Ponzi Vineyards
Tavola Pinot Noir 2018
Willamette Valley
The 2018 Tavola Pinot Noir continues a string of amazing Tavola vintages. The running joke at our office is that the wine is literally too good for the price. While made from lower elevation sites and younger vines, and handled in a way to emphasize a fruit forward character, with soft tannins, anything Luisa Ponzi approaches will have high quality as prerequisite. Tavola is the type of wine that can be an introduction to Oregon and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and, with its generous fruit and exotic spice and floral notes, the start of a delicious exploration.
Vineyard
The 2018 Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir is produced from LIVE Certified Sustainable Ponzi Aurora and Avellana Vineyards, as well as sustainably grown vineyards in the Chehalem Mtns, Yamhill-Carlton, Dundee Hills and Eola Hills AVAs.
WINEMAKING
All fruit is sorted then destemmed to 1.5–3 ton fermenters. An extended cold soak increases color and aroma. Fermented by native yeasts, the peak temperatures reach 90°F. The fermenters were aerated or punched down twice a day, then lightly pressed. The wine was aged in French oak for 11 months (20% new). A barrel selection is made for Tavola, then racked and bottled by gravity without fining or filtration. This wine has been bottle aged for 4 months before release.
Vintage
Certain vintages make winemakers feel irrelevant; the 2018 vintage in the Willamette Valley was just that. The weather conditions throughout the growing season remained so ideal that the fruit came into the winery in pristine condition, perfectly and slowly ripened to intense flavor and maturity, all the winemaker needed to do was step aside and allow gorgeous wines to happen. The season began with each milestone hit at the expected time (bud break mid-April, flowering mid-June and fruit set in mid-July). The warm and dry summer had everyone believing in another early vintage and ripening due to heat stress, but early September rains allowed the vines a drink and cooler nights slowed down ripening to allow the fruit to be picked when perfectly ready. The reds are deeply colored with beautiful tannin structure, spicy dark fruits flavors and inherent balance. These wines should be pretty amazing on release, but have all that’s needed to take some age and evolution.
Tasting Notes
Forward notes of sweet cherry, blueberry, smoked paprika and cedar lead to a full mouth of generous dark fruit including raspberry compote, black currant, cracked black pepper and salted caramel finishing with lingering plush tannins.
Food Pairing
Glazed Roast Salmon with Beets and Spring vegetables.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Willamette Valley
Farming
Tavola Pinot Noir is produced from Ponzi’s LIVE Certified Sustainable Avellana Vineyard, as well as other sustainably-grown vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs.
Alcohol
13.8%
Suggested Retail Price
$27
Reviews
"Good depth and balance"
James Suckling - October 27, 2020 "This has a very attractive dose of rich dark cherries on the nose with a bright, silky palate that has long, seamless tannins that carry super long and fresh. Good depth and balance here."
"Aromatic and bright"
Wine Enthusiast - May 10, 2021 "This widely available bottling is sourced from vineyards scattered across the Willamette Valley. Aromatic and bright, the sassy raspberry fruit dominates nose and palate […] It was aged in 20% new French oak for just under a year." - P.G.
"Generous and lively"
Wine Spectator - July 23, 2021 "Generous and lively, with rose petal, raspberry and cherry accents that glide on the long, sleek finish." - T.F.
"Jammy cherry and black raspberry"
Vinous - February 11, 2022 "Deep magenta. Ripe red and dark berry aromas are sharpened by lively spice and floral nuances. Juicy and open-knit, showing good depth and focus to the jammy cherry and black raspberry flavors. Supple tannins frame a long, smooth finish that features hints of cola and candied flowers. All de-stemmed fruit and 20% new French oak." - J.R 2/22
More on Ponzi Vineyards Tavola Pinot Noir 2018
10 Fabulous Oregon Pinot Noirs for Less than $30
May 19, 2021 - Wine Enthusiast included Ponzi Vineyards Tavola Pinot Noir in a story focused on fantastic Pinot Noirs under $30. The recommendation notes that Tavola is a great bottle from the Willamette…
Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir in Food & Wine!
May 6, 2022 - Editor Ray Isle included Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir 2018 among 16 Oregon Pinots to Pour during Springtime! "Benchmark Willamette producer Ponzi Vineyards sold to the Bollinger family, of Champagne fame,…
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Laurelwood Pinot Noir
Laurelwood District, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley
For over 50 years, the Ponzi family has farmed 140 acres of certified sustainable vineyards all planted on Laurelwood soil. Situated along the Northern ridge of the Willamette Valley, these ancient soils are comprised of fractured basalt layered over with a fine, windblown sediment called loess. A decade-long effort by sisters Maria and Luisa, alongside their neighbors has resulted in the recognition of Oregon’s first soil-based AVA, the Laurelwood District. The 2019 vintage boasts the new label design, with a textured effect that resembles the layers of the Laurelwood soils.
Pinot Noir Reserve
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Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve is the epitome of restrained power. It hails from estate grown fruit on Laurelwood soils in the Chehalem Mountains, including from some of Oregon’s oldest vines. This remarkably complex wine is handcrafted with tremendous attention to detail.
Laurelwood Chardonnay
Laurelwood District, Willamette Valley, Oregon
The Ponzi family has dedicated over 30 years to innovation in farming and winemaking to develop Oregon Chardonnay's place in the world. Luisa Ponzi's formative experiences working in Burgundy in the early 1990s guide her vision of producing complex and ageworthy Chardonnay.
Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley
One of the original and most recognized Oregon and U.S. Pinot Gris producers, Ponzi was a major influence in establishing Pinot Gris as the first quality white grape variety in Oregon. Ponzi's Pinot Gris is an irresistably aromatic and expressive wine, and serves as a first encounter for many wine drinkers with Oregon wines and the Ponzi estate.
