Ponzi Vineyards
2009 Chardonnay Reserve, Willamette Valley
Fact Sheet
Ponzi Chardonnay, along with Oregon Chardonnay, has evolved tremendously over the last 30 years. Consistency of quality has remained paramount through the winery’s experiments, discoveries and incorporation of new tools. Ponzi focuses on the importance of critical clone selection, production control, balanced acidity and letting the wines express themselves naturally.
Vineyard Profile
The Chardonnay grapes for this Reserve bottling were grown in Ponzi’s Aurora and Avellana vineyards located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Fruit used in the blend also comes from Thistle Vineyards in the Dundee Hills AVA. All fruit is LIVE or Organic Certified Sustainable.
This wine meets requirements for the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine program for responsible agriculture and winemaking practices certified by an independent third party.
Vintage Report
In the end, 2009 made some spectacular wines, but reflecting back, the most dominant impression is how schizophrenic it was! There was no clear understanding of whether it was a cool vintage or a warm vintage until all was said and done. After a colder-than-normal winter, the region started off with a late budbreak. As the winery headed into the summer, the temperatures were quite moderate, leading Ponzi to believe it was in for a late, cool year. Then, July and August brought extreme heat spikes, desiccating fruit, rushing ripeness along and catching the winery's attention. Harvest began in late September with some very ripe, young vineyards and white varietals. October cooled down again, and Ponzi had the luxury of leaving the majority of the fruit to gain flavor without accumulating sugar, while the cool nights kept acidity in check. 2009 proved to be very similar to the 2002 or 2006 vintage.
Vinification
The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and the juice moved to French oak barrels (10 percent new) and fermented in barrel. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and 100 percent. Lees were stirred once a week for six months. After 18 months of barrel age the wine was moved with air to tank for blending, then bottled by gravity. This wine has been aged in bottle for six months before its release.
Tasting Notes
Poached pear, vanilla, honeycomb and passionfruit combine in this complex nose. The mouth is focused with notes of roasted chestnuts, poached pear and apricots. The firm mid-palate finishes bright with a touch of lemon zest. Winemaker Luisa Ponzi
