Antica Terra Aurata 2021
Antica Terra Aurata 2021 – alternate view 2
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Antica Terra Aurata 2021

Antica Terra
$280.00

Grape: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2021
Type: White

Sourced from high-altitude plots in the Eola-Amity Hills, this white wine showcases a structural approach to Willamette Valley chardonnay. Winemaker Maggie Harrison uses low-intervention winemaking, allowing a spontaneous native fermentation to take place in a cold cellar over several months. It ages in a tailored selection of low-toast French oak barriques to build a balanced, age-worthy frame without introducing dominant wood flavors. This manual process focuses on capturing a transparent look at the region's volcanic geologies.

It radiates a clear yellow-silver color, opening with expansive notes of white grapefruit oil, delicate toast, lemon confit, and pineapple. A full-bodied, rounded frame delivers a lush sapidity and a distinct vein of mineral salinity. The mouthfeel is viscous yet weightless, driven by a crystalline architecture and a sharp beam of refreshing acidity. Fine, integrated tannins provide an underlying structure that carries the citrus fruit. It finishes dry, leaving a clean, long-lasting mineral impression.

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