Awards/Ratings

Key scores for the 2018: James Suckling 99; Vinous 94–97 (Antonio Galloni); Wine Advocate 96

Tasting Note

Perfumed red and dark berry fruit (cherry, pomegranate, blackberry), rhubarb, dried violet, Earl Grey tea and forest floor; silky texture, bright acidity, fine-grained tannins and a long, perfumed finish.

Food Pairing

Roast duck, mushroom risotto, coq au vin, pork loin, grilled salmon; Asian: miso-marinated black cod, soy-glazed salmon, Peking duck, char siu pork, mushroom ramen, teriyaki chicken.

Production Method

Hand-harvested; ~40% whole-cluster fermentations on native yeasts; pressed when dry; ~16 months in French oak (c.20–25% new); malo on lees; minimal intervention, unfined and unfiltered.

Vineyard Info

Littorai, founded by Ted and Heidi Lemon in 1993, is a Sebastopol-based, terroir-focused producer farming organically/biodynamically. The Haven (planted 2001 at ~1,200 ft) is their original estate vineyard on a cool Sonoma Coast ridge.