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Phone: 1.88.CUVEE (28833)
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Phone: 1.88.CUVEE (28833)
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© 1999 - 2012 Amalie Robert Estate, LLC |
2007 ¡Salud! Cuvée
Each participating winery crafts a unique 5 case ¡Salud! Cuvée specifically for this single weekend event. The ¡Salud! Cuvée is only available at the auction and is not available for purchase at any other place or time. The ¡Salud! Cuvée is the most ethereal wine we have to offer. It is a selection from two incredible barrels representing the very best qualities of the vintage, our estate vineyard and winemaking. Every block is individually hand harvested at its peak of flavor maturity and intensity. In the winery, we steward the fruit through fermentation and into a long winters rest in barrel. We taste all of our barrels of wine many times throughout the year. This is how we find “the one.” Every vineyard block and clone/rootstock combination showcases something unique and special, and is tempered by the season. Tasting each barrel of wine provides us a snapshot in time. We share in the wine’s development. It is usually during the spring when Pinot Noir in barrel begins to reveal the character of the vintage. Much like experiencing the lavender lilac bloom – you notice the color, then the hint of sweetness in the air and as time passes you are witness to the entire bloom – a testament to the season. The 2007 Amalie Robert Estate ¡Salud! Cuvée is from a single, 0.62 acre block of Pommard clone Pinot Noir grafted onto 5C rootstock – all 909 vines worth. This was our last block of Pinot Noir harvested in ideal conditions on October 14, 2007. The Vintage: the 2007 vintage was another example of cool climate viticulture. Our measure of this is degree days, or how much warmth the vines received. We registered below 1,900 degree days, the coolest year we have ever seen at Amalie Robert Estate.
The vines however, did not seem overly concerned. Bud break and bloom came as we have come to expect. Fruit set was not overloaded as we saw in 2006. This vintage brought considerable disease pressure to the Willamette Valley. We were fortunate to have been on top of the challenges for the year and had little incidence of compromised fruit. This in turn allowed us to let our fruit hang through the rains of early October. Growing your own wine has its advantages. Tasting Notes: In the winery, we used 25% whole clusters and fermented in a 1.5 ton fermenter. Punchdowns were done by hand twice a day. Two barrels make the blend of 50% new French Oak – the first is a once filled CADUS from the forest of Vosges and the second is a third fill neutral barrel. As with every year, we believe we grow our vines in the vineyard. We make choices throughout the year that help shape the aromas, flavors and acid to tannin ratio. Our most important decision is when to take the fruit from the vine. We are striving for a rich and palate coating experience, punctuated by velvety tannins and balanced acidity, or more simply put “Pretty fruit, nice acid.” The wine has a deep ruby hue that draws you into the experience. The aromas in the glass are subtle, yet very complex with rich cherry tart, five spice and cinnamon interlaced with heather and scents of savory and underbrush. The wine is vivacious. A hint of quince paste is from the concentration of extended barrel aging. The finish is exemplary with balanced tannins and framed by seamless acidity. Unfined and unfiltered. Production: 5 cases produced. |
