Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means.®: September 2007

Introduction

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

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2007 September

Hello,

Congratulations! We have made it to October, and will harvest Pinot Noir this month!!! Getting through September was a thrill. Here are the numbers.

First off, the rains came at the end of the month as was foretold by just about every weather forecaster. Specifically, we received 1.59 inches during the last few days of the month. This averaged about 0.40 inches per day. Total rainfall for the month was 1.79 inches.

September did put a good foot forward in the degree day ledgers. We logged 394 degree days (293 through the 15^th and an additional 101 through the end of the month.) This brings us to a cool climate viticulture total of 1,891 degree days for the growing season. Oregon was granted Statehood in 1859 and will celebrate the sesquicentennial of Statehood in 2009.

The fruit, so far, is looking good - nice and clean, eager to get warm in a fermenter. Birds and deer have not been a problem, but I see them - often. Sugars before the rain event were in the low 20s with pHs ranging from 3.19 to 3.30. It seems to me, flavors have come on early, while sugars and acids have yet to find their balance. The canopy is showing signs of impending harvest. However, with the rains, all bets are off. I think if we can see a window of dry, breezy days, harvest would quickly set upon us.

Thanks

Ernie