2020 Lingua Franca Chers Amis Chardonnay

This wine marries well with a wide range of fish dishes, such as simply poached or sautéed fish dishes with herbed butter, garlic butter, or a classic Beurre Blanc sauce or nage. Beacause of its creaminess it would work with richer shellfish dishes with sauces as well, even a sauce Nantua or Armoricain. Roast chicken with butter, thyme and lemon or a breaded veal scallopini dish with a squeeze of lemon. It also would be excellent with a variety of more powerful sashimi or sushi, such as Unagi, Anago, Shirako, Sake, Otoro, Chutoro or Maguro. Western smoked salmon or gravlax, or grilled salmon with a dill mayonnaise. Experimentation is welcome!

Winter was extremely cold, with a historic ice-storm that left the region without power for over two weeks. It remained cool and wet throughout early spring but warmed up, in time to have a major heat dome event at the end of June with a record-breaking 116 F temperature scorching trees and killing vegetation all over the region. The resiliency of the non-irrigated soils in our vineyards, having fractured basalt as an insulating influence as well as the source of stored rainwater, meant that our vines almost had no negative effect and were verdant all the way through and after the experience. The heat event had the positive effect on our vineyard that helped to reduce the mildew pressure we normally experience after a wet spring.