They say success leaves clues. Here is what other people are saying about Amalie Robert Estate

Vinous Media

"Dena Drews and Ernie Pink have been quietly producing some of Oregon's most elegant and perfumed Pinots since the 2004 vintage. Their 30-acre vineyard outside the town of Dallas, abutting the famed Freedom Hill vineyard where Drews and Pink live, is painstakingly farmed and yields are kept low so production of these wines is limited. Winemaking includes abundant use of whole clusters, which is no doubt responsible for the wines' exotic bouquets and sneaky structure…"

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous - October 2015

"Situated as it is on the outskirts of Dallas, at the southwestern end of the Willamette Valley and pretty far removed from the action in and around Dundee, Dayton, Newberg and McMinnville, Dena Drews and Ernie Pink’s winery barely registers on most visitors’ radar. That’s a real shame, especially for fans of the delicate, graceful school of Pinot Noir, which is decidedly the style that’s emphasized here. A wide range of wines, almost entirely Pinot Noir, are made from the 35 acres of estate vines, and Drews and Pink aren’t afraid to hold them back for late or successive releases depending on the personality of each individual bottling. In warm vintages the effects of the weather express themselves on the wines here, but rarely do they head into dark fruit territory, even in years like 2012. The sprawling (for the production level) winery is a gravity-fed operation and the wines are usually made with a healthy percentage of whole clusters. New oak plays a variable role depending on vintage and there’s no hesitation to use a good dose of it if the wine’s material is deemed up to the task. The 2011s here show the racy style of the vintage to good effect and I found the wines’ fruit to be plenty expressive, if not on the more opulent side of the equation, which is more the case with the 2012s here, predictably."

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous - December 2016

"Amalie Robert, one of Oregon’s premier Pinot Noir producers, make a wonderful example of Pinot Meunier from their own vines but production is limited to around four barrels per vintage, making it a literal drop in the State’s wine bucket. Pinot Meunier is planted here and there throughout the Willamette Valley and while I cannot determine exactly how many acres are planted in total, I do know that it’s less than 80, because any grape whose acreage falls below that number is lumped into the “other varieties” category in the State’s grape census. And the vast majority of that tiny quantity of wine winds up in sparkling wine blends. So for now at least, Pinot Meunier’s potential is still unrealized."

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous - January 2017

"Amalie Robert, whose vineyard is in the western part of the Willamette Valley, makes a very strong case for Syrah, but production of their two graceful wines is painfully small, as in just a few barrels of wine per vintage."

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous - February 2018

“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 - February 2022

The Wine Advocate

"...Dallas growers Dena Drews and Ernie Pink... showed me this July three of their reserve bottlings and thereby altered my perception of their endeavors. Since these are produced in only one- or two-barrel quantities, they offer an extreme instance of a phenomenon encountered at numerous Willamette addresses, whose really exciting releases are extremely limited. But they also testify, importantly, to what is possible; and what’s possible from this site in these hands revealed itself to be extraordinary!... And what a Syrah!"

- David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate - October 2013

Wine & Spirits Magazine

"Finding that their whole-cluster tannins take some time to integrate, Pink and Drews hold their wines in barrel for up to 18 months - so Amalie Robert is just releasing its 2008s. And what a stellar group of wines: Bright and tart, they possess both transparency and substance, emphasizing notes of rosehips and sandalwood as much as red berries. The pinot noirs alone would likely have earned Amalie Robert a top 100 nod this year. But the winery also produces cool-climate syrah that rivals the best examples from the Sonoma Coast. And the 2009 Heirloom Cameo, their first attempt at a barrel-fermented chardonnay, turned out to be one of our favorite Oregon chardonnays of the year. Ten vintages in, Amalie Robert has hit its stride."

- Luke Sykora, Wine & Spirits Magazine – September 2011

Email: Cuvee@amalierobert.com