2014 Cerise Vineyard Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
Pouring a bright transparent red color, the 2014 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard boasts a lifted alpine character, with minty fresh herbs, pomegranate, dusty earth, and orange pith. Medium-bodied, it has a lean to medium-bodied texture, with fine tannins and a slightly more modest finish. It’s appealing now and, for my taste, will likely show its best over the next 8-10 years. Located in the Anderson Valley, in the northeast mountains above Boonville at 800-1100 feet elevation, the vines of the Cerise Vineyard were planted in 1998. The 2023 vintage marks the 30-year milestone for the Littorai family estate, and this tasting covers 21 wines from 1993 through 2023. Except for the 1993 Pinot Noir One Acre, all of the wines for this retrospective were tasted at the end of May in New York at Union Square Cafe. Readers can find the complete range of current releases in my regional report on Sonoma.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard is delicate, nuanced and understated. Even so, there is plenty of underlying grip. Rose petal, cranberry, chalk and white pepper add aromatic intensity in the upper register, while the tannins give the wine its vibrancy and energy. Even with all of its obvious appeal, the 2014 is tightly wound and in need of cellaring.
Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2014 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard has a lovely earth-dominated nose with notes of tar, black soil, underbrush and fungi over a core of mulberries, black berries and black cherries plus a hint of anise. Light to medium-bodied, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and uplifting acidity supporting the muscular, earthy flavors, finishing chewy. 550 cases were made.
The 2014 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard is one of the more delicate wines in the range. Sweet floral and spice notes meld into a core of red-toned fruits as the wine builds to its persistent finish. This deceptively understated Pinot is super-expressive today, despite its recent racking into tank in preparation for imminent bottling.
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.