Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Eola Amity Hills
Harvest Date
Mid-September
Alcohol %
13
2018 Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir
Library Vintage
Sourced from our best-performing blocks of Pinot Noir, Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir begins with a heady scent of roses, violets and berries. On the palate, the wine is quite dense and rich, powerful in expression, with more black than red fruits this vintage, dark plum, black cherry and cassis, then the nuances of wet stone, savory herbs come through in the lifted lingering finish and velvety texture. Due to the drought stress, and small berry size, this vintage of LF Estate Pinot Noir has a larger than usual 40% combined from Pommard Pinot Noir and PN115 .
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Sourced from our best-performing blocks of Pinot Noir, the Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir begins with a heady scent of roses and red fruits. On the palate, the wine is quite dense and rich, powerful in expression, with a perfect balance of red and black fruits, dark plum, pomegranate and raspberry, then the nuances of wet stone and savory herbs come through in the lifted lingering finish and velvety texture.
Vineyard Notes
Lingua Franca Estate is a vineyard site that has been coveted for decades and finally planted by Larry Stone. It is beautifully located in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills, dry farmed organically on Jory, Gelderman and Nekia soils.
Production Notes
The fruit is sorted in the vineyard, then again sorted by hand, before being brought to the crush pad. 20% of the fruit is fermented whole cluster and the rest is sorted again and destemmed, handled so as to preserve the terroir of this remarkable site with only whole berries selected for the final wine. It displays the deep, intense flavors of the dry 2018 vintage. Fermentation begins with gentle pump overs and may include one or two punch downs towards the end of the cuvaison. Punch downs, or pigeage, are done traditionally by foot. After fermentation, the 2018 Estate Pinot Noir aged in a combination of 25% new and 75% old French oak barriques for 12 months and four in tank, prior to bottling.
Food Pairing Notes
This is a serious but versatile wine that pairs well with a variety of meats, from roast chicken to veal, lamb, or pork.
