2022 Littorai Pinot Noir Mays Canyon
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Tasting notes
The 2022 Pinot Noir Mays Canyon is ruby red and bright with notes of wild herbs, sweet fruit, and good spice. Approachable and spicy, it has a stemmy texture and a long feel, but it’s so well-balanced. Drink over the next 15 years. The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary for Littorai. Heidi and Ted Lemon operate Littorai from their Gold Ridge Estate in Sebastapol, where they produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from exceptional cool-climate vineyard sites on the Sonoma Coast and in Anderson Valley. Ted is, hands down, one of Sonoma's most important farmers and winemakers today. Though they farm biodynamically, they prefer to describe their practices in the vineyards as “generative farming,” a term intended to include the human relationship to the stewardship and shaping of the land as part of modern nature and integrated farming. In the winery, all the wines undergo spontaneous fermentations, with the reds going through two to three weeks of fermentation, and although Ted is not dogmatic in his approach, each of the wines is raised similarly. All of the wines for this report were tasted at the estate.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Pinot Noir Mays Canyon has pure aromas of raspberry, blood orange, hibiscus, tea leaves and woodsy notes reminiscent of a redwood forest. The medium-bodied palate has a silky texture and is bursting with layers of red berry and citrus. Its layered flavors are balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, latent finish. It will benefit from some time in a decanter. Just 60 cases were made.
The 2022 Pinot Noir Mays Canyon opens with deep, resonant aromatics. Black cherry, sage, menthol, rose petal, tobacco and incense lend notable depth. Medium in body but also a bit reticent, the 2022 is going to need a few years to come into its own. Today, it is slightly brooding and not quite as inviting as some of the other Pinots.
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.