Lingua Franca 'AVNI' Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2022

A cold and rainy spring led to a late frost that devastated the Chardonnay crop. However, the end of June brought a weeklong heat wave of 35-40°C that helped kickstart the period of bloom. July was calm and moderate with little rain. Set was complete, even, and recordbreaking in its potential yield where vines had been unaffected by the frost. This came very late and forecasted a Chardonnay harvest that could come no earlier than the last week of September.

A cold and rainy spring led to a late frost that devastated the Chardonnay crop. However, the end of June brought a weeklong heatwave of 95-104 degrees that helped kick-start the period of bloom. July was calm and moderate with little rain. Set was complete, even, and record-breaking in its potential yield where vines had been unaffected by the frost. This came very late and forecasted a Chardonnay harvest that could come no earlier than the last week of September.

The 2022 Avni Chardonnay is sourced from multiple vineyards in the region, focusing on fruit grown on shallow volcanic soils. Sources include vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills and near Lingua Franca’s Bunker Hill Estate Vineyard, as well as from selected vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill Carlton,
and from a unique site in the Van Duzer Corridor with marine sediments.

Whole cluster pressed with 2.5% crushed prior to pressing, settled in tank for 24 hours on average, barrel fermented with wild yeast and then aged in a combination of 26% new, 600-litre puncheons, 74% neutral large wooden casks and old French oak puncheons and barriques for 11 months sur lie. Primary and malolactic fermentation were spontaneous and completed in each barrel. The wines were then put back in closed tanks with their lees for six months prior to bottling.