Littorai Wines

Heidi and Ted Lemon founded Littorai in 1993, releasing 150 cases each of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Ted brought rare Burgundian experience to California: he was the first American to serve as both winemaker and vineyard manager for a Burgundian estate, working at Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault. In 2003, the Lemons purchased a 12-hectare estate property in western Sonoma County, giving them direct control over their farming. Production has expanded steadily from that initial 300-case launch to a few thousand cases annually across roughly a dozen vineyard-designated wines.

• Founded 1993 with 300 total cases from two appellations
• Ted Lemon was the first American winemaker-vineyard manager at a Burgundian domaine
• Estate property acquired in 2003, situated in western Sonoma County
• Ted Lemon named to Wine & Spirits Magazine's '50 Most Influential Winemakers' list in 2004

Littorai operates with a strict minimal-intervention philosophy rooted in respect for site. Eighty-five percent of fruit is farmed using biodynamic methods, with the remainder grown organically. Estate vines are farmed biodynamically without fertilizers. Native fermentations are used exclusively, and no cultured additives enter the cellar. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, directly off their original lees, preserving textural detail and site character. Littorai was also a pioneer in structuring 'by-the-acre' contracts with growers, compensating them per acre rather than per ton, an arrangement that removes financial incentive for high yields and rewards quality-focused viticulture.

• 85% biodynamic farming; remainder organic
• Native fermentations only, no cultured yeasts or additives
• Wines bottled unfined and unfiltered off original lees
• By-the-acre contracts incentivize grower quality over quantity

Littorai sources fruit from Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley, two of California's most reliably cool-climate appellations. The estate property in western Sonoma County sits on Gold Ridge loam soils, a free-draining, low-fertility soil type associated with elegant, structured wines. Key named vineyard sites include B.A. Thieriot, The Haven, The Pivot, One Acre, The Return, Mays Canyon, Hirsch Vineyards, Savoy, and Wendling, each bottled as a separate vineyard-designated wine. The coastal mountain influence keeps growing temperatures low, producing grapes with naturally high acidity and concentrated aromatics.

• Sources from Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley (Mendocino County coastal mountains)
• Estate soils are Gold Ridge loam, known for low fertility and good drainage
• Roughly a dozen vineyard sites released as individual vineyard-designated wines
• Cool coastal climate preserves natural acidity and aromatic intensity

Littorai produces only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with nearly every wine tied to a single vineyard site apart from an appellation Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The focus is on terroir expression, finesse, balance, and length rather than weight or extraction. With total production held to a few thousand cases across roughly a dozen vineyard-designated wines, individual bottlings are produced in very small quantities. This scarcity, combined with the winery's Burgundian-influenced approach and biodynamic credentials, places Littorai among the most sought-after producers in California.

• Only two grapes produced: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Nearly every wine is vineyard-designated, apart from an appellation Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
• A few thousand cases total across roughly a dozen vineyard designations
• Style prioritizes finesse, balance, and length over richness or extraction