Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Blanc 2008
24th September 2009
Picked by: Shannon Fitzpatrick
As I sit down to write my current wine pick I have to laugh at myself when reflecting on the history of my wine preferences. There was a time in the not so distant past that I would embarrassingly admit that I, the wine enthusiast, was not very fond of whites. Now I chuckle as I realize that I have featured all whites for my picks so far. Not a single red yet! (Don’t worry, as fall sets in so will my preference for some nice comforting reds). So, back to the point: PINOT BLANC!!! I have been a raving fanatic of this varietal for several years as it became apparent to me that it is the unsung hero in the Pinot grape family. The unknown cousin standing demurely in the shadow of the ever popular and oft gregarious Pinot Gris. Well, plant it and produce it and drink it I say! Please take the time to try one the next chance you have! When well made, these grapes show more subtle but equally expressive fruit—think pears and stone fruits as opposed to lemon, lime/ citrus. Think crisp, dry, lovely acid, lifted floral aromatics, minerality, texture, richness……..this is the Ponzi 2008 Pinot Blanc. The 2008 vintage afforded a long growing season allowing the grapes to be picked at optimal ripeness of flavor, aromatics and sugar levels. I was thrilled to work the 2008 vintage with Luisa Ponzi at our new winery and I remember distinctly this lovely fruit as we pressed and gravity fed the juice into a tank to settle before again moving the majority of the juice into a stainless steel tank to ferment. A minor portion was left for me to dotingly rack into a handful of neutral French oak barrels where it would ferment and gather some texture before being blended back to the whole and bottled. This is my favorite Ponzi Pinot Blanc EVER not because I helped produce it but because of the amazing fruit grown at both our Aurora vineyard in the Chehalem Mountain AVA, as well as the purchased fruit from the Dundee Hills AVA, the incredible growing season and not to be forgotten, the very talented Luisa Ponzi! This is a wine I have tasted almost every day for 4 years and I guarantee that it is the most complex and aromatically endowed of them all. Pick up a bottle (or twelve) for yourself- don’t take my word for it!