April Domestic Wine: 2012 Anne Amie Vineyards “Cuvee A ‘Amrita’” Willamette Valley, OREGON
“When Dr. Robert Pamplin, one of Oregon’s most forward-thinking philanthropists and businessmen, purchased the historic Chateau Benoit Winery in 1999, his vision was to create wines of the highest quality to reflect his passion for excellence. To this end Dr. Pamplin has charged winemaker Thomas Houseman and winegrower Jason Tosch with the task of crafting extraordinary pinot noir. Thomas, Jason, and the rest of the crew are absolutely passionate about producing wines of the finest quality and have dedicated their lives to this quest.
Pinot reigns supreme at Anne Amie Vineyards with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc forming the heart of our production. Complementing the pinot family is Old-Vine Estate Riesling and Müller Thurgau, planted in 1979. As with all great wines, our’s start in the vineyards. We are fortunate to have some of Oregon’s best sites, all of which are Salmon Safe and LIVE certified. Our estate vineyards, along with those we purchase from, receive only the minimal required treatments and yields are dramatically reduced in order to give fruit with great depth and complexity.”-anneamie.com
The name Amrita comes from the Buddhist equivalent of ambrosia, or a wine of the gods. Our Amrita is a unique inspiration each harvest, crafted from different varieties to be an irresistible, lightly effervescent, fruit-forward wine. It makes a delightful aperitif and is our favorite match with Pan-Asian foods.
Vintage Description: After two vintages with some of the coolest temperatures on record, 2012 presented us with warm, consistent weather. It is amazing what 100 plus days without rain will do! A cool spring and rain during flowering led to small clusters, less than 50% of normal size. On the white wine side, we have wines with wonderful fruit concentration and acidity. The dream vintage combination of a low natural crop load, a warm dry summer, minimal disease pressure, and perfectly ripened fruit came true, with only one downside, there is not enough wine.
Varietals: 26.3% Viognier, 24.1% Riesling, 15.7% Pinot Blanc, 14.3% Chardonnay, 9.2% Müller-Thurgau, 8.1% Pinot Gris and 2.3% Gewurtztraminer
Alcohol: 13.50% by volume
Tasting Notes: Aromas of quince, rose petal, confectionary sugar, passion fruit, and gooseberries. Flavors of white peach, strawberry, key lime, golden raspberry, and kumquats. The wine finishes with great spice and minerality.
Food Pairings: Pair this awesome white with shrimp and grits, Thai food, crab cakes, Carolina BBQ, salad rolls and fried chicken!
Jim Lutfy’s thoughts: “Welcome in Spring with a lively and aromatic over achieving White! This wine is loaded with flavors of fresh cut pears, minerality and citrus. What a wine! Great with salads and soups! Enjoy!”-JL