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Red dry
Lingua Franca Tongue ’n Cheek Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2021 - a lightly complex Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. This wine is characterized by fruitiness, rich texture and Burgundian elegance.
The discreetness of the wine at the beginning later opens up with a complex of aromas: strawberries, violets, cherries, a little guava, mineral forest floor, spices.
A wine with medium body, lively acidity, soft tannins, a fresh mineral aftertaste.
The harvest is hand-picked at night or early in the morning - in order to maintain the freshness of the grapes and precise control of acidity. Spontaneous fermentation was carried out with wild yeasts, in stainless steel or concrete tanks. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for about 12 months (about 18-25% new). After aging, the wine is kept with yeast for another 4-5 months. This period helps to combine the aromas and give a smoother texture.
Serve at 16°C in Pinot Noir glasses alongside roasted wild poultry such as pheasant, duck or partridge.
Initial flinty tones on the nose of the 2021 Pinot Noir Tongue 'N Cheek give way to strawberry and raspberry preserves, aniseed and rooibos tea. The palate is bursting with generous, crunchy red fruit flavors. It’s structured by velvety tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a long, latent finish. Powerful yet pretty, it unfurls dramatically with air and will benefit from 3-5+ years in the cellar.
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.
