- SIZE:
- 75cl
- ABV:
- 12.6%
Each year, the most distinguished barrels from the cellar are selected for this wine and boy can you tell! 2021 was a challenge to say the least. A historic ice storm at the beginning of the season left the region without power for two weeks followed by record-breaking heat in June. Despite it all, Chardonnay, protected by those soils, delivered fruit ranging from ripe lemon to pear and all the way to a touch of mango but all accompanied by a savoury touch of saltiness. Lingua Franca’s signature balance of freshness, tension, texture and richness are here aplenty, all tied up with a long mineral finish.
The story of Lingua Franca began at 4pm on December 31st, 2012. This was the moment that Larry Stone, Master of Wine, got his hands on one of the most sought-after plots of land in Oregon. The Janzen Farm, with its easterly exposure and unique combination of soils, was coveted by so many for forty years or so before this moment and now it was Larry's.
The Janzen Farm is key in these wines; the Willamette Valley is known for its similarities to Burgundy when it comes to temperature, daylight and rainfall. Larry selected Dijon clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with great precision, planting them in this perfect plot. But while these vines have a lot in common with those in Burgundy, the wine is unmistakably from Oregon. The personality of Oregon is coaxed out of the soils and nurtured in the fruit, which is then handed to Dominique Lafon and Thomas Savre to guide its transition into wine.
These are wines that capture a place. They celebrate the flavour and tension nurtured in the fruit, carefully layering further flavour and texture through deft winemaking and the use of whole bunches, lees, malolactic fermentation and oak.
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