Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting notes: If you’ve been following along with us for a while now, you will know that we at The Sommelier’s Box love a well aged Pinot Noir. When the opportunity arose to snatch up some of this 13 year old beauty, we jumped at it. Sexy, spice-accented aromas of red berry preserves, potpourri and sandalwood, with a touch of cola in the background. Shows very good intensity and sweetness, offering lithe raspberry and cherry flavors and a hint of bitter blood orange. Closes on a spicy note, with excellent clarity and persistent sweetness.

Producer: Amalie Robert Estate was founded in 1999 by Dena Drews and Ernie Pink. Dena and Ernie left the corporate world behind and began a journey to pursue a vision. Small production, hand crafted Pinot Noirs from Willamette Valley.  They are traditional producers who ferment individual vineyard blocks in small 1.5 ton fermenters using indigenous yeast and whole clusters. All of their Pinot Noirs spend at least 12 months in barrel and the reserve wines age a minimum of 18 months. The Pinot Noirs are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vineyard and Winemaking: The vineyard at Amalie Robert Estate is located approximately 15 miles west of Salem, Oregon. Over the past 20 years, they have stitched 35 acres of vineyard into the Willamette Valley’s sedimentary foothills. They predominately grow Pinot Noir, but also produce intriguing amounts of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Syrah and Viognier.  Amalie Robert believes in sustainable viticulture practices that preserve the inherent qualities of their vineyard site. They plant cover crops to reduce soil erosion and feed the soil. The soil feeds their vines. They strive to do right by the land. The good people at Amalie Robert use a single criterion in their decision making: “Will this action respect the character of our site and improve the wine?” They are stewards of the land, and Mother Nature provides the irrigation program. The Dijon Clones Pinot Noir is a blend of 7 Dijon clones sourced from 12 dry farmed blocks. The barrels of wine crafted from each block are culminations of the soil, rootstock, clonal selections and their unique microclimates.