2022 Littorai Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
| Drink window | 2025 - 2035 |
In stock
10 items available
Description
The Littorai 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard is a beautiful expression of cool-climate Pinot Noir, originating from the renowned Sonoma Coast region. The wine comes from The Pivot Vineyard, a vineyard planted in 2004, which has since established itself as a top terroir for expressive and refined Pinot Noir.
When poured, this wine opens with deep and seductive aromas of blackberry and red cherry, beautifully complemented by savoury notes of charcuterie, dried oolong tea leaves and perfumed lavender. The combination of fruit, spice and floral elegance makes this an exceptionally complex and intriguing Pinot Noir.
On the palate, this Pinot Noir reveals a light yet intensely concentrated profile, with a silky yet structured texture. The flavours unfold with a broad and layered complexity, with the juicy fruit notes perfectly balanced by the chalky tannins and lively acidity. The wine has a pronounced precision and elegance, with a long and nuanced finish that continues to reveal new dimensions.
The Sonoma Coast is known for its cool maritime influences, which provide a long aging period and refined aromas. The Pivot Vineyard benefits from these climatic conditions, delivering grapes with intense flavor concentration and fresh acidity. Littorai's vinification focuses on minimal intervention, allowing the purity of the terroir and the grape to remain central.
This elegant, complex Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with: Duck with cranberry sauce or fig chutney, Grilled salmon with wild mushrooms, Pasta with truffle and Parmesan, Mature cheeses such as Époisses or a fine Comté
With only 552 cases produced, Littorai 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard is an exclusive and rare wine that embodies the essence of premium California Pinot Noir. This wine is a must-have for connoisseurs and collectors seeking subtlety, elegance and terroir expression.
FACT: The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will also receive a nice discount. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | Littorai |
| Grape | Pinot Noir |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2035 |
| Alcohol % | 13.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 94 |
| James Suckling rating | 97 |
| Vinous rating | 95 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Mineraal, Rood fruit, Soepel, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2025 - 2035
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard, from vines planted in 2004, has deep aromas of blackberries, red cherries, charcuterie, oolong tea leaves and lavender. The light-bodied palate features concentrated, expansive flavors. It has a chiseled frame of chalky tannins and focused acidity and finishes with notable nuance. 552 cases were made.
Published: Mar 29, 2024
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
97
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 107
Littorai Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast The Pivot Vineyard 2022
Wednesday, Jun 12, 2024
Color
Red
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2022
Aromas of peat, dried strawberries and cherries with hints of orange peel. iron and terra cotta. Medium- to full-bodied with firm and linear tannins that have a firmness and freshness at the end. Gorgeous purity to this. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
95
Drinking Window
2025 - 2032
From: Update - Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract (Jan 2025)
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard is such a classy wine. Silky and aromatic, with striking fruit purity, the 2022 is seriously impressive. Crushed red berries, chalk, mint, white pepper and slate lend notable brilliance throughout. The sculpted style is so appealing.
- By Antonio Galloni on January 2025
My annual tasting at Littorai is always one of the highlights of the year because the wines encompass so many top vineyards in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. Explorations of site. That’s what this range is all about.
Cold, foggy weather was a constant in the early part of 2023. Conditions were much more favorable in Anderson Valley, where growing degree days outpaced those of Sonoma through late May. “Between the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley, we had the most radically different start to the year as I have ever seen,” Ted Lemon noted. “It was the exact opposite of 2022.”
July saw high temperatures that were problematic in some spots, notably Savoy, where Lemon dropped a significant amount of the crop because of sunburn. Cluster sizing continued throughout August and September, leading to fruit being dropped as late as mid-September. The Pinots were picked starting on September 20 with Mays Canyon and Richardson Ranch. All the other Pinots were harvested in October, with two picks on November 1. For Chardonnay, harvest ran from October 10 to 25, almost a month later than 2022. The Pinots were vinified with a fair proportion of whole clusters. I tasted all the 2023s from tank, except for the Charles Heintz Chardonnay (which was still fermenting). Lemon opted to bottle a handful of Pinots early because of their softness. Those wines are reviewed from bottle.
There aren’t a lot of surprises with the bottled 2022s. The whites are soft and open-knit, as they were last year, while the Pinots are every bit as exciting as they were when I tasted them from barrel. Stem inclusion is in the 20% range for most Pinots, a bit less than in 2023. Stylistically, the 2022 are quite supple, while the 2023s are more delineated.
(93-96)
Drinking Window
2026 - 2044
From: 2022 Sonoma: A First Look (Jan 2024)
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard, from the Littorai Estate Vineyard in Sebastopol, is an intensely mineral wine. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, orange peel, spice and dried flowers abound. Readers should expect a linear, saline-driven Pinot that will need a few years to unwind.
- By Antonio Galloni on January 2024
My tasting this year with Ted Lemon opened with a stunning set of 2022 Pinots that immediately made clear what was possible in this vintage. The 2022s are deep, layered and wonderfully vibrant, with fewer of the extremes that marked some of the 2021s. I was blown away by the purity of the fruit in these wines. I tasted all the 2022 Pinots from barrel, prior to any racking, about a month prior to bottling, always a great time to taste the new vintage as the wines are in such an expressive state. Readers will want to pay special attention to the Richardson Ranch Pinot, a new bottling from a young site in Annapolis that is quite promising. Most of the 2022 Pinots saw some stem inclusion, 20-33% in most cases (the Thieriot saw none), although whole cluster influence is not especially strong, at least at this stage in the wines’ evolution.
The 2022 Chardonnays come across as a bit light in body, but those wines have been racked to tank and are, therefore, harder to assess at this stage.
“I am pretty sure 2022 saw the coldest, driest spring since 1999,” Lemon explained. “We had tiny, bonsai-like vines because there was not enough nutrient uptake. We did have good rains between April 11 and 23, though. Flowering was uneven, with a lot of shot berries. Summer was mostly cool. At The Haven we only had two days above 90 until September 1. For us, for where we were, the heat was too late and too brief to affect things. Generally, we had more water, and canopies were healthier, whereas, in 2021, we simply ran out of water in many sites. Vineyards that were used to water really struggled in 2021.”
Speaking of the 2021s, I also had a chance to revisit the entire range from bottle. The Pinots are just as exciting as they were from barrel, while the Chardonnays confirm the strength and consistency of the year.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
After his adventures in Burgundy, owner Ted Lemon decided to go back to the United States and, in his own words, "wander around" looking for a suitable location for chardonnay and pinot noir. In 1993 he decided to go for it. Without the resources to immediately purchase a vineyard, this 'American dream' took a different turn. Not vineyards, but grapes - he bought them from several wineries in Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast and made the wines at Robert Pecota in Calistoga in the north Napa Valley. Now, more than twenty years later, Ted and Heidi own about 7 hectares of vineyards and have long-term contracts with farmers for an additional 11 hectares of vines. Ted has been working on biodynamics since the early 2000s. The Littorai vineyards are not certified, but they work according to this philosophy. Littorai's wines are among the best in California. Ted Lemon makes pinot noir and chardonnay from single vineyards. Elegance, juiciness and concentration are key words in his cuvées. Wines with exceptional aging potential.
The Littorai 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard is a beautiful expression of cool-climate Pinot Noir, originating from the renowned Sonoma Coast region. The wine comes from The Pivot Vineyard, a vineyard planted in 2004, which has since established itself as a top terroir for expressive and refined Pinot Noir.
When poured, this wine opens with deep and seductive aromas of blackberry and red cherry, beautifully complemented by savoury notes of charcuterie, dried oolong tea leaves and perfumed lavender. The combination of fruit, spice and floral elegance makes this an exceptionally complex and intriguing Pinot Noir.
On the palate, this Pinot Noir reveals a light yet intensely concentrated profile, with a silky yet structured texture. The flavours unfold with a broad and layered complexity, with the juicy fruit notes perfectly balanced by the chalky tannins and lively acidity. The wine has a pronounced precision and elegance, with a long and nuanced finish that continues to reveal new dimensions.
The Sonoma Coast is known for its cool maritime influences, which provide a long aging period and refined aromas. The Pivot Vineyard benefits from these climatic conditions, delivering grapes with intense flavor concentration and fresh acidity. Littorai's vinification focuses on minimal intervention, allowing the purity of the terroir and the grape to remain central.
This elegant, complex Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with: Duck with cranberry sauce or fig chutney, Grilled salmon with wild mushrooms, Pasta with truffle and Parmesan, Mature cheeses such as Époisses or a fine Comté
With only 552 cases produced, Littorai 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard is an exclusive and rare wine that embodies the essence of premium California Pinot Noir. This wine is a must-have for connoisseurs and collectors seeking subtlety, elegance and terroir expression.
FACT: The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will also receive a nice discount. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | Littorai |
| Grape | Pinot Noir |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2035 |
| Alcohol % | 13.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 94 |
| James Suckling rating | 97 |
| Vinous rating | 95 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Fruitig, Houtgerijpt, Mineraal, Rood fruit, Soepel, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2025 - 2035
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard, from vines planted in 2004, has deep aromas of blackberries, red cherries, charcuterie, oolong tea leaves and lavender. The light-bodied palate features concentrated, expansive flavors. It has a chiseled frame of chalky tannins and focused acidity and finishes with notable nuance. 552 cases were made.
Published: Mar 29, 2024
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
97
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 107
Littorai Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast The Pivot Vineyard 2022
Wednesday, Jun 12, 2024
Color
Red
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2022
Aromas of peat, dried strawberries and cherries with hints of orange peel. iron and terra cotta. Medium- to full-bodied with firm and linear tannins that have a firmness and freshness at the end. Gorgeous purity to this. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
95
Drinking Window
2025 - 2032
From: Update - Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract (Jan 2025)
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard is such a classy wine. Silky and aromatic, with striking fruit purity, the 2022 is seriously impressive. Crushed red berries, chalk, mint, white pepper and slate lend notable brilliance throughout. The sculpted style is so appealing.
- By Antonio Galloni on January 2025
My annual tasting at Littorai is always one of the highlights of the year because the wines encompass so many top vineyards in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. Explorations of site. That’s what this range is all about.
Cold, foggy weather was a constant in the early part of 2023. Conditions were much more favorable in Anderson Valley, where growing degree days outpaced those of Sonoma through late May. “Between the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley, we had the most radically different start to the year as I have ever seen,” Ted Lemon noted. “It was the exact opposite of 2022.”
July saw high temperatures that were problematic in some spots, notably Savoy, where Lemon dropped a significant amount of the crop because of sunburn. Cluster sizing continued throughout August and September, leading to fruit being dropped as late as mid-September. The Pinots were picked starting on September 20 with Mays Canyon and Richardson Ranch. All the other Pinots were harvested in October, with two picks on November 1. For Chardonnay, harvest ran from October 10 to 25, almost a month later than 2022. The Pinots were vinified with a fair proportion of whole clusters. I tasted all the 2023s from tank, except for the Charles Heintz Chardonnay (which was still fermenting). Lemon opted to bottle a handful of Pinots early because of their softness. Those wines are reviewed from bottle.
There aren’t a lot of surprises with the bottled 2022s. The whites are soft and open-knit, as they were last year, while the Pinots are every bit as exciting as they were when I tasted them from barrel. Stem inclusion is in the 20% range for most Pinots, a bit less than in 2023. Stylistically, the 2022 are quite supple, while the 2023s are more delineated.
(93-96)
Drinking Window
2026 - 2044
From: 2022 Sonoma: A First Look (Jan 2024)
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard, from the Littorai Estate Vineyard in Sebastopol, is an intensely mineral wine. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper, orange peel, spice and dried flowers abound. Readers should expect a linear, saline-driven Pinot that will need a few years to unwind.
- By Antonio Galloni on January 2024
My tasting this year with Ted Lemon opened with a stunning set of 2022 Pinots that immediately made clear what was possible in this vintage. The 2022s are deep, layered and wonderfully vibrant, with fewer of the extremes that marked some of the 2021s. I was blown away by the purity of the fruit in these wines. I tasted all the 2022 Pinots from barrel, prior to any racking, about a month prior to bottling, always a great time to taste the new vintage as the wines are in such an expressive state. Readers will want to pay special attention to the Richardson Ranch Pinot, a new bottling from a young site in Annapolis that is quite promising. Most of the 2022 Pinots saw some stem inclusion, 20-33% in most cases (the Thieriot saw none), although whole cluster influence is not especially strong, at least at this stage in the wines’ evolution.
The 2022 Chardonnays come across as a bit light in body, but those wines have been racked to tank and are, therefore, harder to assess at this stage.
“I am pretty sure 2022 saw the coldest, driest spring since 1999,” Lemon explained. “We had tiny, bonsai-like vines because there was not enough nutrient uptake. We did have good rains between April 11 and 23, though. Flowering was uneven, with a lot of shot berries. Summer was mostly cool. At The Haven we only had two days above 90 until September 1. For us, for where we were, the heat was too late and too brief to affect things. Generally, we had more water, and canopies were healthier, whereas, in 2021, we simply ran out of water in many sites. Vineyards that were used to water really struggled in 2021.”
Speaking of the 2021s, I also had a chance to revisit the entire range from bottle. The Pinots are just as exciting as they were from barrel, while the Chardonnays confirm the strength and consistency of the year.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
After his adventures in Burgundy, owner Ted Lemon decided to go back to the United States and, in his own words, "wander around" looking for a suitable location for chardonnay and pinot noir. In 1993 he decided to go for it. Without the resources to immediately purchase a vineyard, this 'American dream' took a different turn. Not vineyards, but grapes - he bought them from several wineries in Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast and made the wines at Robert Pecota in Calistoga in the north Napa Valley. Now, more than twenty years later, Ted and Heidi own about 7 hectares of vineyards and have long-term contracts with farmers for an additional 11 hectares of vines. Ted has been working on biodynamics since the early 2000s. The Littorai vineyards are not certified, but they work according to this philosophy. Littorai's wines are among the best in California. Ted Lemon makes pinot noir and chardonnay from single vineyards. Elegance, juiciness and concentration are key words in his cuvées. Wines with exceptional aging potential.