I recall a conversation with one of the Oregon winemakers I respect most in which we discussed Lingua Franca’s wines. We were both fans but it was one particular comment he made that stuck with me: “their estate wines shouldn’t be that good.”
What he meant: usually it takes close to ten years for vineyards to show true character. But Lingua Franca’s wines started to show it in the first year or two. The site is that good. The farming is that good. The winemaking is that good. So when all those elements combine with successive excellent vintages, the wines are that good!
That memorable conversation occurred two years ago; no surprise that two years later and with the stupendous 2018 vintage we’d see an outstanding Estate Pinot from Lingua Franca. Welcoming you with a wide smile, it’s loaded with bright and dark elements from fruit to floral to earth. Positively fun to drink already, there’s a ton of upside either letting it age for a bit or enjoying over two to three days. -Marcus
2017 vintage notes
93 points Wine Spectator: "A wine with presence and a tight but refined core of bright acidity and tannins, framed by expressive rose petal, raspberry and river stone accents. Best from 2020 through 2027."
2016 vintage notes
93 points Wine Spectator: "Deep and brooding, yet retains a sense of focus and polish, offering dark cherry, black tea and spice box flavors that take on momentum toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2024."