2016 The Haven Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Pinot Noir The Haven Vineyard Estate is wonderfully lifted and aromatic, although it is a bit less giving on the palate. I would prefer to cellar it for at least a few years to see if a bit more depth emerges. Even today, though, in its somewhat reticent state, the Haven is very pretty. Hints of chalk, white pepper and citrus add energy to this finely sculpted Pinot.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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The red cherries and subtle, leafy complexity, sweet spices, fresh earth and then savory notes, lead to a suave, long palate. This is seductive pinot at its very best. Super elegant and rich. Plush and luxuriant with tannins that command so gently now, but will deliver in time. Sheer pinot perfection.
From vines planted in 2001 and a cooler site that’s the last to be harvested, the 2016 Pinot Noir The Haven Vineyard has a beautiful perfume of ripe strawberries, flowers, and Asian spices. It’s about as classic Sonoma Coast as it gets and has fine tannin, a light, silky texture, and a great finish. It’s certainly one of the more friendly, approachable wines in the lineup as well. This is another estate making a distinctly vibrant, fresh style of wine that’s going to appeal to the Burgundy lovers out there. It’s an incredibly educational tasting going through all these different single vineyards from Ted Lemon and these are interesting, singular wines. As a whole, the 2015s shows slightly more oomph compared to the 2016s, yet both vintages have vibrant acidity and balanced profiles. As expected, quantities are slightly up in 2016.
Floral and savory notes dominate in the 2016 Pinot Noir The Haven Vineyard Estate. Lifted and beautifully perfumed, as the 2016s tend to be, the Haven is shaping up to be a very pretty wine. Medium in body, with good structure and acidity, the Haven appears to have a very bright future. The Haven is another wine that was sulfured just prior to this tasting, and yet it shows very well.
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.