2016 Littorai Pinot Noir Mays Canyon

The 2016 Pinot Noir Mays Canyon comes from one of the original vineyards Lemon has worked with (it’s owned by Susan Bass). Deeper ruby-colored with crunchy red fruits, flowers, and an almost garrigue-like quality, it’s medium-bodied, vibrant, and energetic on the palate. With vibrant acidity and notable tannins, it’s another wine where the cellar is going to be your friend. This is another estate making a distinctly vibrant, fresh style of wine that’s going to appeal to the Burgundy lovers out there. It’s an incredibly educational tasting going through all these different single vineyards from Ted Lemon and these are interesting, singular wines. As a whole, the 2015s shows slightly more oomph compared to the 2016s, yet both vintages have vibrant acidity and balanced profiles. As expected, quantities are slightly up in 2016.

A wine of density and breadth, the 2016 Pinot Noir Mays Canyon is laced with a host of dark, red/purplish fruit and savory overtones. Vertical in its feeling of structure, with beams of insistent tannin, the 2016 looks to be a wine that is going to need a good bit of time to come into its own. The 41% whole clusters add tons of layers and nuance. This was also the first fruit to come in.