An
Absolute and Unexpected Delight with
Pinot Noir
Pinot
Noir
I
love it.
It's fine.
Not my jam.
Whatever your opinion is, if you
live in Santa Barbara or are reading this
email, you have probably tried it and are
constantly exposed to it.
We try A LOT of Pinot Noir.
Local. Sonoma. Oregon. Burgundy. Etc.
Heck, we're in a few wine groups where we
are lucky enough to be exposed to some of
the most highly regarded Pinots on the
planet. Sometimes, Pinot can also
get... perfunctory. The meaning behind
that is it's a saturated category. So
it takes a lot for me to get excited about
Pinot. Wednesday's lunch at Bettina
with Master Sommelier Larry Stone
of Lingua Franca in the
Willamette was one of those times.
While Lingua Franca also makes excellent
Chardonnays, their Pinots are what enlivened
my spirit and awakened my soul. So
much energy and verve, so much savory, so
much freshness. So much focus and finesse. A
string of salinity throughout the bottlings
keeps you coming back for more. These were
just utterly enjoyable. As much as the wines
leave an imprint, it's also an absolute
treat to hear a Master Sommelier talk about
wines they create. Their passion is
infectious. Their hard work and
dedication, inspiring. What they do
and achieve, and the kind of influence they
garner, gets you thinking.
A little about Larry's
background...
Larry was the ninth Master Sommelier in the
United States, earning the title of Best
Sommelier in the United States in
1988. Two years later, he was the
first American to win the title of Best
Sommelier in the World for French
Wines. He managed Charlie Trotter's
and was a partner in Rubicon
Restarurant. Fast forward through many
other accolades, he began Evening Land (now
part of Rajat Parr's force) in
Willamette Valley, before founding Lingua
Franca in 2015 with David Honig and
Dominique Lafon - yes that Lafon
from Burgundy.
Larry
has been steadfast in constantly
elevating, not only himself and the
industry, but the land as well. I
got the distinct impression he wants to be
a good custodian of his time on Earth. Not
just for himself and his health, but to
also lead by example for others and those
who come after us. Naturally, that
involves treating the land with respect,
and farming practices are a key part of
that. Not just organic and
biodynamic, Lingua Franca is taking it a
step further into regenerative
farming. Regenerative farming is a
system of farming that improves soil
health, sequesters carbon, and enhances
nutrition and yields.
Further into lunch, it was wonderful to
see the conversation evolve into the
coming together to break bread and drink
wine. No matter your thoughts on
Pinot and farming, as long as we can all
gather around food and wine, we will
bridge divides and find enjoyment in
connection.
WINE
DINNER TBA
We have invited Larry to come and host a
wine dinner later this year. Once we
have a date and location set, we hope you
can join us for a very special
evening. It truly is a treat to be
able to hear Master Sommeliers share their
thoughts and stories, especially one of
his caliber and experience. In the
meantime, as much as we would have loved
to bring in nearly all 8 wines tasted, 3
will grace our shelves for now.
THE
WINES
Lingua
Franca Chardonnay Bunker Hill 2022
(Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity
Hills) $65
Fresh and minerally, with fantastic
texture - not too dense or rich, not too
acidic - very well balanced and inviting
you to take another sip. Very pretty fruit
with just enough complexity to keep you
intrigued, without getting too cerebral.
Reminds me a great Premier Cru
Chablis. Bunker Hill is one of the
windiest sites they get fruit from.
Because of the aspect of the vineyard, the
vines only see afternoon sun. It
also is very high in elevation and often
picked last, even after most of their
Pinot is harvested. This long, slow
hang time allows the grapes to develop
more, adding to the exceptional flavor of
this wine.
Lingua
Franca Pinot Noir AVNI 2022
(Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity
Hills) $36
This was crushable. I had just
grabbed a slice of Bettina's pepperoni
pizza that is drizzled in hot honey.
And I was pleasantly surprised by how
outstanding they were together. Past the
pairing together, the pinot has crunchy
red berry fruit, is fresh and savory,
taunt with mouth watering acidity.
The acid and the texture, integrated with
a tingly backbone of salinity makes it
enjoyable on its own, but shines so well
with food. Highly recommend trying a
bottle of this one. Price to quality ratio
is outstanding.
Lingua
Franca Pinot Noir 'The Plow' 2022
(Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity
Hills) $65
We tried 3 additional Pinot bottlings
after the AVNI, and while all the
attendees seemed to have different
favorites, mine was The Plow. Bright
and plush fruit, giving way to the velvety
and plush texture. Volumptious and a
bit more up front, and immediately
pleasing on the palate.
Transitioning into great spice, the
tingling of salinity again on the long,
focused and complex finish. Just
beautiful, lively, and a touch lush.
Normally
$166, Buy all 3 for $142
