Ponzi Laurelwood District Chardonnay 2019
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Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Floral notes of honeysuckle, white lavender and citrus blooms lead to a complex nose of mandarin, white peach, mango, lemongrass and ginger. The mouth is full and reminiscent of a light meringue with notes of honeycomb, dried pineapple and shortbread all framed by a lively acidity and a beautiful salty fresh finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Laurelwood District comes from seven different vineyard sites throughout the appellation. It's energetic, spicy and mineral-driven this vintage, with transparent aromas of white peach, beeswax, jasmine and flint. The palate pairs spicy fruit with exotic floral undertones. It has a satiny, expansive texture balanced by a spine of shimmery acidity, and it finishes long and expressive. Best after 2023.
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Wine Spectator
A crunchy and bright chardonnay with sliced lemon and honeysuckle, crushed stone and jasmine. Some lime and green mango too. Lovely acidity and hints of tannins give tension and energy to the wine at the finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Chardonnay, made with fruit from the Ponzi family’s original 1970 plantings and a series of Laurelwood District vineyards, is quite a treat. Its floral qualities are almost too numerous to fit into a tasting note. Suffice it to say that honeysuckle, flowering tobacco and lemon catmint provide a heady amount of jasmine and citrus notes. Lighter-bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel, this lovely Chardonnay has flavors of Bosc pear, toasted filberts and a clean sea breeze. The acidity is lively, with a touch of butter on the finish.
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James Suckling
A crunchy and bright chardonnay with sliced lemon and honeysuckle, crushed stone and jasmine. Some lime and green mango too. Lovely acidity and hints of tannins give tension and energy to the wine at the finish.
Other Vintages
2021-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
The Chehalem Mountains is a northwest-southeast span of several distinct mountains, ridges and peaks in the northern part of the Willamette Valley. Of all of Willamette Valley's smaller AVAs, it is closest to the city of Portland. Its highest summit, Bald Peak at an elevation of 1,633 feet, serves to generate cooler air for the rest of the AVA and its hillside vineyards. The region covers 70,000 acres but only 1,600 acres are planted to vines; soils of the Chehalem Mountains are a mix of basalt, ocean sediment and loess.