For a detailed introduction to Oregon and its wines, see my extensive report from a tour there. In that report I say ‘before I say more about Oregon…I think I’d better tell you where it is. A straw poll of friends brought forth suggestions from America’s mid-west to “somewhere close to Boston?” In fact Oregon, the 10th largest of the United States, lies on the Pacific coast immediately north of California.’
Established by Oregon couple Dick and Nancy Ponzi, Ponzi Vineyards’ first plantings were in 1968, making them one of the founding wineries of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Their ethos of a low-intervention, natural approach to both winemaking and viticulture was shared by other pioneers, the early wine scene in Oregon having something of an alternative philosophy for its time.
It was drinking a red Burgundy in the 1960s that was Dick Ponzi’s nirvana moment. He started to look for similar wines being made in the USA, but at that time found nothing that had the lightness and finesse of Burgundian Pinot Noir. The search for suitable land where he could plant his own vineyards began, focused on a terroir that might make such a style possible. The relatively cool and wet climate of northern Oregon beckoned. The Ponzi’s always celebrated their individual vineyard plots and the legacy of her parents was carried on by daughter, Luisa, who eventually took over as winemaker.
A new Regime
In 2021, Ponzi was acquired by Groupe Bollinger in the Champagne family’s first foray outside of France. I met with winemaker, Max Bruening, who has worked in California and New Zealand, and Jean-Baptiste Rivail, representing Groupe Bollinger. Recently appointed as head winemaker, Max had spent the previous eight years working alongside Luisa Ponzi, who is still credited as ‘Legacy Winemaker.’
The Ponzi estate lies within the Laurelwood District AVA of Willamette, itself part of the broader Chehalem Mountains AVA. The Laurelwood soil is found exclusively in the northern edges of the Willamette, windblown loess over basalt. Max explained that precise soil composition changes with elevation: at lower elevations the loess layer is up to six feet deep, while at higher elevations it can be as thin as six inches. That basalt influence at elevation is said to give darker, richer flavours in wines.
Terroir Legacy
There are several single vineyards, and winemaker Max says he firmly believes that moving higher and closer to the coast with new plantings will be key as climate changes. The Paloma vineyard, planted in 2012 and still owned by the family, sits at around 900 feet and a bottling was tasted here.
Jean-Baptiste was keen to point out that the Ponzi’s terroir-driven philosophy continues under Bollinger. The sustainably focused, gravity-flow winery that the Ponzi’s constructed in 2008 is largely unchanged, though in 2022 another 100 acres of vineyard was added to the original 140 acres, making Ponzi Oregon’s largest vineyard holder.