They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But Ponzi, certainly among the oldest ‘dogs’ in Oregon viticulture, has clearly learned a lot more about Chardonnay. A lot of folks in Oregon have. Early on, tasting Chardonnay was something that a buyer did to be polite. For the most part, the wines were narrow, acidic and many smelled like pine needles. Eventually, vintners reexamined the clones they were using and decided they weren’t the best for their cooler region, as well as adjusting winemaking practices.
The changes have been remarkable. A number of the newer Chardonnay bottlings from Oregon have weight, texture, and complexity, while still walking a tighter line because of the cooler growing seasons in this part of the world. Ten years ago we rarely had any inclination to talk up an Oregon Chardonnay. Today we are regularly finding engaging examples. The Ponzi Chardonnay Reserve 2016 is the latest, a blend of various vineyards including the winery’s own LIVE Certified Sustainable Avellana and Aurora Vineyards, fermented in 15% new French oak.
Texture is the biggest thing you may notice in the new Oregon Chardonnays like this one. While far from fat and blowsy, there’s fruit and weight in the mid-palate, quince, pear, and peach fruit with some toast, floral, and spice notes to the finish. They definitely deserve attention these days.
James Suckling found a lot to like here as well writing, “This is a complex chardonnay with a wealth of ripe peaches and pears, framed in attractive, grilled-cashew and praline nuances. The palate has very composed texture and freshness and delivers a sturdy, concentrated impression with pears, lemons and grilled hazelnuts to close…93 points.”
It seems that, thus far, the public has seemingly not caught on to the changes in Oregon Chardonnay. Or maybe it’s the pandemic. In any case, that makes it better for you as we can offer out this list $44 reserve bottling for a mere $19.99!