2019 Lingua Franca "Mimi's Mind" Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley

Winemaker Notes:  Due to its structure Mimi’s Mind starts off more tannic than the other cuvées in its youth, with stunning lift and slowly unveiling layers of flavor. It has a a depth of flavor that can evolve with time, and in its youth is expressed as power. As it ages, it reveals a complex of herbs, such as fresh thyme, oregano, floral notes of rose petal and violet, rich mulberry, red cherry, raspberry fruit, and overtones of aromatic spices, cinnamon, vanilla and anise. The finish is quite long and becomes longer with age. It has been celebrated from its debut vintage to now. Its structure in youth makes it a prime candidate for pan-roasted duck breast, Lamb Provençale, Filet Mignon and hard cow’s milk cheeses like 18 month aged Gouda, Comté, Cantal, Parmesan, Abondance, Beaufort or other Alpine cheeses except Apenzell type. As it ages and reveals the deep fruit, spice and mineral qualities underlying a brighter fruit profile, it becomes more suited to roast chicken with morel mushrooms, braised rabbit with thyme, sous vide pork loin with thyme (6 hours at 133 degrees Fahrenheit is what Larry recommends). CRITICAL ACCLAIM


James Suckling - "Very floral with dried lavender and roses on the nose, as well as ripe strawberries. Full-bodied with layers of fine tannins and a very, very long finish. This is a young pinot with depth and verve. Try after 2025, but already fascinating to drink."


Wine & Spirits - "From Mimi Casteel’s Hope Well Vineyard, this is both impressively structured and sensual. The wine’s aromas teem with garrigue herbs, chaparral, pine tips, underbrush, but the fruit within feels at once light in tone and concentrated in flavor, with a mineral firmness to the texture that hints at a long life."


Wine Enthusiast - "Mimi Casteel's Hopewell vineyard (just down the road from Lingua Franca) is farmed to the highest standards of regenerative agriculture. It was recently sold, so any future Lingua Franca bottlings of this wine are uncertain. The texture, balance, depth and detail here are notable, and a hint of barrel toast (22% of the barrels were new) nicely accents the finish. Light flavors of wild raspberries, toasted hazelnuts and fresh thyme are in the mix with quite-astringent tannins"