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White dry
Lingua Franca Avni Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2022 – Oregon’s cool-climate Chardonnay, where the precision of Burgundy meets the mineral tension of the Willamette Valley. The farm was co-founded in 2015 by Master Sommelier Larry Stone and Dominique Lafon, and the winemaking and farm are overseen by Thomas Savre
The name “Avni” (“stone”) aptly describes the direction of this wine: a stony, fresh, terroir-driven expression.
In the glass, a combination of layered minerality, citrus, white flowers and spices opens up. Lemon zest, green apple and a nuance of “river stone” (wet stone) are felt, with softer hints of pear and quince in the background.
In the mouth, the wine is lively and precise: the acidity is rounded off by barrel fermentation and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, so the texture remains round but not heavy.
The grapes are pressed with all the bunches (with ~2.5% of lightly crushed berries), the must clarification takes about 24 hours, fermentation is carried out in barrels with wild yeast. The wine is aged for 11 months on its lees (26% in new 600 l puncheon barrels, the rest in neutral large tanks and used French oak barrels), then it is stored for another ~6 months in closed tanks with lees before bottling.
Serve at a temperature of 8 - 10 °C with crab salad, lobster prepared with butter and herbs, cold smoked fish, halibut with white truffles, salmon with chanterelles.
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.
