Wine Specs
Vintage
2023
Varietal
Chardonnay
Appellation
Eola Amity Hills
Harvest Date
9/5-11
Alcohol %
13.5
2023 Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay
Estate Chardonnay 2023 is multi-faceted. It possesses both richness and sinewy texture. The nose has a flintiness and an oyster like salinity that is uniquely intense in this vintage. On the palate it continues with a seashell character, yellow flowers, white smoke and green apple. It is thrilling, taught, mouthwatering and sublime.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay are sourced entirely from the original blocks planted by Larry Stone in 2012, which yielded balanced, yet full flavored fruit and maturity in 2023.
Production Notes
The fruit is field sorted, hand-picked, then 77% whole cluster pressed, 23% crushed and pressed, then settled in tank for 24 hours on average, barrel fermented with wild yeast in a combination of 25% new, lightly toasted 500-liter puncheons, and 75% old French oak puncheons and barriques from diverse coopers. Full malolactic fermentation completed spontaneously in each barrel. After 11 months aging on lees, the wines were combined in tank with their lees for five months prior to bottling.
Winemaker Notes
The growing season in 2023 started off with a pattern that had prevailed for the previous two years with a cold wet spring, though never with any frost or other extreme event. The cool spring weather led into a beautifully warm second week of May with temperatures in the mid 80s in the Eola-Amity Hills that promoted shoot growth. This set up for a good flowering in June. There were no real extremes of heat this summer but with overall very helpful warm to an occasional hot day throughout the season. Picking began mid- September in good weather and each block could be picked at exactly the right time.
Food Pairing Notes
The round texture given the wine by the low yielding CH548 clone makes this a good match for shellfish dishes with drawn butter or sauces, and seafood pastas, poached or sautéed seafood, gumbos, paella, steamed vegetables with Dijon-dill mayonnaise or with lemon and herbs. It is also excellent with roast lemon chicken. Experimentation is welcome!
