Trademark Littorai austerity, but it's worth it when you get this much purity of fruit and site. So much on the nose - just call it clarity, I suppose - every individual smell is identifiable, but comes together in just the most natural expression of Pinot Noir fruit in a Northern California vineyard. Still fruit forward, though quite lean as always, but starting to take on some pleasant secondary characteristics, a hint of dried leaves, maybe even tobacco? Finish is medium length, of a piece with the rest, appropriate to how this wine came out. Really a remarkable achievement and expression of winemaking, even if it doesn't quite grab my heart.
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This was spectacular. PnP. In a tasting note almost exactly 5 years ago (12/16/17), I described my tasting of this wine "pop and pour, needs time to come together" I didn't rate it. What a difference 5 years makes. Completely together and in a prime drinking place. No sign of age, effusive nose. Light on its feet at 12.9%. Gloriously balanced on the palate, plenty of acidity to counter the very fresh tart cherry fruit, with a hint of candied orange peel. Finish goes on forever, seriously, like minutes. No hurry, will evolve in many good ways from what it's showing now.
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A vibrant wine with great flavors of cherries, raspberry, smoke. Pleasing dark color, mature and drinking very well. Paired with a sous vide pork chop, Brussels sprouts and potatoes.
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Not cheap, but neither is 1er cru Burgundy and this would be a fair substitute for a decent 2014 Burgundy, being fresh and mineral and yet silky and full of flavour. Bright raspberry and pomegranate, quite some spice from the stems, somehow both easy and serious at the same time.
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Alluring nose showing very pure red fruits. Medium bodied with pomegranate and raspberry on the palate, not too sweet, supple tannins, plenty of freshness and energy and very nicely balanced. First experience of Anderson Valley CA.
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Very slow to open up. Sour cherry, nutty, earthy. Fruit very restrained, vey balanced, not earthy enough to be mistaken for Burgundy but not typically Californian. Might be great but awkward now, hold for 2+ years.
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Rich nose of sweet dark cherry and earthy loam over a med@+ rich palate with more dark cherry, baking spices, loam, and pepper. Long finish. Impeccable balance and in a great drinking place now. Fine example of AV Pinot just past it’s youth. Many years ahead of this but I enjoy the energy still in this wine. Excellent.
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PnP, this has immediate appeal at first sniff and taste. Showing bright red fruits, framed by very fine tannin and a really nice finish. Drinking well now with a brief decant.
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Better than I expected...Littorai has been hit or miss with many of their single vineyards, but this was a pleasant surprise. Decanted for about 90 minutes; I could tell it was going to be good from the first waft of the bouquet. I got red fruit on the nose (predominantly raspberry) with a terrific spice note. Tannins are extremely well integrated resulting in a very clean finish. Terrific for sipping, also goes very well with pernil...
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Raspberry, spice, citrus and warm fruit. The oak treatment is gentle. A charming cali pinot that is elegant and burgundian. Drinking well with two hours of aeration.
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Slow ox for 2 hours. The wine had a pretty nose. Full of wild cherries, violets and a subtle spice. On the palate cherries and cranberries came through a bit tart with medium plus acidity and medium finish. Overall the wine was nice but i would agree with others that this deserves another 2-3 yrs or a full decant in the near term. Enjoy!
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Littorai winery visit- my favourite wine in the 14 line-up. Nose has sweet strawberries, cinnamon and gentle oak. Palate has sweet strawbery frut but very precise. Very enjoyable. 91-92
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Nose: The nose is perfumed and tart with black cherries, raspberries, brown spies, licorice, violets, plums, and a touch of earth. The nose shows some delicious ripe fruits along with an earthiness to ground it a bit.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ tannins and medium acidity. The acidity has a crispness to it with the tannins showing a ripeness to them. The feel is balanced and lithe with black cherries, licorice, raspberries, violets, sour red berries, and some earth notes.
Overall: This is a beautiful, young Pinot. It shows some warmth and ripeness, but it is all beautifully in balance with excellent depth. This could use 3-5 years to fully come together or decant for a good while now.
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This wine has attitude with a tannic bite and an energetic and vibrant acidity. Apart from the notes of cherries and dark berries I find orange peel and some lemon together with a slight earthiness. The wine will need some time to come together but it shows good potential.
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This one’s grown on a steep, rocky slope. It is very fine with aromas of flint, Arum lilies and red berries. It is compact with good focus and intensity. The finish has great detail and persistence.
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Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Bit less expressive than the other two wines. More closed up. Lower fruit. More herbal. Decent acidity. Very quick finish. Either a wine that was not quite the same or one that was in more of a sleeping phase (given what we know about the winery expect the later). Tried it next to a 2007 which was very much open for business.
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Medium cherry red color; very aromatic, spice, tart cherry, black walnut nose; tight, tasty, spice, tart cherry, black walnut palate with good balancing acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points
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IPOB San Francisco...final event...lots of great wines, short notes... (San Francisco, RN74): Medium/light ruby color, lighter than the Pivot and Platt. Nose of tart red fruits, cherry/red fruits. Palate showed crushed strawberry, rhubarb, red currants, cranberry, and dried herbs. Lighter and more elegant than 2 prior wines, a lot going on with this wine. Very young at this point, would let this one sit 2-3 years.
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A light and tart Pinot that has potential, but is not near ready to drink at the moment. Light red in color, light in body, nose of tart cherries and herbs. Layered tastes of cranberries, dried strawberries, and rosemary, with a tight finish that subsides, a bit, after an hour or so. There is the structure there to age, which it needs to do in order to add complexity and integrate its acidity. I'm going to hold my two bottles until 2018.
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4/27/2024 - Beezc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Such a well made Pinot. Dark red fruit. Black cherry.
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2/7/2024 - BigTex22 Likes this wine:
Pretty good, lots of life left
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2/4/2024 - LesPaul Likes this wine: 89 Points
Trademark Littorai austerity, but it's worth it when you get this much purity of fruit and site. So much on the nose - just call it clarity, I suppose - every individual smell is identifiable, but comes together in just the most natural expression of Pinot Noir fruit in a Northern California vineyard. Still fruit forward, though quite lean as always, but starting to take on some pleasant secondary characteristics, a hint of dried leaves, maybe even tobacco? Finish is medium length, of a piece with the rest, appropriate to how this wine came out. Really a remarkable achievement and expression of winemaking, even if it doesn't quite grab my heart.
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7/30/2023 - wiscgrad wrote: 92 Points
a bit tight at first, needed a good 30 minutes in the decanter. fantastic aromatics. bright red fruit and high acidity on the finish.
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12/17/2022 - blaine Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was spectacular. PnP. In a tasting note almost exactly 5 years ago (12/16/17), I described my tasting of this wine "pop and pour, needs time to come together" I didn't rate it. What a difference 5 years makes. Completely together and in a prime drinking place. No sign of age, effusive nose. Light on its feet at 12.9%. Gloriously balanced on the palate, plenty of acidity to counter the very fresh tart cherry fruit, with a hint of candied orange peel. Finish goes on forever, seriously, like minutes. No hurry, will evolve in many good ways from what it's showing now.
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10/22/2022 - doug374 wrote: 93 Points
A vibrant wine with great flavors of cherries, raspberry, smoke. Pleasing dark color, mature and drinking very well. Paired with a sous vide pork chop, Brussels sprouts and potatoes.
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3/5/2022 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not cheap, but neither is 1er cru Burgundy and this would be a fair substitute for a decent 2014 Burgundy, being fresh and mineral and yet silky and full of flavour. Bright raspberry and pomegranate, quite some spice from the stems, somehow both easy and serious at the same time.
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3/4/2022 - fussyeater Likes this wine: 93 Points
Alluring nose showing very pure red fruits. Medium bodied with pomegranate and raspberry on the palate, not too sweet, supple tannins, plenty of freshness and energy and very nicely balanced. First experience of Anderson Valley CA.
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9/25/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely classic AV nose but palate not as deep or complex.
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7/11/2021 - elodin wrote: 91 Points
Very slow to open up. Sour cherry, nutty, earthy. Fruit very restrained, vey balanced, not earthy enough to be mistaken for Burgundy but not typically Californian. Might be great but awkward now, hold for 2+ years.
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9/28/2020 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich nose of sweet dark cherry and earthy loam over a med@+ rich palate with more dark cherry, baking spices, loam, and pepper. Long finish. Impeccable balance and in a great drinking place now. Fine example of AV Pinot just past it’s youth. Many years ahead of this but I enjoy the energy still in this wine. Excellent.
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2/22/2020 - ewsds Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP, this has immediate appeal at first sniff and taste. Showing bright red fruits, framed by very fine tannin and a really nice finish. Drinking well now with a brief decant.
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2/20/2020 - Phillybadger Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better than I expected...Littorai has been hit or miss with many of their single vineyards, but this was a pleasant surprise. Decanted for about 90 minutes; I could tell it was going to be good from the first waft of the bouquet. I got red fruit on the nose (predominantly raspberry) with a terrific spice note. Tannins are extremely well integrated resulting in a very clean finish. Terrific for sipping, also goes very well with pernil...
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8/30/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Raspberry, spice, citrus and warm fruit. The oak treatment is gentle. A charming cali pinot that is elegant and burgundian. Drinking well with two hours of aeration.
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5/9/2019 - Rgentile wrote: 92 Points
Nose: cranberry, pomegranate, underbrush and wood
Palate: dark fruits, black cherry and plum with spice and earth. Medium plus acidity finish.
Overall this wine was lovely. The tartness has integrated and this is singing right now. Well done Ted!
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12/16/2018 - Rgentile wrote: 90 Points
Slow ox for 2 hours. The wine had a pretty nose. Full of wild cherries, violets and a subtle spice. On the palate cherries and cranberries came through a bit tart with medium plus acidity and medium finish. Overall the wine was nice but i would agree with others that this deserves another 2-3 yrs or a full decant in the near term. Enjoy!
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10/19/2018 - Nanda wrote:
Showing a bit compact at the moment. Hold 3-5 years for tis to unfold.
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2/13/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Littorai winery visit- my favourite wine in the 14 line-up. Nose has sweet strawberries, cinnamon and gentle oak. Palate has sweet strawbery frut but very precise. Very enjoyable. 91-92
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12/16/2017 - blaine wrote:
pop and pour, needs time to come together
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9/28/2017 - ccn Does not like this wine:
Just too big and fruity for me - tastes like Coca Cola to me.
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5/6/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 87 Points
Littorai Release Party (Littorai, Sonoma): Dark, black cherry. More of the mushroomy Brett-like funk (probably not brett). Dark cherry.
Dry, light body, medium alcohol - feels 13.5%, medium plus acid, medium minus tannins - still a bit papery/drying.
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3/8/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: The nose is perfumed and tart with black cherries, raspberries, brown spies, licorice, violets, plums, and a touch of earth. The nose shows some delicious ripe fruits along with an earthiness to ground it a bit.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ tannins and medium acidity. The acidity has a crispness to it with the tannins showing a ripeness to them. The feel is balanced and lithe with black cherries, licorice, raspberries, violets, sour red berries, and some earth notes.
Overall: This is a beautiful, young Pinot. It shows some warmth and ripeness, but it is all beautifully in balance with excellent depth. This could use 3-5 years to fully come together or decant for a good while now.
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2/3/2017 - Ultimatewinekick_Andreas wrote: 92 Points
This wine has attitude with a tannic bite and an energetic and vibrant acidity. Apart from the notes of cherries and dark berries I find orange peel and some lemon together with a slight earthiness. The wine will need some time to come together but it shows good potential.
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1/22/2017 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
This one’s grown on a steep, rocky slope. It is very fine with aromas of flint, Arum lilies and red berries. It is compact with good focus and intensity. The finish has great detail and persistence.
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1/16/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Bit less expressive than the other two wines. More closed up. Lower fruit. More herbal. Decent acidity. Very quick finish. Either a wine that was not quite the same or one that was in more of a sleeping phase (given what we know about the winery expect the later). Tried it next to a 2007 which was very much open for business.
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11/18/2016 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Medium cherry red color; very aromatic, spice, tart cherry, black walnut nose; tight, tasty, spice, tart cherry, black walnut palate with good balancing acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points
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11/14/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
IPOB San Francisco...final event...lots of great wines, short notes... (San Francisco, RN74): Medium/light ruby color, lighter than the Pivot and Platt. Nose of tart red fruits, cherry/red fruits. Palate showed crushed strawberry, rhubarb, red currants, cranberry, and dried herbs. Lighter and more elegant than 2 prior wines, a lot going on with this wine. Very young at this point, would let this one sit 2-3 years.
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10/20/2016 - msuwine wrote: 91 Points
A light and tart Pinot that has potential, but is not near ready to drink at the moment. Light red in color, light in body, nose of tart cherries and herbs. Layered tastes of cranberries, dried strawberries, and rosemary, with a tight finish that subsides, a bit, after an hour or so. There is the structure there to age, which it needs to do in order to add complexity and integrate its acidity. I'm going to hold my two bottles until 2018.
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