Littorai, Charles Heintz Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Littorai 30th Anniversary Dinner - Los Angeles (Marea) : Part of the first flight and served alongside a 2011 Mays Canyon Chardonnay, this Heintz was absolutely stunning. There is still very dense fruit and beautiful acidity that refreshes the palate on every sip. Slightly more acid driven than the Mays, with lemon zest and white flowers on the palate. Despite the age of both of these Chardonnays - they were both still a pale straw yellow - no signs of …

2013 vintage

Light golden color; nose of tropical and citrus fruits. Lovely balance on the palate with a more Chablis like finish. This might develop more complexity with age, especially in this format (1.5L).

2013 vintage

Last bottle. At 10 years this one is still going strong. Cork was in excellent condition. We had with seared scallops and didn't disappoint. My previous note from 2021 and still inline: Consistent with previous notes. Still going strong at 8 years. Had with Sushi this time around.... Earlier note:Lemon, pear, and light brioche on the nose. Good balance with medium acidity. Oak has integrated very well. Wine is in a really good spot and can easily age another 3-5 …

2013 vintage

I prefer drinking at a younger stage.

2013 vintage

Dinner with Herwig (Heirloom Cafe, SF) : Golden pear, kiwi, lychee, high intensity aromatics, some floral; palate is full bodied, richly textured, medium-plus acidity, a bit short through the midpalate, white fruited; finish is medium length. Good but lacking the depth in the palate. Aromatics are phenomenal. 90

2013 vintage

PnP. Cork wet about 1/4 up. Medium gold. Complex nose dominated by tropical fruits, marzipan, some butter. On the palate more citrus flavors but with a lovely roundness/viscosity to it. Perhaps not as good as the last bottle but still a wonderful rendition of Chardonnay.

2013 vintage

Bursts from the glass with sweet apple and peach fruit with spice and mineral. Rich and voluptuous fruit awash with fresh acidity. Drinking splendidly and hitting all the right notes.

2013 vintage

Consistent with previous notes. Still going strong at 8 years. Had with Sushi this time around.... Earlier note:Lemon, pear, and light brioche on the nose. Good balance with medium acidity. Oak has integrated very well. Wine is in a really good spot and can easily age another 3-5 years. Served with a Chicken Dijon dish.

2013 vintage

On the nose—pickling juice, lemon, tropical notes, cantaloupe, pear. On the mouth—buttery, sharp acidity with a long finish. The acidity does mellow out over time. Paired with roast chicken and carrots/potatoes. It didn’t enhance the wine nor was this a bad pairing. It’s a big bold wine that’s not very balanced and for the price, I wouldn’t purchase it again. 89

2013 vintage

We had the last of this bottle a few days after it was opened. I found it better on day 3. Full lemony Heintz fruit with the acid still in balance. Really nice wine.

2013 vintage

PnP. Medium light greenish gold. Lovely nose of tropical fruits balanced with some citrus and marzipan. Heintz often has this exotic quality. On the palate this is gorgeous - Medium body, rich fruit and marzipan, citrus and acid on the finish which lasts for at least 30 seconds. A superb showing at age 8 for my favorite Littorai vineyard.

2013 vintage

Another great bottle. Well balanced, delicious Heintz fruit with some acid zip.

2013 vintage

Paired with ahi tuna and Caesar salad. Really nice, corners have started to round out. Not sure this will get better, but plenty of time to drink.

2013 vintage

Outstanding Littorai Chardonnay. Very balanced, still showing good acidity 8 years on. Excellent food wine, great with sautéed Salmon with pine nuts and truffle butter.

2013 vintage

At Longhi's Wailea for Thanksgiving dinner. Had a 1987 Drouhin Le Montrachet on the wine list for a fantastic price, but significant ullage and brownish tint made it too high a risk. This was the sommelier's alternate recommendation. Really enjoyable, balanced, subtle. Touch of oak and butter, but not overwhelming, lemon and stone fruit also present and fresh. Drinking perfectly, and enjoyed with my favorite people in the world - Eileen and Julia also really liked! Many thanks for a …

2013 vintage

Lemon, pear, and light brioche on the nose. Good balance with medium acidity. Oak has integrated very well. Wine is in a really good spot and can easily age another 3-5 years. Served with a Chicken Dijon dish.

2013 vintage

Apples, vanilla, white flowers, wood, and a hint of citrus on the nose. Medium- acidity with vanilla, butter, orange, and ripe apple flavors on the palate. Medium finish. I usually love Littorai Chardonnays, but this is a disappointment. Way too much oak and lacks acidity. A well made wine, yet indistinguishable from all the other well made oaky CA Chardonnays. Not what I expect from Littorai. It did get better over time, though.

2013 vintage

This was one of the best Chardonnay wines that I have had in a long time!

2013 vintage

A very nice bottle/ drinking experience. I failed to post notes when I last drank this vintage - at least a year ago - but I remember I found it unremarkable. This time, a completely different animal. Perhaps the wine was in dumb/ sleep mode; now it has awakened. The flavor profile is a balance of new and old world - the best of both. The richness of California chardonnay - without the fat, and with only trace vanilla/ wood …

2013 vintage

Edged out Amici in the fact that this one is very bright and acidic from the top and keeps on developing. Bright, bright front of lemon and limestone. Middle is dense and almost has a tangerine, lemon, pineapple kind of line to it. Finish was less expressive and while the 14 Amici is weighted to the back, this is weighted to the front. This will continue to develop over the next 3 to 5 years.

2013 vintage

Opened and poured a glass, let stand an hour. Light lemon oak and vanilla on the nose, nicely rich palate with good balance and tartness, but lacking complexity. Somewhat disappointing.

2013 vintage

The bottle tonight was outstanding. Opened and let breathe for about 30 minutes. Drank over the next 2 hours. Everything in the right place. Depth and balance are really good. This should easily hold up for another 5-10 years.

2013 vintage

Corked. My first corked Littorai bottle.

2013 vintage

Lemon rind, pear, and light brioche on the nose. Rich taste of pear nectar and lemon creme, moderately sweet and well balanced by acidity with a moderate touch of oak. Lengthy finish with wet gravel and lemon oil. Delicious now, but can still age a few years longer. I think this would pair well with baked chicken, rubbed with lemon, with rosemary and garlic under the skin. I hope that will be the fate of my next bottle ... Or …

2013 vintage

Great color, minerality, and acid profile. Get lots of lemon and citrus on the taste and maybe a touch too creamy. Just a great producer.

2013 vintage

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Littorai, Charles Heintz Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

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