2017 Little Frances "Luchsinger Vineyard" Semillon

Little Frances is made by Erin Pooley, who was born in Sydney, Australia.  After studying winemaking in Australia, Erin became enamored with the nuance of white wines with bottle age.  She moved to California and started her company in 2012 after falling in love with Semillon grapes from the Luchsinger Vineyard in Lake County.  From the beginning Erin knew that she wanted to explore the depth of Semillon with age.  In her native Australia the grape makes very light, zippy citrus driven wines that can be a little austere in their youth, but gain depth, richness, and complexity as they age.  The grape is also found in Bordeaux, France where it is either blended with Sauvignon Blanc or made into the lusciously sweet wines of Sauternes.  The 2017 Little Frances Semillon shows the classic citrus notes of Semillon, with a complex savoriness that comes with time in barrel and in bottle.  The oak here is neutral, meaning that it has been used enough to lose its ‘oaky’ flavors, but is used to impart a gentle oxidation which helps develop more texture and encourages flavor development.