2016 Little Frances Lake County Semillon
VARIETAL: Semillon
REGION: California, USA
VITICULTURE: Organic/Sustainable
WINEMAKER: Erin Pooley
The 2016 Little Frances Semillon is a golden straw colour with an aromatic profile of lime leaf and dried hay. On the palate, a hint of an early yellow peach gives way to a generous lemon finish. A refreshingly dry and complex wine.
Lake County rises high above the north end of the Napa Valley, over the Mayacamas Mountain range. Classic Bordeaux varieties dominate vineyard plantings in this agricultural basin. Warm summer days are moderated by the cooling mass of Clear Lake - California's largest natural lake. Since 2012, Little Frances has sourced Semillon from a single vineyard owned and tended by three generations of the Luchsinger family.
Sydney-born and raised, but making wine in California since 2012, Erin Pooley has now returned home, basing herself in the historic town of Beechworth. Good farming, light-handed winemaking, and occasional extended ageing of whites are her hallmarks. Semillon forms the flagship of her production, having inspired her to get into wine in the first place. She will continue to make wines from Californian vineyards, as well as working with local growers to put her unique life and winemaking experiences to work.