Amalie Robert Estate: Syrah - The Founder's Passion
Amalie Robert Estate:
Syrah - The Founder’s Passion
Hello and Welcome,
We survived Dry January. The Willamette Valley was wet, then dry, and then wet some more. That’s what happens when societal norms, climate change and Pinot Noir get tangled up in one another. Now February has set upon us forthwith. It may be a short month, but there are several key events in February not to be missed.
Alas the first major event has passed us by, leaving only heartbreak and below freezing temperatures for those back home hoping for a Brady type comeback. Sadly, and quite convincingly we might add, the Patriots were denied.
But it is worth noting that a 30 second Super Bowl spot this year cost a cool 8 million dollars. Most everyone can agree that somebody has to buy a whole lotta Bud for AB InBev to pay that back. At least they had a solid commercial this year.
February 14th is St. Valentine’s Day (prequeled by Friday the 13th). Most everyone who is able to sit up and fog a mirror knows what’s going on here. As usual (and the Patriots can attest to this), the devil is in the details. Or Prada, sometimes the devil wears Prada. You should be so lucky.
February 16th is Washington’s birthday (Federal holiday), but his actual birthdate was February 11th, 1731. That held until 1752, when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar which moved Washington’s birthday a year and 11 days to February 22, 1732. Now, it’s observed on the third Monday in February, regardless.
But the real prize this day is International Syrah Day. This one is a big deal. It’s not just Amalie Robert Estate celebrating Syrah, the whole world is in on the action! From the cool climate of Dallas, Oregon to the Northern Rhône Valley to blazing hot Australia, and right next door to the far corner of the planet in New Zealand, but NOT everywhere in between!
February 18th is National Drink Wine Day. This one is fairly self-explanatory. But it is nice to know that right after Dry January, there is a day recognized for the enjoyment of wine. For those folks looking to grab a cold one, they need to wait until September 28th for National Drink Beer Day. You can rest assured, your local will be well stocked floor to ceiling with plenty of Bud.
In This Communication:
The BIG Picture
Syrah Deep Dive
First Things First
The Clones
Harvest, Winemaking and a Butt Load of Patience
The Mark
Satisfaction and Top Barrel Syrah
Other Resources
The BIG Picture
Syrah Deep Dive
You may be asking yourself, what was going through Ernie’s mind when he decided to plant Syrah. You would be in good company, as Dena has expressed the same curiosity over the years. But she is wise, and only allowed an acre. “Do what you want, but an acre is all you are going to get!” That’s how passion projects go - don’t bet the farm, just one acre at a time.
It began, as things of this nature often do, on cocktail napkins. We were enjoying a fine dining meal at Vin sur Vin in Paris over a magnum of Domaine Dujac Red Burgundy well into the wee morning hours. It was then we were smitten by the wine bug. Pinot Noir was under our skin like Ava Gardner on Frank Sinatra.
One thing led to another, then another (and not in any predictable sequence or foreseeable order), when we found ourselves in the cellar of E. Guigal with Kit Stevens MW. We had the good fortune (and perseverance) to be treated to a sample of one of the single vineyard Côte Rôties aging gracefully in barrel. Having experienced these wines in Europe and Stateside, this in situ tasting really set Ernie’s hair on fire.
We left that appointment with a profound appreciation for what Syrah can be when grown in a cooler climate like the Northern Rhône Valley. One where the grapes just barely reach aroma and flavor maturity before the weather closes the harvest window (in most, but not necessarily all vintages).
Ernie also had a brief conversation with Marcel Guigal where they discussed Syrah clones that were very well suited to cool climate vineyard sites. Specifically, Côte Rôtie, the coolest growing region in the Northern Rhône Valley, often referred to as the Burgundy of the Rhône. And very much like the vineyard site which we just happened to own here in Dallas, Oregon.
First Things First
We purchased our vineyard site in 1999 when it was planted to Montmorency cherries. After a brief tutorial from Bob, the former owner, Ernie was a cherry farmer for about 4 months. That summer, after the cherries were harvested, the trees followed forthwith. Then the real work began.
Tart cherry trees, (Ernie found out) are very deep rooted. Once the track hoe pulled the trees there were 30 acres of deep rooted cherry roots sticking up out of the ground. Root removal proceeded in a very manual fashion for the next couple of months. Then it was all about transforming a mental construct into a physical implementation.
You know, and an actual commercial scale vineyard. Once again, the devil would be found in the details, and frequently so. We planted about 20 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir over the next 2 years.
It was with Dick Erath’s tutelage that Ernie chose his spot for a lone acre of Syrah. Dick’s exact words have faded with time, but his point was made as delicately as ever. “I would plant Syrah there, where the vines will be more sheltered from the winds. It will be warmer, and you will have a better chance of ripening Syrah. Not that you will ripen it, but you will have a better chance.”
The Clones
Since we weren’t yet making wine, Ernie had time on his hands. In typical Microsoft fashion, he set his sights on the objective of making wines in the Guigal idiom, then began figuring out just how to do it. He had a leg up by already knowing the Syrah clones to plant, but sourcing the vines was another matter. Just because you know where Mars is located in the solar system, does not necessarily mean you are going to visit there anytime soon.
So, it took a couple of years and then another year or so after that to get the clones he wanted planted into the ground. Meanwhile we were now growing grapes and selling them to winemakers who would become our Pinot Noir mentors. By the time fall of 2006 came around, Ernie was looking at his first crop of Syrah.
The first thing to note about Syrah clusters is that they range in size from about the same as Pinot Noir to about 4 times that size. They can be HUGE and often are! The next thing to figure out is how long they need to ripen. Pinot Noir is easy, just add 105 days to when you see flowers, and then get out the harvest buckets. Through trial, tribulation, and successful failures, we have established that the Lucky Block 13 Syrah harvest will be held the day before the torrential fall rains arrive, sometimes in October, but usually in November.
And it would not be a full and factual account if we did not speak of Viognier, or as Ernie calls it when walking the block, White Syrah. The plan was to have 3 rows of each of the 4 Syrah clones that Marcel Guigal had recommended, and then another 3 rows of Viognier. That makes for 12 rows of Syrah, 3 rows of Viognier for a total of 1,485 vines (1.02 acres or 0.412 hectares). If wine has a love language, it is Viognier. And that’s why it has its own 3 rows - the most pampered 3 rows on the property.
Well, they say if you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans. Mother Nature operates in a similar fashion, albeit it may take awhile to figure her out (if ever). We had a local nursery graft some of our Syrah vines. They were also given some Viognier cuttings to graft. And as you have most likely surmised, some of the Syrah vines we got back turned out to be Viognier vines. Now aptly named White Syrah.
And you don’t find these things out for sure until about 3 years after you plant the vines. That is when they begin to bear fruit. So, just like they do in Côte Rôtie, we have Viognier interplanted in our Syrah vines. Often times in life, and farming in particular, your only real choice is how to respond to a situation you have been put into. In this particular situation, we could have dug them out and started over, but we chose to just let it go Northern Rhône style. Advantage: Mother Nature.
Harvest, Winemaking and a Butt Load of Patience
Harvest day is set when the forecast indicates what day the Pineapple Express will arrive bringing with it all of that South Pacific lashing rain. We act fast and cluster pluck the Syrah and Viognier the day before. Sometimes it is October, and sometimes it is November. The way Ernie manages these vines they do not really succumb to rot, so we benefit from extended hangtime to develop aroma and flavor. Advantage: Winegrower.
The winemaking is remarkably similar to Pinot Noir (Just think Syrah made by a Pinot guy). We ferment with whole clusters but use a much larger percentage and we do not add yeast. Yes, the interplanted Viognier makes its way into the Syrah fermenters. The difficulty arises when we are trying to start a natural fermentation when the grapes are about 40 degrees (or colder). It’s cold in November.
Once fermentation does begin, then we have punch down. Ernie abandoned the typical punch down tool used for Pinot Noir years ago. Now he just puts the boots to them. Pushing through a ton and a half of Syrah is a workout. But trying to bring your boot back to the surface is where the real muscle toning happens.
Punch down tool for Pinot Noir and “putting the boots” to the Syrah.
Fermentation lasts about 6 weeks due to the cold start. Pressing is routine and the wine is loaded to butt (Medieval English unit of measure) then we patiently wait for the magic to develop from a multi year maturation period. We typically see about 2 years in barrel before we begin making the cut between Top Barrel Syrah and Satisfaction Syrah. And in 2018, there was a barrel trial that took over 4 years! WTF !
The Mark
We began our Estate grown Syrah program with the 2006 harvest, and have been at it ever since. It took awhile, but some of the wine intelligentsia began to notice. One reviewer in particular covered the Northern Rhône, including E. Guigal, and Amalie Robert Estate in the Willamette Valley. His name was Josh Raynolds and he wrote for Vinous, and before that with Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.
And so, how did it work out? When we send our wine to review, we would hope for a reviewer that understands the variety, the vineyard source and the goal of the winemaker. Said another way, don’t leave your children with people you do not trust. When we get lumped in with California Syrah, we know they have missed the mark.
Of all of the professional wine reviewers out there, Josh Raynolds and David Schildknecht (writing for Robert Parker) were the only two to ever visit us. We sent them wine and they published reviews. No pay to play, no magazine advertisements, nothing but straight up reviews. Those days are pretty much well behind us.
Satisfaction and Top Barrel Syrah
If Ernie has done his job well, our Syrah wines should continue to evolve and provide pleasure for 25 years, or more. We recognize this is a bold statement. But as one of the founders of Microsoft was attributed to saying: “Go big or go home.”
Here is an opportunity to see for yourself. Ernie has opened his private cellar going back to the first vintage, 2006. Some vintages may be gone, but still plenty to choose from. Take a look for yourself and see what strikes your fancy. Whichever you choose, we do recommend a brief decanting period of 30 to 45 minutes. This will allow the wine to get its collective aroma, flavor and texture in order.
And if you just happen to live where the buffalo roam, (or elk), we strongly suggest a ribeye cut seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper and finished with a generous sprig of rosemary over a brief maturation period over a hot grill.
Wine Shipping Update 2026: All 12 bottle case orders receive up to a $40 shipping credit and 6 bottle orders receive up to a $15 shipping credit. All shipping options are available to you. You can apply your credit to ground shipping, or next day air. The credit also applies to Alaska and Hawaii shipments. Please email Dena for options.
And it’s better on the A-List! A-List members receive a 10% discount on any 1-11 bottle purchase and a 20% discount on 12-bottle case purchases.
Kindest Regards,
Dena & Ernie
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