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, April 19, 2013

Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2013 Bud Break

    


Amalie Robert Estate declares Bud Break on day 109 of the 2013 growing season! You may better know this as Friday, April 19, 2013.

This is the earliest we have seen the new growth in the last 3 years. For reference, we declared Bud Break on day 114 in 2012 and 125 in 2011. Note the lavender Lilac bloom is on the same event horizon as Pinot Noir Bud Break. Yeah, there are buds breaking all over the northern hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, they are just wrapping up harvest.

This was a welcome surprise as we began our 14th vineyard anniversary and Earth Day celebration at the Joel Palmer House. In case you could not join us, here is what was on offer.

- First: Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns with Beet Puree paired with 2011 "Our Muse" Viognier

- Second: Carrot and Celery Root Soup with Dungeness Crab paired with 2009 "Heirloom Cameo" Chardonnay

- Third: Morel Risotto paired with 2010 Pinot Meunier

- Fourth: Heidi’s Three Mushroom Tart paired with 2007 “The Reserve” Pinot Noir and 2009 “Wadenswil Clone” Pinot Noir

- Fifth: Rack of Lamb with Pinot Pepper Sauce over Lentils paired with 2010 “Satisfaction” Syrah

- Dessert: Assortment of Candy Cap Mushroom Desserts and Local Cheeses

Growing wine in the Willamette Valley is always an adventure. We are excited about the prospects of a wonderfully expressive vintage punctuated with the vagaries of an agrarian endeavor. With 3 Italian tractors, there is never a dull moment.

Again this year, we will be providing growing season updates beginning with the full April Climate Update in just a week or so. In the meantime, the sun is shinning and the vines are coming out of their winter’s slumber. They look so innocent now, but we know this is only a ruse.

To get an idea of what lies ahead, you can check out the 2012 Julian calendar and photo journal at this link:
http://www.amalierobert.com/2012_julian_calendar.htm

Kindest Regards,

Dena and Ernie

 
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