Winemaker Notes
Floral notes leap out of the glass of the 100% Estate-grown Chardonnay, with notes of jasmine, gardenia and lemon blossom. The contribution of low-yielding CH548 blocks seem to impress their character on the late vintage. The palate is round and fresh, entering with green apple and creamy lemon, which develop into chamomile and sea salt, with a round-textured, long finish of floral and saline notes.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright, yellow/green-toned hue, the 2023 Chardonnay Lingua Franca Estate features notes of green apples, fresh flowers, citrus zest, and crushed stones. The palate is more linear and bright, with a scintillating spine of electric acidity and a clean, zesty finish. It’s going to benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle and should easily drink well over the coming 8-10 years.
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James Suckling
Zippy and fresh, with aromas of limes, lemons and a pleasing balance of fresh cream and flint. The palate is vibrant and refreshing, with textural acidity, tension and a long finish of citrus oil and white roses. From organically grown grapes. Dry farmed. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Estate mixes crushed rocks with gingery spice and nuances of sesame seed to form a complex yet inviting bouquet. Elegance defines the palate, where ripe orchard fruits meld with salty mineral tones and a note of flint, joined by a gentle pop of candied citrus. Zesty tension reverberates, leaving a sour lemon tinge and spice that linger. Perfectly balanced.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay Estate opens with touches of matchstick and graham cracker that give way to stone fruit and beeswax aromas. The medium-bodied palate is flinty and mineral-driven with taut acidity and a long, textural finish. It will benefit from time in the cellar.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Spectator
Precise and detailed, with supple orange zest, nectarine, mineral and honeysuckle accents that build richness on the lush, crisp finish.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.