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Long-term Pre-arrival Items
Long Term Pre-arrival Definition: Ordering wine directly through us from our supplier partners in Europe in advance of the item’s physical arrival in the US.
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SKU 779261
$69.94/bottle
Out of stock
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This bottling spent 20 months in French oak (30% new), and incorporates fruit from Ponzi’s Aurora, Abetina and Madrona vineyards. Superripe aromas and flavors conjure up a rich and riveting mix of black cherry with amaro-like botanical nuances. This profound wine is already irresistible, but stash a few bottles in your cellar, to drink now through 2030.
Regularly described as being the grape varietal responsible for producing the world's most romantic wines, Pinot Noir has long been associated with elegance and a broad range of flavors The name means 'black pine' in French, and this is due to the fact that the fruit of this particular varietal is especially dark in color, and hangs in a conical shape, like that of a pine cone. Despite being grown today in almost every wine producing country, Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape variety to cultivate. This is because it is especially susceptible to various forms of mold and mildew, and thrives best in steady, cooler climates. However, the quality of the fruit has ensured that wineries and vintners have persevered with the varietal, and new technologies and methods have overcome many of the problems it presents. Alongside this, the wide popularity and enthusiasm for this grape has ensured it will remain a firm favorite amongst wine drinkers for many years to come.
Country
United States
Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.
Region
Oregon
The beautiful state of Oregon has, over the past few decades, become increasingly well known and respected for its wine industry, with several small but significant wineries within the state receiving world wide attention for the quality of their produce. Whilst the first vineyards within Oregon were planted in the 1840s, the state's wine industry didn't really take off until the 1960s, when several wine producers from California discovered that the cooler regions of the state were ideal for cultivating various fine grape varietals. Today, Oregon has over four hundred and fifty wineries in operation, the vast majority of which are used for the production of wines made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir varietal grapes, both of which thrive in the valleys and mountainsides which characterise the landscape of the state.
Appellation
Willamette Valley
The beautiful wine region of Willamette Valley is located in Oregon, one of the main wine producing states of the USA. As in much of Oregon, Willamette Valley benefits enormously from the long, hot summers the state enjoys, and the mineral rich soils which typify the wine regions found there. Willamette Valley has built up a powerful reputation over the past few decades as one of the New World's leading producers of high quality, flavorful and characterful Pinot Noir wines, as the grapes of the Pinot Noir vine thrive particularly well in the region's climatic conditions. Willamette Valley is a fascinating wine region, and is a fine representative for the state of Oregon. Innovative techniques and wine making methods are fairly commonplace there, and the overall produce of the region seems to get better each year.
WE94pts
Wine Enthusiast
This bottling spent 20 months in French oak (30% new), and incorporates fruit from Ponzi's Aurora, Abetina and Madrona vineyards. Superripe aromas and flavors conjure up a rich and riveting mix of black cherry with amaro-like botanical nuances. This profound wine is already irresistible, but stash a few bottles in your cellar, to drink now through 2030.
WS93pts
Wine Spectator
Fresh, focused and open-textured, layering plum, currant and crème fraîche flavors with the utmost delicacy. A light nudge of tannins underlines the impressively persistent finish. Drink now through 2023.
Winery Notes
Blueberry compote, spiced plum and chocolate aromas laced with savory notes of rosemary, sage, tobacco and shitake. The broad palate gives black licorice, toasted coconut, amereno cherries and ancho chile surrounding a firm backbone of tarry, dusty tannins. The finish is long and reminiscent of dark chocolate.
