($18): Although Pinot Noir has become Oregon’s signature wine, you’d be mistaken if you overlooked the state’s white wines.  Ponzi, still a family-run winery, was among the first to plant Pinot Gris commercially in the Willamette Valley in 1978.  The decision to perform the fermentation and aging entirely in stainless steel tanks allows the wine’s spiced pear character to shine.  There’s an underpinning of creaminess that gives the wine a lush texture without heaviness.  This is a rich wine clearly in the Pinot Gris–as opposed to the lighter ‘Pinot Grigio’–style.  A marvelous buy. 91 Michael Apstein Mar 25, 2008