2011 Pivot Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard is intriguing to taste after the Platt, as it was planted at the same time with essentially the same clones and rootstock but sits at higher elevation, and is located in the Sebastopol area, while Platt is closer to the ocean. Intriguing and beguiling to the core, the 2012 Pivot is laced with sweet tobacco, floral/savory notes and spices, all of which add nuance and layers of complexity to the dark fruit. This is another soft, lifted Pinot that is probably best enjoyed over the medium term. Today, the 2011 is not quite as impressive as it was from barrel. It will be interesting to see what time brings.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Littorai's 2011 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard boasts striking inner perfume and sweetness to back up a solid yet refined core of fruit. A burst of Chambolle-like sweetness punctuates the finish. In 2011, the Pivot was made with 10% whole clusters, on the low side for Littorai. I am not sure I own the vocabulary to describe just how beautiful the Pivot is in 2011.
(vinified with 25% whole clusters): Good dark red. Aromas of crushed raspberry, black cherry and tree bark. At once supple and bright, with a fine-grained texture to its flavors of black tea and underbrush. Suave and light on its feet, finishing with a spicy quality and lovely subtle persistence. This has just 13% alcohol.
Littorai’s 2011 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard boasts striking inner perfume and sweetness to back up a solid yet refined core of fruit. A burst of Chambolle-like sweetness punctuates the finish. In 2011, the Pivot was made with 10% whole clusters, on the low side for Littorai. I am not sure I own the vocabulary to describe just how beautiful the Pivot is in 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2023. 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
About the producer
Littorai stands as one of California’s most quietly influential estates, defined by organic and biodynamic farming, site transparency, and a restrained, Burgundian sensibility.