Littorai Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021

Littorai Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 

Region: Sonoma Coast, California, USA

Vintage: 2021

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape:  Chardonnay

ABV: 12.5%

On the nose, stone fruit, orange zest, lemon and pear are met by a hint of cedar. The flavours are concentrated on the palate, and the zippy acidity creates and endless finish to the wine.

Ted has a long-standing relationship with Charles, owner of the Charles Heintz Vineyard. The site was planted in 1983 and Ted has been sourcing fruit from the same seven rows since 1994. At 250 metres above sea level, it sits on a gently rolling plateau, slightly further inland than the Thieriot Vineyard. The vines are planted on Gold Ridge loam soils over Franciscan shale with a top layer of sandy loam, resulting in more tropical fruit aromatics.

In 1992, Ted and Heidi Lemon travelled the length of the west coast of the United States looking for the best sites to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They finally found their spot in the ‘true’ north coast of California, the littoral (coastal) zones of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. At the time this region was not known for premium viticulture. Still, Ted was convinced that the varied soils and moderate climate with cooling fog would provide the ideal environment to make elegant and site-specific expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Ted and Heidi have an incredible winemaking pedigree between them. Heidi honed her craft in the esteemed cellars of Domaine Chandon, Robert Pecota Winery, Robert Long Vineyards and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Meanwhile, Ted first studied winemaking at the University of Dijon in 1981, before carving out an impressive career in Burgundy. The estates he has worked for include Domaine Roulot, Domaine Georges Roumier, Domaine De Villaine and Domaine Dujac. When this duo decided to turn their attention jointly to California, it was inevitable that the results would be spectacular.

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