Lingua Franca Chardonnay Bunker Hill 2021 (750ML)

98 JD / 96 DE / 94 VM / 94 VP

#22 Vinepair 50 Best Wines of 2023

Taking things to the next level, the 2021 Chardonnay Bunker Hill offers heightened precision in its focused and brilliant aromas of flint, lifted citrus of Meyer lemon zest, pristine green apple, and basil. The palate is explosive, with loads of pristine, distilled fruit of bright green apple and lime, but it’s not austere. It has a soft stony, silky texture and a finish that lasts for days, with fantastic density and a note of citrus oil. The pure, transparent nature of this wine is next level. The best Chardonnay I have tasted from Lingua Franca to date, its energy is electric while managing ripe clarity to its fruit. It has a phenolic texture, but there’s nothing coarse about it. Buy this stunning white if you can get it and drink it over the next 10-15 years. This is for lovers of Burgundy.-Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck

Widely respected as one of the top winemakers in Burgundy, Dominique Lafon took notice of this exceptional vineyard site and joined Larry Stone, alongside winemaking protégé Thomas Savre, to craft uniquely expressive wines harnessing the unique terroir of Oregon. Thomas Savre has worked at some of Burgundy’s most highly regarded properties including Dujac, Triennes, Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Roche de Bellene, and Nicolas Potel.  

A wonderfully alluring wine that marries savoury richness with a bright minerality. Sourced from the Bunker Hill estate vineyard at Lingua Franca, planted in 1995. Aromas of beeswax, petrichor and roast corn husk make way for peeks of citrus pith and stone. The palate is wildly complex. Flavours of crushed chalk, bee pollen, and lemon cream mingle with plenty of citrus, lanolin and savoury herbal notes. A gorgeous wine that shows ample elegance.--Clive Pursehouse, Decanter

Wonderfully perfumed, the 2021 Chardonnay Bunker Hill opens with a cascade of dusty florals and sweet herbs, as flinty stone contrasts hints of white peach and sage. This is seductively round and textural with depths of sapid ripe stone fruits and liquid rock minerality. A lemony concentration lingers as the 2021 finishes long and lightly structured, leaving a minty freshness that punctuates the experience perfectly. The Bunker Hill is a real charmer. -- Eric Guido, Vinous Media

The Willamette Valley is mostly known for Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. But that doesn’t mean that they're the only two varieties that can succeed there. Co-founders Larry Stone, David Honig, and Dominique Lafon began the journey of Lingua Franca back in 2015, and have since shown that Chardonnay can also thrive in Oregon. This wine comes from Bunker Hill, the estate's oldest vineyard, planted in 1995. This Chardonnay is all about texture. There’s a roundness to it reminiscent of olive oil or creamy lemon curd on the palate, but that doesn’t weigh it down. There’s still a great mineral-driven acidity that shines through, making this an impeccably balanced wine.

After a storied sommelier career working in some of the country’s top restaurants, Larry Stone set out to make wines of his own in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He was joined by widely respected Burgundian winemaker Dominique Lafon and Lafon’s protégé, Thomas Savre, and together they released the first vintage of Lingua Franca in 2015. The winery focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, making precise single-vineyard bottlings that express the terroir of their unique site in the Eola-Amity Hills subregion. It’s a Chardonnay that’s all about roundness and texture — reminiscent of olive oil or creamy lemon curd. Mineral-driven acidity still shines through, making this an impeccably balanced wine. - Vinepair