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UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Littorai Wines ~ A Tale of Two Coasts & Three Pinot Noir Styles

September 13, 2019 by Deborah Mines

LITTORAI (lit’tōr’ī): a plural derivative of the Latin world Litor, which means the coasts.

Just as enchanting as the winery’s namesake, is the bucolic setting of Ted and Heidi Lemon’s Littorai Wines nestled in the far reaches between Sebastopol and Freestone. Ted’s love of Burgundian-style wines began almost 40 years ago when he apprenticed at several famous Old World wine estates in France and studied enology at the Université de Bourgogne.  As an accomplished young winemaker, he was the first American hired to manage Domaine Guy Roulot in Mersault, France.  Fast forward to today, where Littorai’s single vineyard wines are internationally distributed in 14 countries and grace the wine lists of top restaurants nationwide.

This 30-acre farm is modeled on the 1920’s Philosopher/Scientist Rudolf Steiner’s vision of an integrated farm, combining a holistic, biodynamic approach to farming.  Over half of the property is dedicated as open rangeland for the resident grazing cows, sheep and chickens. Organic legumes, edible flowers and cereals are cultivated and composted, and eventually formulated into natural tea sprays for the vines. Bees and insects are welcomed as no pesticides or fertilizers are used at Littorai.

On three acres, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, is the estate’s only vineyard.   The remaining acreage is cloaked in Redwood trees and dotted with meandering streams and wildlife.  Grapes for Chardonnay and other single vineyard Pinot Noir are sourced from the coastal mountains of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, hence the name Littorai.

What makes a Littorai Pinot Noir from one coast different from the other?  In short, a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir tends to have a more tannic structure, with spice tones (peppers, savory, sage, marjoram) while the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is associated with lush fruit, blackberry, raspberry and plum.  Yet, the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir combines the best of the tannins from the Sonoma Coast and the darker fruits of the Russian River Valley.

Keeping with the “green building” theme,  Littorai’s winery is constructed of hay bale walls, which provide consistent insulation and temperature control in the cellar.  Solar panels minimize the electric costs, and all excess water used in the winemaking process is recycled back into the vineyard.  The winery is also designed for wine movement via gravity flow, to avoid the use of pumps.

Vineyard tours and tastings are by appointment only, and well worth the inside look at how biodynamic farming produces some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley.  www.littorai.com

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Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Anderson Valley, Biodynamic farming, Burgundian-style, Chardonnay, Mendocino, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sebastopol, Sonoma Coast, Wine Tasting

Kistler Vineyards Is A Wondrous Showcase For Chardonnay Lovers!

September 27, 2017 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

Kistler Vineyards‘ stately old farmhouse, aka the Trenton Roadhouse, sits high above the winding Trenton-Healdsburg Road in sleepy Forestville, just north of Sebastopol in Russian River Valley.  Unless you’re intently looking for the sign, it’s easy to miss the hidden gated entrance, thinking it is just another beautiful historic home nestled in the vineyards. With enough planning and a little good fortune, you may be able to reserve a seated wine tasting invitation and slip back in time as you gaze over the vineyards from a rocking chair on the old covered porch.

Founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler, winemaker and vineyard manager, the small family owned winery is now producing upwards of 35,000 cases of handcrafted Burgundian-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  As is traditional in Burgundy, France, Kistler Vineyards produces all of the wines using native yeasts.  There are 10 single vineyard Chardonnays, derived from the Wente clone.   The Chardonnay is unfined and unfiltered and gracefully aged sur lie in French oak barrels for 11-18 months before bottling.  The Pinot Noir, too, is a single vineyard designate and is also unfined and unfiltered.  The unctuous free run juice is barrel aged in French oak from 14 to 18 months before bottling.

Kistler‘s Trenton Roadhouse property is absolutely stunning from any vantage point.  Hosted tastings are either held in the glass-walled sun porch room overlooking the vineyards in the off-season or held down below in the vintage barn and surrounding patios in the warmer months.  As luck would have it, in the middle of the fall harvest, right before a huge rain storm,  I had the entire wine tasting experience all to myself, thanks to my wine friend and hostess, Ashley Bender.   [Read more…]

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Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Burgundian-style, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Wente clone, Wine Tasting

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To many, I’m simply known as a wanderlust ~ a free-spirited adventuress with a passion for travel and a lover of great wines!Read more...

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