WTN Littorai "Savoy Vineyard" 1999

[tcizma]

I wish I had been taking notes last night while I was drinking this because now, well, it's a little fuzzy.

Actually, this bottle was drunk by mistake. I had intended to open a bottle of Littorai from another vineyard site, for comparison against a pinot noir from a different winemaker sourcing the grapes from the same vineyard ( Siduri,Hirsch ).

Oh well, good mistake. This wine is a glorious example of terroir driven pinot. Now I don't want to start that discussion all over again, but what I mean is , it tastes like like what I imagine that vineyard soil must taste of

Earthy, rich, slightly funky in a god way. The barest hint of maritime influence and herbal notes that evoke the indigenous lavender and thyme that I know grow there.

The bottle was slightly cold when we started, but after 40 minutes or so, the combination of atmosphere and temperature had combined to open this up beautifully. Jolly Rancher cherry under layers of swirling perfumes, right back in the corners of your jaw.

My friend calls this a "deep and meaningful expression of pinot noir"