Ponzi 2007 Whites and Rosés
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By Condé Cox
AS ONE OF the founding families of Willamette Valley wine production, Dick and Nancy Ponzi—or at least their pinot noirs—are well known to Portlanders. What is not as well known is that they planted 50 acres of white wine grapes back in the early 1990s, including arneis and pinot gris. Now that the vines have matured, head winemaker Luisa Ponzi, 40 (the couple’s daughter), is taking full advantage. As a result, her 2007 whites and rosés are, without question, the best that have come out of the valley this year.—Condé Cox
Ponzi ‘Arneis’ 2007 $20 With layer upon layer of intense almond flavors and a full mouthfeel, this outstanding arneis proves that the Willamette Valley is an ideal home for the obscure Italian varietal. |
Ponzi ‘Pinot Gris’ 2007 $17 The spicy and complex pear and apple flavors of this wine become more pronounced after it’s spent a half-hour in the glass. “Spicy,” in the case of pinot gris, means a clovelike character, not the hot spiciness of pepper. |
Ponzi ‘Rosato’ Pinot Noir Rosé 2007 $15 Made using saignée, in which dark-skinned grapes are crushed and a small amount of the liquid is used to make rosé (while the rest remains with the skins and is used for red wines), this wine displays red raspberry flavors and almost no tannins. |
Published: October 2008
