2017 Lingua Franca Sisters Chardonnay Eola Amity Hills

This special cuvée is named for my mother Rachel and her sister Aida, who throughout their lives managed to stay together and sustain one another for nearly 90 years. This Chardonnay combines the finest lots of the vintage, from 100% Jory and Nekia soils in the Eola-Amity Hills, sourced from vineyards close to our own Lingua Franca Estate. These shallow, very rocky soils drive mineral, savory, fruit and floral qualities despite the relative youth of the vines. The combination of soil and microclimate creates a wine that is intense and long, yet full of energy. It can seem racy one moment and dense and rich the next, making it lively and multifaceted.

Vinification

Harvest was timed to maximize freshness and tension in the finished wine. The grapes were whole cluster pressed, settled in tank for an average of 24 hours, then barrel fermented with wild yeast in a combination of 16% new (600-liter puncheons) and 55% neutral French oak barriques from diverse coopers. This wine, featuring exclusively natural acidity, went through full malolactic fermentation in barrel. After aging for an average of 10 months, the wine was transferred with the lees to stainless steel tank 6 months prior to bottling in February 2018.

2017 Vintage

After late spring rains, the weather was warm and dry, but not too hot. This set the stage for wines of balance, with a complex structure and vivid fruit.