2009 Littorai Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard

The 2009 Pinot Noir Savoy is a beautiful, understated wine. Sweet red cherries, flowers, spices and mint are some of the notes that flow from this juicy Pinot. The Savoy impresses for its mid-palate pliancy and accessible personality. Floral notes add freshness and lift on the finish. This is a gorgeous wine.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Savoy is a beautiful, understated wine. Sweet red cherries, flowers, spices and mint are some of the notes that flow from this juicy Pinot. The Savoy impresses for its mid-palate pliancy and accessible personality. Floral notes add freshness and lift on the finish. This is a gorgeous wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. I was totally blown away by the wines I tasted with proprietor Ted Lemon. These are some of the most refined, polished Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs being made in California today. I can’t recommend the wines highly enough. Lemon describes 2009 as a mild season with prolonged bloom that resulted in considerable shatter and a high amount of shot berries. There was no real heat to speak of in September. The 2010s were harvested during the first two weeks of October, much later than the 2009s. I also tasted a handful of 2010 Pinots from tank that appear promising, even if stylistically they aren’t as generous as the 2009s. Tel. (707) 823-9586; www.littorai.com

(13.4% alcohol): Moderately saturated medium red. Plum, redcurrant and spices on the rather diffuse nose, with notes of raspberry, orange pekoe tea and flint emerging with aeration. This supple wine seemed to expand and come into better focus with air, showing flavors of red berries, spices and licorice. Finishes with dusty tannins that call for at least a couple years of aging.