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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.1 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jc11 on 11/18/2019: Drinking great. Still fresh. (1370 views) | | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 6/30/2019 & rated 91 points: Well. According to my wife, I waited too long, and she might be right. Golden, even approaching orange color with a slight oxidative note on the nose. Initially, the palate only revealed a touch of that oxidative nuttiness, along with mature apple and pear, a bit of oak, brilliant acidity, and a nutty finish. OK, this is passed, there is no doubt about it, and it degraded with every moment open. But there was a flash of brilliance at the outset that made it all worth it. thedrunkencyclist.com (1429 views) | | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 3/23/2019 & rated 94 points: It was the night that we were celebrating my son’s 16th birthday and he was upstairs on some device or another, adding to the planet’s change in climate. I was downstairs, preparing his favorite meal with my wife and her parents. We had already mowed through two bottles of champagne (we started early-ish) and I was craving some still Chardonnay. I perused my Cellar Tracker and discovered this long-forgotten bottle (I actually have two). No brainer. Pop, pour, and pray it still has life…and it does. And how. Golden in the glass, with a nose that was largely devoid of fruit (hints of lemon curd) and instead dominated by minerality and a burnt match (sulfur, which dissipated quickly). The palate? Oh my. Rich, some butter (but short of buttery), oak notes (but far, far, from oaky), but still fantastic acidity and a finish that lasts far longer than my memory (which is, admittedly, a low bar). Whoa. And a Holy Cow. thedrunkencyclist.com (1532 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 11/30/2017 & rated 94 points: Two years after my last "spectacular " note, this wine is still sitting in the spectacular range. Deep mouth, dark white and orange nose, nutty length. Great. (2030 views) | | | Tasted by aagrawal on 1/12/2016 & rated 89 points: JP Morgan WineBeserkers Dinner (Bar Agricola, San Francisco): Aromas are sweet, tropical fruit, guava, smells almost sweet; palate is full bodied, ripe guava, some papaya, dry; finish is medium length. Certainly atypical for a chardonnay, but I'm not convinced this is flawed. It's actually quite drinkable and I even think it's interesting. 88-89 (3695 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 10/22/2015 & rated 94 points: 10 years on, and this was a spectacular bottle of wine. (2464 views) | | | Tasted by shaneajohnson on 12/26/2013 & rated 94 points: This was my last bottle. Note consistent with one from 8/2010. Still plenty of life left for those who want to hold longer. (3510 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 11/30/2013 & rated 92 points: After the last flawed bottle, the Littorai folks were very kind and provided a replacement. Popped and poured; medium gold. Rich nose of tropical fruits, guava, vanilla, peach, a little butterscotch. Rich complexion on the palate as well with the acid rather buried. Ready to drink and quite lovely and not for significant further aging. (3166 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 10/8/2012 & rated 83 points: Not much pleasure here. (3378 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 8/30/2012 & rated 91 points: I found this bottle to be more youthful and less integrated than the 11/4/11 bottle. (2659 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 5/11/2012 flawed bottle: Popped and poured; deep golden color?? Nothing off on the nose but quite closed. On the palate very rich but dry - superb fruit with good finishing acidity. Wow, but on the edge of oxidized. Nose begins to open with vanilla, creme brulee, and rich tropical fruits. Fades fairly rapidly; I think this bottle is prematurely oxidized given the last two.
Will see next time. (2624 views) | | | Tasted by PortFanatic on 4/20/2012 & rated 93 points: A bit cloudy. Shockingly young on the palate. This reminded me of the 2005 Auberts - without all the oak. A hint of vanilla. Long mineral finish that was balanced by richness and very solid acidity .Not really showing any oak for me. Very drinkable now, but a long life ahead. Can drink now or check on this in 3-5 years. Personally, if well stored I would wait. (1959 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 11/4/2011 & rated 92 points: Light gold color. Aromas of baked apples, bananas, vanilla and spices. Ripe, focused fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. The ample oak is well-integrated and not too intrusive. This wine has matured considerably since the last bottle I had over 4 years ago but is still very fresh, maintains an excellent core of acidity and had developed some complexity. All in all, a fine bottle of California Chardonnay. (2167 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 9/12/2011 & rated 92 points: Opened at a party. Lovely balance a bit of vanilla oak and rich fruit; will age well. (2017 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 2/25/2011 & rated 93 points: Very, very nice. Mellow, aged, "appropriate." Restrained tropical white fruit with a tiny bit of bitter white citrus. Green herbs. Good in the mouth, well-balanced and old, herbally tinged length that's distinctive and nice. Ready. (2138 views) | | | Tasted by kenthargis on 1/18/2011 & rated 93 points: P enjoyed more than K. Great acidity combined with tasty pear/apple flavors and a relatively long finish. Oak was very judicious and really enjoyed this wine. Would recommend. (2282 views) | | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 1/14/2011 & rated 89 points: I was all ready to be completely wowed by this. I have visited Littorai and loved their wine and I read all the notes here before popping. It started out way too cold, which was my fault. Even after it warmed, though, I found it very good, but disjointed on the mid-palate. Perhaps it is in a bit of a dumb phase right now. Great nose though of vanilla and lemon curd. Long finish. Just in the middle there, a bit odd. (2252 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 8/26/2010 & rated 93 points: Popped and poured. Medium clear gold/ Initially quite reticient on the nose, with hints of
creme brulee and blood orange, which I often get in Littorai whites. Then wonderfully clean
and deep on the palate, rich yet restrained, with excellent balance. This should age effortlessly
for at least another 5 years and develop additional aromatic complexity. Lovely. (2568 views) | | | Tasted by shaneajohnson on 8/22/2010 & rated 94 points: We drank a bottle of this last month, and as you can see from the tasting note, we were not particularly excited with the wine. Well, that bottle must have had some sort of flaw because the bottle we had last night was absolutely fantastic and ranks among the best Chardonnays I have ever had. Age has been good to this wine. Last night's bottle was far more consistent with what I would have expected after my first bottle back in 2007. I will keep my remaining bottle until 2012+. (2689 views) | | | Tasted by shaneajohnson on 7/17/2010: I last drank a bottle of this in 12/2007. It was just delightful then. Tonight's bottle was just average. We tried it at a variety of temperatures and with and without much air. It's a well-made Chardonnay in the Littorai style, but it hasn't aged nearly as well as I expected. I can't see the remaining bottle I have getting any better unless this is a just weird dumb stage. Hard to know what to do with my remaining bottle. A month after I originally posted this note, I tasted another bottle, which was absolutely fantastic. Thus, I have removed the numerical rating of the 7/17/2010 bottle as apparently the wine had a flaw. (2532 views) | | | Tasted by BigRed1000 on 6/2/2010 & rated 92 points: Really good. Creamy and nice acidity (2785 views) | | | Tasted by ken-yyz on 12/6/2009 & rated 92 points: Far far better than the last (flawed) bottle. Great intensity and enough butter fat to keep the acidity in check. Much better warmer - at room temperature, it could match many red wines for interest and complexity. (2773 views) | | | Tasted by tanglenet on 2/8/2008: 2nd Annual Freeman Caves Weekend for VinoCellar.com; 2/8/2008-2/10/2008 (Various Sonoma County Locations): Served as part of the 2nd Annual Freeman Caves Weekend for VinoCellar.com. Served at the pre John Ash dinner. Opened not decanted. Served chilled. Strong grass and honey notes with high acidity. Good. (4666 views) | | | Tasted by HurrahSyrah on 1/13/2008 & rated 93 points: Popped and poured. This wine exhibited a cloudy, straw yellow color. On the nose, beautiful aromas of ripe apples and pears were complemented with notes of orange rinds, jasmine, vanilla, and hints of spice. On the palate, flavors of apples, pears, and melons were complemented by notes of jasmine, spice, hazelnut and citrus notes. This wine had a rich, full mouthfeel and was quite the "atypical" California Chardonnay in that everything was well balanced and well integrated into the wine with the fruit really being the focus of this one and all the other characteristics helping uplift it to the next level. A definite testament to Ted Lemon and a great introduction for me to Littorai Chardonnay. I'm sure this can definitely be aged and evolve even more as evidenced by the change in the glass over the hour or so that I tasted it. HS93 (3750 views) | | | Tasted by shaneajohnson on 12/11/2007 & rated 93 points: Just delightful. Concentrated and intense. Well balanced. Nice nose and palate. (3383 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Sonoma, Anderson Valley and Beyond: New Releases (Jan 2015) (1/1/2015)
(Littorai Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2007, IWC Issue #132
(Littorai Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Littorai Producer WebsiteChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican 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.California2021 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 Sonoma CountyMendocino CountySonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast AVA (Wikipedia)
* Sonoma Coast AVA (Wine Institue) |
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