Introduction

Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means.®

Welcome to the Amalie Robert Estate Farming Blog, aka FLOG. By subscribing, you will receive regular FLOGGINGS throughout the growing season. The FLOGGING will begin with the Spring Cellar Report in April. FLOGGINGS will continue each month and detail how the vintage is shaping up. You may also be FLOGGED directly after the big Cluster Pluck with the yearly Harvest After Action Report. Subscribe now and let the FLOGGINGS begin!

Rusty

"This is one of the Willamette Valley’s most distinguished wineries, but not one that is widely known."

- Rusty Gaffney, PinotFile - September 2016

Josh

"Dena Drews and Ernie Pink have been quietly producing some of Oregon's most elegant and perfumed Pinots since the 2004 vintage. Their 30-acre vineyard outside the town of Dallas, abutting the famed Freedom Hill vineyard where Drews and Pink live, is painstakingly farmed and yields are kept low so production of these wines is limited. Winemaking includes abundant use of whole clusters, which is no doubt responsible for the wines' exotic bouquets and sneaky structure…"

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous - October 2015

David

"...Dallas growers Dena Drews and Ernie Pink... showed me this July three of their reserve bottlings and thereby altered my perception of their endeavors. Since these are produced in only one- or two-barrel quantities, they offer an extreme instance of a phenomenon encountered at numerous Willamette addresses, whose really exciting releases are extremely limited. But they also testify, importantly, to what is possible; and what’s possible from this site in these hands revealed itself to be extraordinary!... And what a Syrah!"

- David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate - October 2013

Wine & Spirits

"Finding that their whole-cluster tannins take some time to integrate, Pink and Drews hold their wines in barrel for up to 18 months - so Amalie Robert is just releasing its 2008s. And what a stellar group of wines: Bright and tart, they possess both transparency and substance, emphasizing notes of rosehips and sandalwood as much as red berries. The pinot noirs alone would likely have earned Amalie Robert a top 100 nod this year. But the winery also produces cool-climate syrah that rivals the best examples from the Sonoma Coast. And the 2009 Heirloom Cameo, their first attempt at a barrel-fermented chardonnay, turned out to be one of our favorite Oregon chardonnays of the year. Ten vintages in, Amalie Robert has hit its stride."

- Luke Sykora, Wine & Spirits Magazine – September 2011

Copyright

© 2005 – 2021 Amalie Robert Estate, LLC

Friday, September 30, 2005

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2005 September


Hello,
It appears the early fall rains have arrived. This is a nice opportunity to wash up the clusters and get them ready for their big adventure to the winery. I hear it everyday as I sample the berries, "Can we go to the winery today?", "Are we there yet?", "I am starting to raisin!". With about 489,368 clusters chiming in, there is just no end to it.

Here are the numbers. For the last half of September, we received about 34,000 gallons of natural irrigation per acre, or about 1.25 inches of rain. Most of the rain came on the last day of the month, just as we were finishing our first harvest of the season. We have accumulated about 147 heat units since the 15th of September, bringing us to a total of 1,987 for the 2005 growing season.
We are seeing some bird damage, mostly from the Cedar Waxwings. The basal leaves are starting to yellow, and with the recent storm, are making their way to the vineyard floor (I gave them a map). Time for the worms to get busy. Our last spray of the season was Flint. At maximum rates this is supposed to control Botrytis. However, I am not sure that offers any protection at this point in the season. We will be sorting at the bins again this year.
I will get out in the vineyard this week and take more samples. My last tour of the vineyard was Wednesday, September 28. Sugars were generally in the high 22 to low 23 range, but the acids were not well integrated. I am hoping the weather will clear late this week or early next and we can find a few dry windows of opportunity. The clusters are really looking forward to seeing you, and spending some time in a nice warm fermenter.
Ernie
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)