2010 Chardonnay Mays Canyon

A rich, implosive wine, the 2010 Chardonnay Mays Canyon stands out for its power and sheer density, qualities that are a bit atypical for the Littorai Chardonnays. Here the fruit is deep but also quite closed in on itself. I imagine the Mays Canyon will require at least another year in bottle. At times, the broad shoulders and overall impression of structure are closer to those of a top-flight red! This is another wine with considerable appeal. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020. There is no doubt in my mind Littorai is one of this country’s crown jewel wineries. Proprietor Ted Lemon has the magic touch with both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Readers will find a large number of fabulous wines in both 2010 and 2011. Simply put, this is a superb set of new and upcoming releases from a California icon. The 2010s are a product of a generally cold year marked by significant disease pressure during the middle of the growing season and two significant heat spikes that followed in late August and September. Ted Lemon told me the Chardonnay was more affected by sunburn than the Pinot and required considerable sorting. The vintage was not without its challenges for the Pinot, however, as the One Acre and Platt were declassified to the Les Larmes and Sonoma Coast bottlings respectively, neither of which I tasted. The harvest was a little late for the Pinot, but very late for the Chardonnay. Littorai’s 2011s are some of the most intriguing wines of that difficult year. The Chardonnays are unique and compelling, largely because the presence of botrytis gives the wines an element of exoticism and texture that is atypical. The Pinots are wonderfully transparent expressions of some of the top sites in the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley. Lemon adds that, while he is typically among the first to pick, in 2011 he was among the last, as the fruit took a very long time to ripen under the cool conditions of the year. In 2011, the percentage of whole clusters in the Pinot is lower across the board than in 2010. As always, the Littorai wines are farmed naturally, vinified with natural yeasts, see minimal handling and are generally bottled without fining and filtration. Tel. (707) 823-9586

Pale yellow-straw color. Sexy, leesy aromas of pineapple, lime, quince and gravel are lifted by notes of orange and lavender. Tight, dry and quite uncompromising; less flamboyant than the Charles Heintz bottling, showing a strong lemon and lime character some unabsorbed CO2. Finishes with a dusty, saline quality and moderate length. I wanted a bit more fruit. The yield here was an infinitesimal 0.8 tons per acre due to botrytis and rain, according to Ted Lemon.

The 2010 Chardonnay Mays Canyon boasts incredible richness, power and concentration, all with remarkable polish. In 2010 the Mays Canyon is a big, broad-shouldered wine bursting with crushed rocks, grapefruit and slate. Today the Mays Canyon come across as a bit rustic, but if it softens it will merit a higher score. The wine's length and concentration makes me think the future is bright.