The Wines of Littorai

It is fair to admit that the film “Sideways” did for Californian Pinot Noir what Star Wars did for light sabres. Hotter than Hades, we have been inundated with requests for top Cali Pinots ever since Myles and Jack went on their celluloid adventures in Santa Barbara but the big problem for us was to find wines that were worth the money being asked. After all, the fickle Pinot Noir is not heavily planted in California and limited supplies pushed prices ambitiously high as the new demand was unleashed.

Thankfully, the answer has arrived. The tiny Littorai winery was founded in 1993 by Heidi and Ted Lemon and has since been producing extremely fine Chardonnay and Pinot from coastal vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. The winemaking philosophy is distinctly francophile as a result of the years Ted spent in Burgundy. After studying Enology at Université de Bourgogne, he then apprenticed at many famous estates in Burgundy such as Domaines Dujac, De Villaine, Roumier, Parent and Bruno Clair. He then made history when he became the first American hired as a winemaker and vineyard manager of a Burgundian Estate when he joined Domaine Guy Roulot.

Ted's aim is to create the very purest expression of the north coast Californian terroir. He planted Chardonnay and Pinot vines on carefully selected sites with exceptionally diverse soils and geology. Many are situated on steep hillsides and produce small yields under marginal ripening conditions.

Already acclaimed, the wines are beautifully elegant and concentrated with great complexity, and can only improve with age. We heartily recommend them, especially to all Burgundy enthusiasts.

As Ted and Heidi say themselves “Littorai is not motivated by competitions, ratings or trends, nor by the lure of publicity. It is devoted to the mystery of wine, not the science. Littorai seeks to create wines of elegance, length and finesse, wines which gain in complexity as they age. Littorai creates wines whose balance and proportion make them uniquely suited for dining and for great cuisine”

Vintage 2006 is expected to land in the UK in late summer 2008.

Winemaker notes: It displays a delightful hard candy note with aromas of peach, lychee, apricot, guava, Earl Grey and Bergamot teas. It possesses a significant acidity and has a long, very clean finish with mouthwatering acidity.

Winemaker notes: Notes of cherry, raspberry coulis, red hot candies and a meaty note that adds complexity. It benefits greatly from a little air or decanting prior to tasting it. The attach shows excellent acidity, good richness and very moderate tannin structure. The finish is dominated by the lively acidity which leaves the finish long and fresh.

Limited quantities available

If you cannot wait until late summer to try Littorai, then we are able to offer small quantities from vintages 2005 and 2004. These are in stock now and include the tiny production single vineyard wines, Savoy, Thieriot andThe Haven. These are serious Pinots that will repay a few years in bottle whilst the Sonoma 2005 is absolutely gorgeous for current drinking.

Complex aromas of flowers, mint and peach skin. Then fat, broad and rich, but with a firm edge of lemony acidity framing the fruit and drawing out the finish. I picked up an intriguing saline element. As rich as this is, it's not at all overly sweet. The pHs in 2005 are "dramatically higher" than those of 2004, noted Lemon, adding that there was less acidity in the grapes in '05 but that the wines are hardly short of acid support. 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/ June 2007

Moderately saturated medium red. Perfumed aromas of strawberry, black tea and spices. A bit youthfully subdued but supple and sweet, with a seamless texture and lovely ripe balancing acidity. Finishes fresh, with light tannins, noteworthy delicacy and sneaky length. The pinot noir pHs were also on the high side, noted Lemon. 90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/ June 2007

Palish red. Vibrant nose offers strawberry, spices, cola and white pepper. Plump, sweet, round and full. The dark raspberry, strawberry and pepper flavors are lush and seamless. Very fleshy and long wine, and a bit more primary than the excellent 2003 version. The alcohol of 14.4% is at the high end for a Littorai pinot, but this wine has more than enough material to support it. 92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/ June 2007

To purchase any wine from the 2004 vintage, please fill in our order form below by indicating the quantity required.

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