Be a part of the journey with Dena and Ernie
Amalie Robert Estate is a vineyard and winery located in the heart of the Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA (American Viticultural Area), as recognized by the TTB (Trade and Tax Bureau).
Mount Pisgah, Polk Couty, Oregon is a sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley. While there are two Mount Pisgah’s in the Willamette Valley, the Mount Pisgah in the Mount Pisgah, Polk Couty, Oregon AVA is located outside of Dallas, Oregon. The other Mount Pisgah is located in Lane County near Eugene at the southern end of the Willamette Valley.
How we found our site
After repatriating back to the United States, Ernie left Microsoft and began putting his European wine experience to work. What started as a part time wine shop gig led to weekend travels with Dena to the Willamette Valley. It was where we would meet Dick Erath and find the opportunity to plant vines and create wines in the old-world style that we had grown accustomed to in Europe.
One day Ernie found himself at the Metropolitan Grille in Seattle for a wine industry trade tasting of Ken Wright Pinot Noir wines. While they were all very nice, one bottling stood out in a major way. That bottling was from the Guadalupe Vineyard, located outside of Carlton, Oregon. The Guadalupe Vineyard bottling was the only wine that day where the grapes were grown on sedimentary soils.
“Bob, I got here too late. You have your cherry orchard sitting on top of my vineyard”. After a Microsoft styled “rapid prototyping” due diligence period, Ernie had decided. That old cherry orchard was planted into the sedimentary soil foothills outside Dallas, Oregon. Based on everything Ernie could have known at the time, this was the last best place to grow Pinot Noir.
Microsoft Alumni interview with Ernie: Bottled up dreams
By Brad Broberg, 2021
Planted at the turn of the century
After the July 1999 Montmorency cherry harvest, it was out with the trees to prepare the soil for planting vines. Our first planting was 10 acres in 2000, then another 10 acres the following year. We chose grafted vines since some of the neighboring vineyards, planted “own rooted” in the 1980’s, were experiencing decline due to phylloxera. Today, at Amalie Robert Estate, we make wine from some of the oldest producing vines in the Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA.
You can read more about the Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA and Amalie Robert Estate here: Amalie Robert Estate shines in the shadow of Mount Pisgah (The Oregonian/OregonLive, 2022)
Paris, where we found our groove
We met while Ernie was working for Microsoft, stationed in Dublin, Ireland. He needed some custom software written, and so they sent Dena over to sort him out. At five foot two and eyes of blue, Ernie was smitten. However, the long red nails have since given way to the agrarian endeavor.
As we learned about each other, we also learned about wine, sometimes at the same time. We developed “Old World” palates, specifically for the wines of Burgundy and the Rhône. Dena prefers the southern Rhône, and that’s OK. We favor elegant wines offering nuance, complexity and balance with firm acidity to enhance a meal, and perhaps a budding relationship.
People say that no matter where you go, there you are. In the world of wine we firmly believe that all roads lead to Pinot Noir. Our first memorable moment with Pinot Noir was in Paris, the City of Light…
The Willamette Valley AVA
The Willamette Valley as we know it today as a winegrowing region was formed between 15,000 and 12,700 years ago. Dozens of floods from Glacial Lake Missoula flowed up the Willamette Valley from the Columbia River, depositing up to 35 meters of gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Source: USGS
The Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) (1984) covers 3,438,000 acres with 27,202 planted. The smallest sub-AVA is Ribbon Ridge at 3,500 acres.
An American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is a specific type of appellation of origin used on wine labels. An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. Using an AVA designation on a wine label allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers identify wines they may purchase. Source: TTB
A petition for the establishment of an AVA must include the following evidence, specifically:
ü Name: The name identified for the proposed AVA must be currently and directly associated with an area in which viticulture exists.
ü Boundary: Must outline the commonalities or similarities within that boundary AND explain with specificity how those elements are different in the adjacent areas outside that boundary.
ü Distinguishing Features: A description of the Climate, Geology, Soils, Physical Features and Elevation affecting viticulture that make the proposed AVA distinctive.
What does this tell me about the wines produced from an AVA?
Grapes grown in an AVA sharespecific natural features and climate not found in surrounding areas. Eachvineyard then tends their vines and produces grapes specific to that vineyard.Wineries ferment these grapes and produce AVA designated wines specific totheir individual style.
If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete
We had been approached during the early years regarding an AVA. Our initial thoughts were to get the winery built and some roots in the ground and see how our wines would show over time. But we were forced into action when a large out of state winery purchased land to the south of us and wanted to include us in their AVA plans.
When we started looking around and kicking the dirt, we found out that the geological formation underlying Mount Pisgah was unique to our area. Located about a mile due north of Amalie Robert Estate, we found this unique geographical feature a strong enough competitive advantage to pursue an AVA.
The original application for our area used the name Mistletoe Ridge. The Trade and Trax Bureau (TTB) that administers the AVA guidelines took one look at a map and summarily rejected our application. Rule number one for an AVA is that the name you choose must be in use on a current map. And inside the boundary of the proposed AVA. It was from this rejection, the TTB offered up the name Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon.
The Pig in the Polk
Call it what you will, but the sedimentary soils that nurture our vines at Amalie Robert Estate are world class. And to throw down a marker, we created a wine to commemorate the 2016 AVA petition and we call it Mistletoe Ridge® Pinot Noir by Amalie Robert Estate.
The wine is comprised of a 4 barrel selection of Pommard Clone Pinot Noir sourced from the most compelling part of our 35 acre vineyard. Fermented with indigenous yeast and whole clusters, matured in French oak barrels for about 18 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Here is your opportunity to own the commemorative release of Mistletoe Ridge Pinot Noir direct from our cellar.
Resources
Download your FREE guide to the Willamette Valley AVA’s
Bottled Up Dreams (By Brad Broberg, 2021)
Amalie Robert Estate shines in the shadow of Mount Pisgah (The Oregonian/OregonLive, 2022)
Paris, how we found our groove
Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA (American Viticultural Area), as recognized by the TTB
Purchase Mistletoe Ridge® Pinot Noir by Amalie Robert Estate
Winemaking: The Continuation of Terroir by Other Means ®
I strongly encourage readers to benefit from the delightfully scripted insights into viticulture and winemaking that form the "climate update" blog on Amalie Robert's website, charting the entire winery year.
- David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate
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