Dear Ambar Circle Members,
We knew from the very beginning that we wanted to create beautiful, memorable wines. We also wanted to do it in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Then,ofcourse,wehadtofigureouthowtoaccomplishthis.
Luckily our lovely piece of earth in the Dundee Hills had never been farmed and our soil has very high organic content. No leftover pesticides, herbicides, or syntheticfertilizerslurkinoursoils.Weknewwewantedtobeorganiccertified.But wastheresomethingbetterthanorganic?
We researched biodynamic viticulture. And while we liked the emphasis on soil health and treating the vineyard as a whole system, we ultimately preferred RegenerativeOrganic’smorescience-basedapproach.
One day we ran across a reference to regenerative organic viticulture. We learned that regenerative organic focuses on soil health and biodiversity, above ground and below ground. It can help sequester carbon in the soil, turning agriculture from a climate problem into a climate solution. And it emphasizes social equity for the farmworkerswhomakeeverythingpossible.
Last summer we became the first Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyard in the WillametteValley.IncludingAmbar,onlytwoOregonvineyards,19U.S.vineyards, and 24 vineyards worldwide have this status. Besides record-keeping, certification requiredsiteinspectionandprivateinterviewswithvineyardworkers.
ThisprocesshasbeenagreatexperiencefortheAmbarteam,andwe’reexcitedtobe abletosharewhatwe’velearned.Intheend,ofcourse,thebestwayofsharingisvia aglassofAmbarwine.WinemakersBryanandKatehavetakenfulladvantageofthe amazing fruit produced by our healthy, vibrant soils to craft wines that make us all proud.
Cheers,
PamTurner&RobTownsend
2022 Dundee Hills Chardonnay
Afterhandpickingandwhole clusterpressing,thejuicewas brieflysettledthen transferredtoFrenchoak barrelsforfermentationand élevage.Thewinespent12 monthsin20%newFrench oak,followedby6monthsin stainlesssteeltomarrythe blendandallowadditional contactwiththelees.
Theresultingwineopens withvibrantaromasofmeyer lemon,quince,pear,anda flintyminerality.Thepalateis longandprecise,showcasing layeredflavorsofgolden citrusfruits,starfruit,and whiteblossom,supportedby awetstoneminerality. Decanterawardedthiswine 95points.
WhatdrewmetotheWillametteValleyandkeepsmehereisnotjustthevibrant community but the ever-evolving nature of our vintages. With our region's unpredictable weather patterns, crafting wine in Oregon requires both steadfastnessandaspiritofadventure.InlateAprilof2022,anunseasonablylate frostandsnowstormhittheDundeeHills,affectingmanyvinesthatalreadyhad bud break. I vividly recall walking through our lower Chardonnay blocks right after the frost, where there were singed leaves, and a few buds resembled overcookedasparagus.Itwasanemotionaltime,unlikeanythingI’dexperienced beforeintheValley.Atthatpoint,Iwasuncertainaboutwhattheharvestwould yield.Tomysurprise,theharvestturnedoutbetterthananticipated,withmuch biggerclusters.Theseasonshiftedbyaboutamonthasthevinesrecoveredfrom the frost, leading us to pick roughly 2.5 weeks later than usual. Despite the challenges, the 2022 wines from the Willamette Valley embody the traits of a cooler,classicOregonvintage—muchlikethosethatfirstbroughtourregionto globalprominence.AsIreflecton2022,Ithinkthevintageislessastoryofwhat wentwrongandmoreabouttherewardsoftrustandperseverance.
Kate Payne Brown Winemaker
2022 Lustral Chardonnay
Handpickedandwholecluster pressed;thisbarrelselection showcasesthevibrancyof AmbarEstate’sChardonnay blocks.Thejuicewasbarrel fermentedin30%newFrench oak,highlightingthewine’s intricatecharacter.After12 months,theblendwas carefullycraftedbefore returningtoneutralbarrel untilitsbottlinginMarchof 2024.
Theresultingwineopenswith notesoflemoncurd,freshly cuthay,andbrinyseascape. Thepalateisrichand textured,withflavorsoffresh lemon,brioche,and honeycrispappleleadingtoa lengthyandgenerous,seamless finish.Decanterawardedthis wine97points.
Overfiveyearsago,IreceivedacallfromRobTownsend,whomIdidn’tknow atthetime.Wehadagreatdiscussionaboutvarietals,clones,androotstocksthat I believe do well on this side of the Dundee Hills. Little did I know that this phone call would lead to where we are today with Ambar Estate and Vinovate Wine Services. It’s been a great three years working with Rob and Pam on the design and build-out of the Ambar tasting room. The architect, Juancarlos Fernandez, and builder, Kris Stubberfield, built a one-of-a-kind tasting room that is now the buzz of the wine industry, as it’s something we haven’t seen beforehereinthevalley.Itseleganceandsleekdesignmakeforanunforgettable experience from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. It’s an amazingplacetoenjoythewinesrightabovethevineyardfromwhichtheywere made. We’re very proud that Ambar Estate is the first Regenerative Organic Certified®vineyardintheWillametteValley.Beingabletoworkwithfruitthat isfarmedwithsuchrespectforthelandandthepeoplewhoworkthevineyardis veryrewardingonapersonallevel.
Bryan Weil Winemaker
2022 Sacra Terra Pinot Noir
SacraTerra,meaningsacred earth,washandpickedand destemmed,thewine underwenta21day macerationonskins, showcasingthehallmark powerandeleganceofthe DundeeHillsAVA.Agedfor 18monthsin70%newFrench oak,theSacraTerraPinot Noirembodiescomplexity.
Thewineopenswithenticing aromasofblackcherryand raspberry,complementedby hintsofbramble,candied orangepeel,andblacktea. Thepalateisrichlytextured withdarkchocolateandsea salt,redfruitcompote,and freshearth.Generoustannins supportalingeringfinish, hintingatthewine’s impressiveagingpotential. Scoresnotyetreceived.
RecipeByChefHeidiWhitney-Schile
Seared Salmon with Red Wine Soubis
PairwithAmbarEstate
2022SacraTerraPinotNoir
Ingredients(servesfour):
Onion
8c
1bottle
1Tbsp
2Tbsp
4qty,4ozfillets
1.
Preheatasautépanovermediumlowheatwith1Tbspofoil.
2. Allowyouronionstosweat,stirringevery5minutes.
4.
Onceyourpanishot,addyouronions,saltandsugar.Stirtomakesurethesaltandsugar areevenlydistributedthroughouttheonions.
3. Whileyouronionsarecooking,pullyoursalmonfromthefridgeandseasonwithsaltand pepper.Allowtositatroomtemperatureuntilyoursauceisdone.
Continuetocookyouronionsuntiltheyarenicelycaramelized.Thedarkeryouronions get,themoreoftenyouwillhavetostirthemtopreventburning.
6.
5. Whentheyarearichbrowncolor,addonebottleofredwinetoyoursautépanandcook untilthewinehasreducedbyhalf.
7. Placeyoursoubissaucebackintoasautépanoverlowheattokeepitwarmwhileyou cookthesalmoninthenextsteps.
Preheatyourovento350degrees,andremoveyourpanfromtheheat,transferringthe caramelizedonionandredwinemixturetoablender.Blendinguntilsmooth,thentaste yoursauce,addingsalttoyourpreference.Thisisyoursoubissauce.
8. Forthesalmon,preheatasautépanovermediumheat.
9. Oncethepanishot,add1Tbspoil,allowingtheoiltocoatyourpan.Thenaddyour salmon,skinsidedownfirst.Allowittosearforapproximately5minutes(timeis dependantonthethicknessofyourfilet)untiltheskiniscrispandlightlygolden.
10. Flipthesalmonandcook5minutes.Then,moveyourpanintothepreheatedovenand allowtocookanother5minutes.After,Pullyoursalmonfromtheovenandstart assemblingyourdinnerplates.
12.
11. Place¼cofsauceoneachplate,thenplaceyoursalmondirectlyontopandenjoy!I recommendservingthisdishwithsautéedgarlicspinachorbokchoy.
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