Ponzi, Merry Edwards

[wondersofwine]

Well, it's time again to register for the Triangle Wine Experience. I looked over the 17 wine dinner choices last night and narrowed it to four--ones featuring Robert Mondavi, Merry Edwards, Ponzi (Oregon--especially noted for pinot noir and Arneis wines) or an Australian importer. The Mondavi and Merry Edwards dinners were already sold out so that helped me make the choice. I signed up for the Ponzi Dinner at Nana's in Durham which is supposed to be a very good restaurant. The chef-owner of Butterflies, where I often eat when in Raleigh, worked under Scott Howell at Nana's.
I may still get to taste some Merry Edwards pinot noirs as I signed up for another event with tastings of pinot noirs from four viticultural areas of California and Merry Edwards is one represented. I also signed up for an "Art and Wine" luncheon with Robert Mondavi representative and so may get to taste the cabernet sauvignon reserve (I hope). Didn't sign up for the gala and auction this year (bids go way beyond my budget).
Any thoughts there on Ponzi and Merry Edwards pinot noirs? (Sorry, IK, I passed up the dinner with Robert Talbott and Logan chardonnays and pinot noirs from Sleepy Hollow. Oh, also the Pride Mountain dinner with Robert Foley was sold out or I might have chosen that one.

[dananne]

Sounds like a lot of fun! Let me know what you think of the Ponzi. I picked up some of the 99 when I was in Chicago recently (have not seen it in Atlanta). Have not yet opened any.

[stevebody]

Around here (the Great NW) Ponzi is the Great Grey Eminence of the Oregon Pinot houses. They've been at it about the longest and have never been rumored to have a truly lame release. Their whites, I can tell you, are infrequent but dazzling. Oregon really produces, in my opinion, FAR better whites than Pinots and, of course, the prices tend to be a LOT more reasonable. If you do the Ponzi dinner, I can just about guarantee solid wines, a few stunning ones, and VERY knowledgeable wine talk from anyone representing the winery. (Lots of great OR wine gossip, too. Ponzi is nothing if not Plugged In!)

Heard a TON of good things about the merry Edwards wines but haven't tried any yet.

[dananne]

Well, I finally got around to popping that '99 Ponzi I had been meaning to try.

Very well put together pinot. Strong ripe cherry nose, silky mouthfeel, some earthiness and pine needle on the finish. It's all about the cherries, though. Alc. 13%, $20 at Binny's in Chicago. Drunk as a stand-alone. Wish I could find some around here in Atlanta.

Wonders -- in your review of the event you noted that this bottling was preferred over Ponzi's reserve. Was wondering if you could share your thoughts on that. A QPR thing?

[wondersofwine]

I personally preferred the regular (not sure the others felt the same). I think the reserve may have relied too much on use of wood or extraction or high alcohol volume. The regular seemed to me both fresher and fruitier in taste. In my experience (albeit limited) I sometimes find the reserve much more profound and complex as with the Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon compared to the regular c.s., but in this instance found myself liking the regular pinot noir better.
I bought three bottles following the Ponzi dinner and just picked up an additional bottle in D.C. (along with an Archery Summit Archer's Edge Pinot Noir).