Amalie Robert Estate Vintage 2022 Pre-view: Spring Renewal

Hello and Welcome, 

Daffodil and Grape Hyacinth – Welcome Spring! 

This is the Vintage 2022 Preview – aka Spring Renewal. That ties right in with our other Spring theme, Spring Lamb. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means. ® by Dena & Ernie from Amalie Robert Estate. Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, et al. A FLOG communication (Farming bLOG). You can keep up with vintage 2022 by subscribing to our Instagram account @AmalieRobert.

Many people see each vintage as a new beginning, and when it comes to the wine it certainly is. However, farmers, and wine growers in particular, are perennials. Sure, there are some aging baby boomers, GEN Xer’s and Millennials in the group, but if you are growing wine, you pick up from where you left off last fall with vineyard pruning.

The art of vineyard pruning is to cut away the unnecessary dormant canes from last year, pull those canes out of the trellis wires (without breaking the wires) and then wrapping a cane down on the fruiting wire for vintage 2022 fruit production. In theory this Spring Renewal is done before Daylight Savings Time kicks in, where we lose an hour. Lost time is never found.

Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir at Amalie Robert before pruning.

First cuts are done.

Canes pulled out of the trellis wires.

Pinot Noir wrapped on the fruiting wire and ready for Spring Renewal!

Vineyard pruning in the Willamette Valley is an arduous winter task. Your day is confined to a few acres of dormant vines, a pair of 30 inch loppers, raingear, gloves and boots with soggy socks in a windy, rainy vineyard where the highlight of your day may be getting to see a rainbow. If you leave your lunch unprotected, then it will mostly likely be detected by some squirrel or weasel making a long day an even longer day for you. No matter how you spin it, pruning (generally speaking) draws a vacuum. But it does get you out in the open air, without a mask…

Unlike annual crops that don’t need to be pruned, vines put down deep roots. Vine age, root depth and soil colonization are very highly regarded traits of an “old vine” vineyard. These established vines and root systems are less susceptible to surface level drought and excessive rains. Old vines are battle tested and resilient. As we look forward to our second 20 years of wine growing, these old vines from the turn of the century are impressive to see.

Old Vine Pinot Noir at Amalie Robert. 


Spring is About to Spring!
 

Astronomically speaking, the Willamette Valley 2022 Spring Equinox occurs at 8:33 am PST on Sunday, March 20th. Be sure to set your clocks, you won’t want to miss the first day of Spring!

But it has been a long time getting here. On February 2nd, that oversized rodent Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter, and we have had it! As this US weather temperature graphic shows, it has been a grueling winter season, masks and all. Maybe what we need to do is change out that rodent…

Click on this link to check the current temperatures
 

There is good news on the horizon. That is where you always find it, on the horizon. The foretold additional winter and associated mask mandates are coming to an end. We know this because Groundhog Day plus 6 more weeks of winter adds up to the first day of Spring! (That, and no one wants a mask mandate revolt on the first day of Spring. ”Let them truckers roll, 10-4.”)

Ready to Drink (RTD) Cocktails are something that this country embraced during the height of the pandemic. But they are not new. Quite recently, the old school implementation has been revived in the Ukrainian alcohol space. As we can see in this video, Ready to Deploy  Molotov Cocktails are experiencing a strong resurgence.

Wrapped and ready to deploy!
 
 
What you do when no one is looking matters.
 

The definition of integrity, according to C.S. Lewis, “is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Cover crops are vineyard inputs that most people are unfamiliar with. But they are the unsung heroes of winegrowing

Cover crops are working while the vines are sleeping. Just like rust is always working. If you live in a state where salt is used on winter roads to melt the ice, you know what we are talking about. Please give our regards to Phil, the rodent.

Cover crop plants hit the ground running, sort of speak. Once the seeds are under about a quarter inch of soil and get a little rainfall they germinate. This is what they are pre-programmed to do. They grow roots to help hold our soil onto the hill during winter rains. Depending on the plants you have chosen, they can also impart nutrients into the soil to feed the vines the following spring. They may also bloom, which provides much needed pollen (protein) to feed our battalions of predatory vineyard insects.

Cover crop in bloom.

Nitrogen is always a limiting factor in vine growth. Nitrogen is a macro nutrient along with Phosphorous and Potassium. Think of the three main inputs to a bread dough recipe. Once you run out of one, you are done making bread. A lack of any of the three macro nutrients limits vine growth.

Phosphorus and Potassium bind to the colloids in the soil like a Syrah stain on your favorite sweater. Nitrogen is a special case. Unlike Phosphorus and Potassium, winter rains will wash Nitrogen out of the soil. The vines awaken to their Spring renewal and find the soil is fairly well depleted of Nitrogen.

Our part of the Willamette Valley receives about 45 inches of rain each fall (and virtually no rain during the summer). Our objective with cover crops is to always use a plant that will “fix” Nitrogen in the soil. Legumes such as winter peas or summer crops such as Vetch will fix Nitrogen in the soil.

When we use the term “fix” we mean that the plant will take Nitrogen out of the atmosphere and translocate it to its roots. Nitrogen fixation is often seen as small nodules on the root system. Turning these plants into the soil in Springtime will release the Nitrogen so that the vine roots can uptake it for the current growing season. Think of it as “Just in Time” fertilization. Not to worry about the atmosphere, about 78% of the air we breathe is Nitrogen, the remaining 21% is oxygen and that last 1% depends on your specific location in the world.

The alternative is not to plant cover crops. This leaves the soil on the vineyard floor undisturbed and there are benefits to that – especially if you are a worm, or know someone who is. Typically, grass is grown in each row to prevent soil erosion. The grass will compete with the vines for water and nutrients. That means that the vines will be getting their nutrients from a source other than cover crops.

A third possibility is to leave the vineyard floor clean cultivated. This means that all of the plants are gone, and the soil is completely bare and exposed. This may be a condition left over from the growing season where all of the plants are tilled into the soil to reduce water competition to young vines or vines grafted onto rootstocks producing shallow root systems. It may be intentional, or it could be that the tractor broke down before the cover crop could be planted and then the rains set in. Either way, it is the least desirable condition for the vineyard floor as we begin the growing season.

What does this mean and why should I care?

Have you ever tasted a wine and thought, well, it’s pleasant enough but something is lacking? Maybe it was filtered before being bottled and that took out some of the magic. Or maybe, the grapes were a little starved for nutrients when they were on the vine. Hmm… The first clue would be to look for signs of cover crops, or empty bags of (Ukrainian) fertilizer. Watson, get your boots. We are going sleuthing!

Assessing a vine’s nutritional health as it contributes to wine quality is a difficult task. Each vine is contributing to wine quality. The difficult part is finding the vines that are not contributing in a positive way. Imagine conducting 52,000 individual performance evaluations each year. It’s kinda like that.

Sometimes an issue arises and affects a certain section of the vineyard. In this case it is most likely something in the soil at that particular location such as a winter high water table that is drowning the roots. Or it could be a specific clone and rootstock combination under attack. Monocultures in agriculture are a risky thing.

Consider the Irish Potato Famine. The Irish Lumper was a very prolific potato and a staple in in many Irish households. It also just happened to be susceptible to a water mold that destroyed the plant and the potatoes. Sadly, this variety was virtually a monoculture throughout Ireland. After two growing seasons, the Irish Lumper was all but wiped out. On the bright side, an Irish farmer has re-introduced the Irish Lumper. That is going to require a well thought out marketing plan. Good luck with that.

Sometimes you do see a vine’s plea for help. This can occur after an incident of tractor blight. Tractor blight occurs when the vine and the tractor try to occupy the same physical space at the same time. The resulting blight is clearly visible and in most cases the vine can recover.

Other times it is the leaves that are making the ask. Nutrient deficiencies can manifest themselves through leaf discoloration. We have a known Magnesium deficiency when vines are grafted onto 44-53M rootstock. The leaves show a specific chlorosis that indicates the vine is lacking Magnesium. Other nutrients have specific “tells” that discolor the leaves indicating the specific nutritional deficiency.

Magnesium deficiency in a grapevine leaf.
 
And then there is mite damage. These little insects feed on the vascular tissue of the vine robbing it of itsprecious fluids. Cover crops, as detailed above, can help increase your predatory insect population that will decrease the unwanted mite population. And we may take a brief moment to point out “Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!”
 

Major Kong Rides The Bomb in Dr. Strangelove
 

When you discover a deficiency during the growing season, what to do? If you passed on the cover crops last fall, well, as Tanya Tucker sang. “It's a little too late to do the right thing now.” As always in farming, doing nothing is an option. Applying some form of fertilizer to feed the deficiency is the other option. But the underlying question is seldom addressed, what does this mean for wine quality?

Some clones have their own issues in the form of being virused. No matter what you do, the vine has an internal issue that manifests itself during the growing season. For Pinot Noir clone 667, this usually means the vine looks completely stressed weeks before harvest. No human input of fertilizer or cover crop regime will solve what ails this vine. The resulting wine from this clone is distinctive and can easily be identified in the cellar. As for the quality of the wine, it is often exemplary.

So if it works, do we have to fix it? We have adopted the position that a healthy vine with access to naturally formed nutrients is the first best path to wine quality. Every growing season is unique in the Willamette Valley and deficiencies can happen. Lack of soil moisture is a common theme in the summer and has been more pronounced in recent vintages. But does this mean we should start irrigating our dry farmed vineyards? Of course not. We recognize the vintage variations of a marginal climate and celebrate the fact that our wines do reflect the ever-changing climate. Our long-term objective however, is to have grown the best wine on the planet, for as long as we have a planet to grow wine on.

Live from New York!

The numbers this month come from New York where Vinous Media is published. Our 2016 “Hers and His” reserve Pinot Noir wines were just reviewed. And they went right down the line: 93 points Amalie’s Cuvee, 94 points Estate Selection and 95 points for the 2015 The Reserve. You can check out our updated Vintage Scorecard here:

Amalie's Cuvée - 93 points

Deep, shimmering crimson. Spice-tinged red and blue fruit scents, along with hints of musky earth and candied flowers. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated cherry cola, blueberry and spicecake flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Shows fine definition and repeating florality on the persistent finish, which is framed by well-integrated, discreet tannins.

Estate Selection - 94 points

Limpid ruby-red. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented aromas of raspberry, cherry cola and spicecake show fine detail and take on a floral overtone with aeration. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy red and blue fruit preserve, rose pastille and candied licorice flavors and a touch of vanilla. Finishes very long and smooth, with repeating florality and discreet tannins that fold smoothly into the vibrant fruit.

The Reserve – 95 points

Full garnet. Vibrant, finely etched red berry, cherry, blood orange and exotic spice scents are complemented by a floral note and a hint of smoky minerality. Stains the palate with intense raspberry, cherry cola, allspice and rose pastille flavors that convey a suave blend of power and finesse. Smooth tannins build slowly on the impressively persistent finish, which emphatically echoes the floral and spice notes.

"Dena Drews and Ernie Pink are in no hurry to release their wines. If you know the wines and how they age, it makes great sense for the buyer, but it’s a pretty amazing sacrifice on the part of the winery. The vineyard is located just outside of Dallas, at the western end of the Willamette Valley. Their 35 acres directly abut the legendary Freedom Hill vineyard, which should give an idea of the quality of this location. This is a very low-profile operation, by design, but the consistently high quality of its wines has earned it a loyal, almost secret-handshake following that goes back to when Drews and Pink set up shop in 1999. The winemaking here is decidedly low-impact, and the resulting wines are elegant, focused and understated, with the balance to age gracefully (hence the late release policy) and positively. There aren’t many “insider” wineries left in this increasingly popular and well-traveled region, but Amalie Robert definitely qualifies." - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media, February 2022

Culinary Inclinations Spring 2022

Spring Lamb is our Spring culinary inclination. For such a small animal, there are a wide variety of preparations. These include rack of lamb, braised lamb shanks, lamb chops or T-bones and ground lamb seasoned and filled into pinwheels or purses. Pinot Noir may not be the most obvious choice, but it shines mightily.

And there is a world of accoutrements and spices going well beyond salt, pepper and mint jelly. Moroccan spices on ground lamb pinwheels or purses with a side of mango chutney. Cucumber and yogurt join forces with garlic and olive oil as the base for Tzatziki. Roasted red pepper aioli with smoked paprika and Meyer lemon infused olive will add color and flair. What a conundrum, what to do, where to start?

There are alternatives as well. For those who find lamb to be a little too intense in flavor and aroma, we suggest venison as an alternative. We realize that not everyone is going out to the back 40 to harvest their own venison, as fun as that might be. Besides, it's the off season in the northern hemisphere, but down under...

A small herd of New Zealand deer. They heard you were coming.
 

The venison we are referring to is sourced from Silver Fern Farms in New Zealand. The animals are raised by Ben and Raewyn Gaddum, Tuapae Farms, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. And if your post-COVID wanderlust is taking you to Hawke's Bay, we recommend a few lovely days and nights in the Art Deco city of Napier. You will never see water quite so blue as from the balcony of the County Hotel.

The County Hotel, Napier New Zealand
 

Our introduction to Tuapae Farms venison happened in Birmingham, Alabama. Of all places that are food and wine, Birmingham is THE place. (The Gulf and LA (Lower Alabama) have their own cool vibe). The cut was rack of venison. Rack of venison is midway between the size of a rack of pork and a rack of lamb. Each rib chop was sliced about ¾ of an inch thick with a very generous portion of rib cap. Roasted to perfection and served aside roast winter vegetables and braised bitter greens.

The wine? Oh yes, the wine was Satisfaction Syrah, vintage 2015. The venue was a country club with about 50 guests. While it was a good crowd with a fair bit of interaction throughout the evening, the room drew quiet during this course. That was testament to the excellent preparation of the venison, and we hope a harmonious pairing with the wine.

We add Silver Fern Farms to our highly recommended list of purveyors which also includes White Pekin duck from Maple leaf Farms. You can check out their shopping carts here: Silver Fern Farms and Maple Leaf Farms.

 
Kindest Regards,

Dena & Ernie