The story of Ted Lemon – founder and winemaker of Littorai – is absolutely unique. After studying viticulture, he became, at just 25 years old, the first American ever to be the chef de cave of a Burgundy domaine. And not just anywhere, but at the legendary Domaine Roulot in Meursault.

He then worked with the assembled elite of Burgundy, including: Dujac, Roumier, and Bruno Clair. This was between the 1970s and 1990s. Then Ted Lemon returned to his homeland, where in 1993 he founded Littorai in Sonoma together with his wife. Of course, his thinking and actions have been deeply influenced by his Burgundy school. The focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, contrary to the American approach with parcel-specific single vineyard bottlings. He is a fanatic supporter of the European terroir concept and does not believe in the American branding model. Accordingly, he has applied his know-how about soils and sites from Burgundy to California's cooler coastal region, selecting only the very best vineyards for years and planting them with the best Burgundy grape selections. Unlike the completely motionless delineated Burgundy, it is still possible here to discover and cultivate countless unexploited site treasures.

Already in the 1990s, it was almost impossible to access good sites as a newcomer in the Côte d’Or. This was one of the reasons for his return to the USA. Here he could take advantage of a seemingly unlimited variety of terroirs. He predominantly chose steep sites in cool climate environments, which naturally allow for low yields and only marginal ripeness, just like in Burgundy. He found success in the cooler coastal regions of the Sonoma Coast and the emerging Anderson Valley.

Another cornerstone of Littorai's production, alongside the terroir concept, is biodynamics. There is hardly a more fanatic biodynamic practitioner in the USA than Ted Lemon. In 2003, a estate building with an attached farm was constructed to fully implement the biodynamic concept of a closed production cycle. Animals are kept for their own fertilizer and to graze the weeds. The biodynamic preparations are made from herbs grown on-site. With his concept of cultivation, which is quite unusual for California, based on uncompromising terroir and biodynamic philosophy, Ted has been and is one of the most influential winemakers in the USA and a highly sought-after consultant.

His wines are always characterized by Burgundian finesse and elegance. They represent clarity, focus, precision, and above all, transparency in site typicity. They are not typical representatives of the classic style here, but pioneers of the New California, meaning freshness and cool elegance from the steep sites with maritime influence and marginal ripening conditions. Nevertheless, we naturally have the rich, seductive fruit and the velvety phenolic ripeness that can only be achieved in California. All Pinots undergo cold maceration, and everything is completely spontaneously fermented. After aging, it is bottled unrefined and unfiltered directly from the lees. Purity and clarity are at the forefront. Even Robert Parker praises the wines in the highest terms: "All of Littorai's bottlings are detailed, reductive, elegant representatives that are undoubtedly the result of his Burgundian winemaking experiences at Domaine Roulot." There is not much more to add to that. Except perhaps an encouragement to try these wines – without reservations towards wines from California – and to convince oneself of the cool, unique elegance. They are among the finest Pinot Noirs in the USA and regularly receive ratings on the level of the very best Burgundies.