Wine of the week: snap up this soon-to-be legendary Californian pinot
This is the most beautifully thought through, carefully judged, respectfully oaked and finely tuned red wine.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
2018 Littorai, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California
£470 in bond for six bottles, rennaisancevintners.com; £380 in bond for six bottles, Wimbledon Wine Cellar 020-8540 9979
The topic of top-end Californian pinot noir might seem a little esoteric, but I cannot get through this week without flagging up this wine for you because I know that there are super-nerd fans out there, and they will go gaga for this wine. The 2018 The Pivot is the finest American pinot noir I have ever tasted.
Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today
Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Made by Ted and Heidi Lemon from a 2.8-acre biodynamic vineyard, this is the most beautifully thought through, carefully judged, respectfully oaked and finely tuned red wine, and it manages to add a whisper of whole-bunch detail (37%), too – Ted and Heidi adding ravishing “seasoning” to their pristine fruit with consummate accuracy. I was so taken by this wine after first encountering it, I immediately bought three bottles and opened them for a series of my most forensic wine pals to enjoy. It passed every analysis with flying colours, accompanied by oohs and aahs.
I then poured it at a corporate event and a further 25 wine lovers fell at its feet. Please do look up Littorai and learn more about the Lemons and their talents because they are a fascinating pair. This wine has yet to secure a wine-shop listing, but two merchants have put their hand up with rather differing prices! My advice is to get in quickly because only 515 cases were made of this soon-to-be legendary wine.
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.
He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.
Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.
-
What do rising oil prices mean for you?As conflict in the Middle East sparks an increase in the price of oil, will you see petrol and energy bills go up?
-
Rachel Reeves's Spring Statement – live analysis and commentaryChancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her Spring Statement today (3 March). What can we expect in the speech?
-
Review: Pierre & Vacances – affordable luxury in iconic FlaineSnow-sure and steeped in rich architectural heritage, Flaine is a unique ski resort which offers something for all of the family.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with minstrels’ galleriesThe best properties for sale with minstrels’ galleries – from a 15th-century house in Kent, to a four-storey house in Hampstead, comprising part of a converted, Grade II-listed former library
-
The rare books which are selling for thousandsRare books have been given a boost by the film Wuthering Heights. So how much are they really selling for?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with beautiful kitchensThe best properties for sale with beautiful kitchens – from a Modernist house moments from the River Thames in Chiswick, to a 19th-century Italian house in Florence
-
Review: Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa – revel in the quiet madness of KefaloniaTravel Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa on the Greek island of Kefalonia is a restful sanctuary for the mind, body and soul
-
Adventures in Saudi ArabiaTravel The kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East is rich in undiscovered natural beauty. Get there before everybody else does, says Merryn Somerset Webb
-
Review: Constance Moofushi and Halaveli – respite in the MaldivesTravel The Constance resorts of Moofushi and Halaveli on two idyllic islands in the Maldives offer two wonderful ways to unwind
-
Affordable Art Fair: The art fair for beginnersChris Carter talks to the Affordable Art Fair’s Hugo Barclay about how to start collecting art, the dos and don’ts, and more