Wine Specs
Vintage
2020
Varietal
Chardonnay
Appellation
Willamette Valley
Harvest Date
September 7-9, 2020
Alcohol %
13
2020 Inspiras Chardonnay
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Only three barrels produced!
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
The 2020 Inspiras begins very brightly with the aroma of lemons and wet stone, saline notes, hibiscus, but then it evolves, yielding some brioche and beeswax. On the palate, it is bright and crisp but with baking spice notes and a subtle flavor of beeswax and lemon honey. This is a wine that will inspire us for many years to come and continue to offer an eloquent memorial to the lost vintage.
Vineyard Notes
Inspiras comes from a neighboring vineyard of the Lingua Franca Estate that has contributed to some of our best wines. In this vintage, the fruit was completely compelling, grown on the shallowest volcanic soils and expressing the elevated character of a vineyard whose yields had been reduced by spring rains by around 30%. These kinds of harvests create legendary collectibles.
Production Notes
All the fruit for Inspiras Chardonnay was picked before the fires in the Cascades had begun. It was hand-picked, whole berry pressed, settled for 24 hours in air-tight tanks, spontaneously fermented by wild yeast in 600-liter puncheons with no acid additions, then aged in the same barrel sur lie for 10 months, then assembled in an airtight stainless steel tank for 6 months prior to bottling.
Food Pairing Notes
To focus on the complexity and elegance of Inspiras, it should be served with simple fish dishes, such as sautéed salmon or halibut with a mild herb butter or lemon, or with a fennel pollen. Likewise, turbot, flounder, or cod with melted butter and lemon. It would also work with a whole roast chicken stuffed with lemon and thyme. Finally, lobster, crab, and scallop dishes are excellent with this inspirational chardonnay bottling.
