2016 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard is the most savory of the first three Pinots in this tasting. Dried herbs, leather, tobacco and incense build nicely, buffered by brisk acids that confer freshness. Saline notes reappear to punctuate the finish. Whole clusters are 20%, the lowest of the Littorai Pinots in 2016. At nearly ten years of age, the 2016 remains quite vibrant. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Pinot Noir Roman Vineyard is a wine of pure and total seduction. Sweet, perfumed aromatics meld into a core of silky fruit in a pliant, super-expressive Pinot that is gorgeous. Succulent red cherry, plum, lavender, rose petal and spice infuse a supple, inviting Pinot loaded with character. Although the Roman has plenty of supporting structure, it will also drink well with minimal cellaring. (AG)
There’s a floral, rose-like layer to the nose here with a wealth of spicy, earthy nuances. The palate has a powerful core, darker cherries and assertive tannins. This is muscular and needs time. Try around 2022.
Delicious, earthy, complex and spicy nuances with game and a very striking, black-cherry and gently arboreal edge to the fruit. The palate has expressive, vibrant and succulent, deeply layered, ripe cherries and plums. Packed with flavor, long, majestic tannins and an effortlessly powerful, long, fruit-soaked finish. Such concentration here.
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.