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Red dry
A red Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Lingua Franca was founded in Oregon in 2015 by Master Sommelier Larry Stone and Burgundy winemaker Dominique Lafon, with Lafon's protégé Thomas Savre in charge of winemaking. More than 70% of the fruit for Avni comes from the estate vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills, the rest from neighbouring vineyards in the same district. Shallow Gelderman soils bring complexity, while Pommard and 115 clone fruit from Jory and Nekia soils adds richness.
The 2021 season was remarkable: a historic ice storm was followed by a late-June heat dome, yet the non-irrigated vines on fractured basalt stayed green and the harvest came in perfectly balanced. The wine is subtle and mouth-filling, immediately rich, with layers of red and black cherry, tea and rose petal, savoury and mineral nuances, and a round, plummy finish.
The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented with native yeast in stainless steel and concrete tanks, with 18% whole clusters. The wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels (16% new) and a further 4 months in tank.
Serve at 15–16 °C with duck, roast salmon, mushroom dishes or roast poultry.
Lingua Franca is one of the most modern and highly regarded wineries in Oregon, located in the Willamette Valley, a region renowned for its cool-climate ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Pinot Noir’. Founded in 2012 by legendary Master Sommelier Larry Stone, the estate quickly gained acclaim. After a long career in some of the world’s finest restaurants, Stone decided to realize his dream of creating wines that speak the language of terroir. He is supported in this project by one of Burgundy’s most respected winemakers, Dominique Lafon (Meursault), while the winemaking is overseen by Thomas Savre, who trained in Burgundy and worked with such iconic domaines as DRC and Domaine Dujac. The name “Lingua Franca” symbolically means a “common language” – the language of wine that connects people across the world.
Wine Style
Lingua Franca wines are known for their elegance, purity, minerality, and balance. The style is based on a philosophy of minimal intervention – fermentation is carried out only with native yeasts, aging on the lees (“sur lie”) brings length and texture, while French oak is used with restraint to enhance structure without overpowering the expression of terroir. These are wines that are enjoyable when young, yet also demonstrate excellent aging potential.
Prestigious Vineyards
Lingua Franca’s flagship site is the LSV Estate Vineyard, located on the southern slopes of Eola–Amity Hills. Its terroir is defined by:
Aging and Drinking Window
Lingua Franca wines are aged in high-quality French oak barrels, typically with only a small proportion of new oak, to preserve subtlety and finesse. Thanks to their structure and precision, these wines shine in their youth but also possess the ability to age gracefully for a decade or more, revealing even greater complexity over time.
