Antica Terra Aurata 2018
Antica Terra Aurata 2018
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Antica Terra Aurata 2018

Antica Terra
$290.00

Grape: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2018
Type: White

This white wine is an expression of Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley, shaped by winemaker Maggie Harrison’s meticulous selection process. Over separating blocks by vineyard rows, the estate harvests the fruit collectively and evaluates the resulting wines barrel by barrel in the cellar. The components that display a solar, golden weight are selected for the Aurata cuvée, which is natively fermented with wild yeasts. It matures in French oak barriques to achieve a balanced, texturally driven architecture.

It pours a medium straw color, opening with inviting aromas of yellow orchard fruit, lemon confit, fresh ginger, and hazelnut. A full-bodied frame carries a broad, slightly oily texture that remains balanced by a crisp line of acidity. Rich flavors of peach and yellow apple interweave with a vein of mineral salinity. The oak integration is seamless, providing a warming, structural baseline that never masks the underlying volcanic soil profile.

Maggie Harrison is a first-generation winemaker, having grown up in the Midwest. With an educational background in International Relations and Conflict Resolution, she fell in love with wine while working in restaurants and set out to follow that passion and create wine. She went on to land the position of assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, where she remained for eight years. She is currently the co-owner and winemaker for Antica Terra, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since 2005, and is also responsible for the Syrah at Lillian Winery in Santa Barbara. Initially, it had been her goal to only produce a singular wine, but during blind tastings for blending, she felt the various components would not necessarily complement one another and would overpower or detract from the other. Rather than force them to homogenize, each of the wines bottled today chases the individual and opposing personalities each possesses. Her wines are impeccably expressive and worth seeking out if you can get your hands on them.

I have always found with these wines that I am never compelled to overly coax the wine in tasting. They are distinctive, singular wines that, when given the time to allow the wine to come to you, make the transcendence to art.

- Audrey Frick (9/17/2023) © 2024 Jeb Dunnuck