Writer Jonathan Cristaldi adds a surprising twist in his latest Liquor.com roundup focused on California Pinot Noirs with the inclusion of Ponzi Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 2016! His reasoning is that while the topic of the article is California, he’d be remiss not to include this wine from Ponzi and encourage readers to seek out beautiful pinots from Oregon.
He adds that “it might not get any more quintessentially Willamette Valley than Ponzi, which has been making remarkably complex wines for more than half a century from its certified sustainable vineyards.” As for the wine, he describes that “this Reserve bursts out of the glass with mixed dark berry, salted caramel and fantastic brown spices, all underscored by silky waves of rich black cherry fruit, purple and red florals, and firm, grippy tannins, and finishing long with flamed citrus peel and cocoa powder.” Read the full story HERE.
Related Wines
Ponzi Vineyards
Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 2016
Willamette Valley
The Pinot Noir Reserve comes primarily from estate grown fruit on Laurelwood soil in the Chehalem Mountains, including from some of Oregon’s oldest vines. It is hand crafted on a boutique scale, with tremendous attention to detail. An intense wine, it has an explosive nose of sassafras, coffee, sweet plum and spice box; a full and seamless palate with baker's chocolate, blueberry, lavender and tea; and a long and balanced finish. I
Related Producers
Ponzi Vineyards
Chehalem Mountain AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the wine map, and the Ponzi family has worked continuously for over 50 years leading and innovating in the region and, in the case of Pinot Noir, across the country and indeed the world. Today winemaker Luisa Ponzi continues her work with the family of Champagne Bollinger, which acquired the estate in 2021.
