PnP. Complex nose of forest floor and spice. Medium weight on the palate with a lovely savory taste of aged Pinot Noir. Better than some of the SVDs from Littorai in 2010; this tastes more like Hirsch than the Hirsch does! Nice surprise. At peak in an aged complex sense; drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flowered nose; nice cherry-blackberry fruit; there is a softness; textured but a bit light on acidic backbone; rather full bodied with a long semi sweet finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saying goodbye to this my last bottle of the most pristine appellation wine I've ever encountered. It proved a worthy match for the fresh snapper at the Flying Melon in Ocracoke, NC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was better than the last. Still a light style for a CA PN, but no sharp alcohol finish. Definitely show characteristics from the cool climate, reserved fruit with smooth tannins and nuanced herbal and earthy notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lighter CA style PN, but earthy character held up with artichoke and salmon. Drinking well now, but tending toward heat from the alcohol. Maybe one more year before alcohol starts to dominate over fruit.c
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Let me preface the following by saying my first Sonoma Coast PN of any kind was a '10 Failla SC (which I adored) in June and that most of my experience with the varietal has been with SB County, Williamette, and village-level Burgs. This entry-level Littorai was, from my perspective, overwhelmingly good. So vividly pungent on the nose, an interaction of stark light and shadow, bing cherry and rotting Fir. Eventually, much later, it seemed exactly reminiscent of rare beef. BTW, a year ago, if a friend had handed me a glass and said "take a sniff, can you smell the Angus?" I might have punched them! The palate on this wine was no less memorable. The coolest thing about it was this sort of glow on the back end - as though the whole ensemble of fruit, acid, and tannin were complimenting each other in good cheer as they walked slowly away together after their performance. A delicious drink - will be buying for myself and others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely aromatics, undergrowth and some rose-like floral notes. Vibrant red cherry fruit, with a sappy, forest floor character. Probably some whole clusters in this, tastes like ripe stems rather than oak. Lovely wine, dare I say Burgundian. If I could have this as my everyday red, I’d be a happy man.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Translucent Garnet color. Cherry and black tea on the nose with subtle spice notes, which carry over to the palette. Nice acid and surprisingly firm tannins lead to a decent finish. Not getting as much fruit as other reviewers but it has only been open about 30 min. I like this wine, especially at this price point. Would love to taste side by side w/ Failla SC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatically expressive immediately upon opening with rounded edges of strawberry and raspberry fruit, spice box, and tea notes. Elegant on the palate with a touch of acidity and tannic grip, it's a pleasure to drink.
Serious but not overly so. This wine suceeds in finding the interesection between being terroir-driven and letting the site speak for itself and revealing the California sunshine. A tremendous introduction to the producer. Read more...
So nice to have a Pinot that's not overly hot from the alcohol. Great fruit. Oak here is a sideshow not the main act. It is well balanced and drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little bigger than expected from Littorai, but well made and very enjoyable. Cherry with a little vanilla. Showed better on night two and when served a bit cooler. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Subdued and initially somewhat straightforward, one needs to dig in to coax out ripe notes of black cherry liqueur, tree bark and rhubarb. Medium bodied on the palate, somewhat firm on entry, perhaps a bit more red fruit driven than the nose suggests. The acid is medium to medium+ and the tannins are firm and mid grain for the varietal. Needs time. 88+ to 91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/7/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense, brooding and jammy; sweet finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Plummy blueberry raspberry; fruit forward; linear; looking for more depth and secondary notes; too young, or is this it?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2019 - Bradley Love wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful. Showing some age. Nice balance. Still a lot of cherry fruit and acid to go with it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2017 - Cequilia Likes this wine:
At jenny's
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2017 - wineguy75 wrote: 91 Points
Typical Cali Pinot. Not the best expression
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still greenish; jammy and structured; blackberry; concentrated and rich; long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2016 - DRK III Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great stuff - juicy, seductive, and long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2016 - rosenst1 wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Complex nose of forest floor and spice. Medium weight on the palate with a lovely savory taste of aged Pinot Noir. Better than some of the SVDs from Littorai in 2010; this tastes more like Hirsch than the Hirsch does! Nice surprise. At peak in an aged complex sense; drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sweet cherry-liquorice nose; cherry, earth, berries with complexity and good structure and body; elegant with long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant earthy cedar sweet raisen-cherry; herbaceous; elegant finish with good length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2015 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 90 Points
A little better than average the first day, fell off noticeably the second. A combined score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2015 - ajfret01 Likes this wine:
Mushroomy with bing cherry. Juicy acidity with a very nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2015 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light with cherry and raisen; integrated and balanced with nice earth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2015 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Balanced raisin and cherry with nice cola nose; textured and earthy with a long sweet finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2015 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Flowered nose; nice cherry-blackberry fruit; there is a softness; textured but a bit light on acidic backbone; rather full bodied with a long semi sweet finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2014 - Aunt Esther Likes this wine:
Saying goodbye to this my last bottle of the most pristine appellation wine I've ever encountered. It proved a worthy match for the fresh snapper at the Flying Melon in Ocracoke, NC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2014 - TheGrizz Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was better than the last. Still a light style for a CA PN, but no sharp alcohol finish. Definitely show characteristics from the cool climate, reserved fruit with smooth tannins and nuanced herbal and earthy notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2014 - TheGrizz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lighter CA style PN, but earthy character held up with artichoke and salmon. Drinking well now, but tending toward heat from the alcohol. Maybe one more year before alcohol starts to dominate over fruit.c
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2014 - Ron Felthoven wrote:
Very sappy and felt thick on the palate. I think I am just too tuned to cooler climate pinot to enjoy these.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2014 - Aunt Esther Likes this wine: 93 Points
Let me preface the following by saying my first Sonoma Coast PN of any kind was a '10 Failla SC (which I adored) in June and that most of my experience with the varietal has been with SB County, Williamette, and village-level Burgs. This entry-level Littorai was, from my perspective, overwhelmingly good. So vividly pungent on the nose, an interaction of stark light and shadow, bing cherry and rotting Fir. Eventually, much later, it seemed exactly reminiscent of rare beef. BTW, a year ago, if a friend had handed me a glass and said "take a sniff, can you smell the Angus?" I might have punched them! The palate on this wine was no less memorable. The coolest thing about it was this sort of glow on the back end - as though the whole ensemble of fruit, acid, and tannin were complimenting each other in good cheer as they walked slowly away together after their performance. A delicious drink - will be buying for myself and others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet fruit nose; beautiful, smooth and austere with earthy texture; elegant; smooth long length; great expression of the terrior.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2013 - bruinboozer wrote: 91 Points
Price point and quality work for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2013 - bopal wrote:
Lovely aromatics, undergrowth and some rose-like floral notes. Vibrant red cherry fruit, with a sappy, forest floor character. Probably some whole clusters in this, tastes like ripe stems rather than oak. Lovely wine, dare I say Burgundian. If I could have this as my everyday red, I’d be a happy man.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2013 - BobS Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another superb wine from Ted Lemon
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - dfarley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Translucent Garnet color. Cherry and black tea on the nose with subtle spice notes, which carry over to the palette. Nice acid and surprisingly firm tannins lead to a decent finish. Not getting as much fruit as other reviewers but it has only been open about 30 min. I like this wine, especially at this price point. Would love to taste side by side w/ Failla SC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2012 - jtinto Likes this wine: 92 Points
You can tell the fruit comes from cooler sites. Notes of tea mixing with loam and slight acid and tannin. Drinking very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2012 - RobertDwyer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aromatically expressive immediately upon opening with rounded edges of strawberry and raspberry fruit, spice box, and tea notes. Elegant on the palate with a touch of acidity and tannic grip, it's a pleasure to drink.
Serious but not overly so. This wine suceeds in finding the interesection between being terroir-driven and letting the site speak for itself and revealing the California sunshine. A tremendous introduction to the producer. Read more...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/8/2012 - boreddoughboy wrote: 90 Points
So nice to have a Pinot that's not overly hot from the alcohol. Great fruit. Oak here is a sideshow not the main act. It is well balanced and drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2012 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
A little bigger than expected from Littorai, but well made and very enjoyable. Cherry with a little vanilla. Showed better on night two and when served a bit cooler. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2012 - wino_tim wrote: 88 Points
Subdued and initially somewhat straightforward, one needs to dig in to coax out ripe notes of black cherry liqueur, tree bark and rhubarb. Medium bodied on the palate, somewhat firm on entry, perhaps a bit more red fruit driven than the nose suggests. The acid is medium to medium+ and the tannins are firm and mid grain for the varietal. Needs time. 88+ to 91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2011 - Mike Dildine wrote: 90 Points
This is a nicely made pinot showing fine balance and finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment