Little Frances Semillon Luchsinger Vineyard 2016

100% Semillon. To be blunt, Erin Pooley is a winemaker to watch. But don't take my word, the San Francisco Chronicle named Erin their Winemaker to Watch and that is a rare honor with a bunch of great winemakers winning this award. Erin grew up in Sydney, she started making wine in 2007, and eventually settled down in California. Inspired by the flavors of the old Hunter Valley Semillon she grew up with, she found a small block of Semillon in Lake County and set about making her own wine. For Erin, wines are in a constant state of evolution, and she has a particular fascination with the complexity and nuance that white wine acquires with bottle age. She says: 'I pick a little bit earlier, and I think the wine is turning out far better for it; I've found a great balance. I love the way Semillon builds texture and weight on the palate - despite no real oak influence, flavor extraction, or manipulation. It's a refreshing mystery that has me hooked on this grape year in year out.' The Luchsinger Vineyard is located in a rural enclave just north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County. This sunny site is protected by the Mayacamas Range to the west and Mount Konocti (an extinct volcano) to the east, this creates a unique microclimate with warm days and very cold nights. She works in a low intervention way in the winery, foot crushing the grapes and fermenting with native yeasts in steel tanks and neutral oak, the result is a rich and textured Semillon that is surprisingly fresh and naturally low in alcohol. The palate is nervy, fresh with gooseberry, beeswax, nuts, and hints of honey. It’s a great introduction to the grape and immensely drinkable, with or without food. It also shows why Erin is a winemaker with immense talent and one we are proud to carry.