Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means.®: September 2009

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

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2009 September

Hello and Welcome,

This is the September 2009 Climate update. Despite all the hoopla regarding the 2008 vintage, I am still a firm believer that 2009 is the vintage of the year.

Let's start with the numbers. We have recorded about 405 degree days for the month of September (260 through the 15th and an additional 145 through the end of the month), providing a total of 2,040 degree days since the beginning of the growing season on April 1st. This compares with 414 degree days last September and a comparative total of 1,896 degree days for 2008.

During September, our highest high was 98.6 and our lowest high was 92.5. Our lowest low was 41.0 and our highest low was 42.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall for September was 1.13 inches and was 0.46 inches above last September's rain of 0.67. Rainfall since April 1st through September 30th was 9.41 inches, and is 4.31 inches greater than last year's growing season to date rainfall of 5.10 inches.

Through the looking glass I see another 32 degree days for October and ideal harvest conditions.

Ernie