Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means.®: March 2015

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

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2015 Bud Break

Hello and Welcome,

In response to the wonderful spring like weather during February and March, the vines have decided it is time to get started. Bud Break at Amalie Robert Estate occurred on March 24, 2015. This is day 83 of the Julian calendar. And while it is too soon to say for sure, we could be harvesting around day 273 (September 30th.) That gives us 190 days to get from bud break...

... to harvest.

Bud Break is always a welcome sight. The vines lost their leaves last October and have been dormant all winter. Now, we see the first signs of what undoubtedly will be the vintage of the year! And the vines are in good company. Here are a few other plants that are contributing to Mother Nature’s spring color palette…

… and the odd fungus.

Bud Break also serves as the reminder to feed the vines. For the next month or so, Ernie will make the yearly spring passes to till in last fall’s cover crop and drill in the spring cover crop. Till & Drill.

Just so you know, “cover crop” is farmer speak for plants that contribute nutrients to the soil. And the soil is the vine’s stomach. By planting cover crops twice a year, we can provide nutrients to our vines organically without the use of chemical fertilizers. Or, to put it more in human terms: “No Coffee – No Workee!”

The next major event will be when the vines flower and (hopefully) set fruit. This is a very important event as it gives us a pretty good idea of when we will be hand harvesting our 2015 vintage. For Pinot Noir in particular, we can add 105 days from flowering to harvest. Then the vines go dormant again, and we get busy in the winery.

Kindest Regards,

Dena & Ernie