WHAT a day of racing we have had! SENSATIONAL racing in Spain, England, and now in Maryland (USA)! We have a very special edition of /WORLD TOUR WINE/, because we are celebrating a 1.Pro race! This is the only professional race in the USA and so I feel a need to celebrate it despite not being a .UWT race. 

American wine is profoundly schizophrenic. 95% of it or more is total crap made by corporations in factories with shit grapes chock full of additives and sawdust. A very, very small fraction of it is made by amazing, passionate people farming their grapes in vineyards of unbelievable beauty and quality. Today's wine is the latter. Ted Lemon founded Littorai in 1992 after about 15 years working in Burgundy. The wines are wonderful; fresh, beautiful, elegant, flavorful. Littorai is one of two American producers that I buy yearly (the other is Kelley Fox in Oregon). Read his recent hagiography in the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/dining/drinks/callifornia-wine-littorai.html?unlocked_article_code=1.j08.2U7G.dSckbHE1gPeM&smid=url-share

Littorai "The Pivot Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2022 ($100)

Pours a lustrous ruby with purple highlights. The nose is elegant and deep, leading with red stone minerality, dried strawberry, dried cherry, light spice. The palate is structured, with powdered tannins over the fruit and minerality. This is one of the great wines of the year. It is supple but profound. It's actually a bit sad to open one of these because I know I have one less to drink.

I hope my fellow Berts give American wine a chance because we have some truly special vignerons here.