwood, various native oak varieties, and Douglas-fir. Elevation ranges from sea level to 2,500 feet (760 m). The average annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 80 inches (900 to 2000 mm). The average annual temperature is about 53 °F (12 °C), and the average frost-free season ranges from 220 to 365 days. Towards the coast the summers are cool and moist with frequent fog, while the interior Anderson Valley proper features a warm to hot summer climate similar to nearby interior regions, with daytime highs occasionally in excess of 100 °F (38 °C).

Visitors to the Valley should come prepared for cool evenings and warm days. Locals dress in layers year round.

 
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