By Anne Amie Vineyards
2019 Twelve Oaks Estate Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains

Overview
Our Twelve Oaks Estate consists of multiple vineyard blocks, each with unique expressions to ensure an abundance of distinct flavors for blending. The Chehalem Mountains are home to Laurelwood soil, which produces wines with a core of red and black plum flavors and soft, plush tannins for a beautiful mouthfeel.

Vinification
Grapes were hand-picked and brought directly to the winery in 1/2-ton totes in perfect condition. They were then put onto a belted incline and destemmed into two-ton, open-top, stainless steel fermenters. The must was cold-soaked for 7-10 days. Fermentation was complete after a month on skins, then the wine was pressed back into two-ton tanks, settled overnight, and racked into French oak barrels. The wine aged in French oak for 16 months and racked into neutral French oak after 10 months. It was then bottled and bottle-aged for a minimum of 12 months before release.

Vintage Description
The 2019 growing season was a departure from recent years in the Willamette Valley. The last five years (2014-2018) have been warmer than average years, with heat spikes in the high 90s to low 100s. These years also saw precipitation stopping in May or early June. 2019 continued the trend of warm temperatures but with only a few days above 90. The weather stayed consistently in the 60s-80s. We also received measurable rainfall every month of the season. These conditions were excellent for steady vine growth and fruit development, but they were ideal for grape pathogens as well. In the vineyard, we managed this disease pressure by training the vine growth onto the trellis and opening the fruit zone to provide air movement and light, which makes conditions less favorable for infection. Our crew did an outstanding job pruning, focusing on vine architecture so that the natural shape of the vines "set the table" well for the handwork we did in the summer. In the middle of September, as harvest approached, we received several fronts that dropped 2.5 inches of rain on our winery estate and even more on our Twelve Oaks Estate. These late rains brought ideal conditions for botrytis to develop in the clusters and put us on high alert. Because of the disease pressure, we picked earlier than normal in some of our lower elevation blocks at the Twelve Oaks Estate, which were hit the hardest by the rains. The rains subsided in early October, as we harvested the majority of our crop. The challenges of the year were a reminder that you cannot take anything for granted when growing wine grapes in a cool climate. And this vintage shows when you meet those challenges, you are able to produce truly stunning, compelling wines.

Tasting Notes
Aroma: Dried roses, roasted coffee, black pepper, leather
Flavor: Dark cherry, black currant, orange peel, sweet baking spices, crushed raspberries, cranberries
Finish: Long, with rustic tannins and acidity
Suggested Food Pairings: Bison rib eye, delicata squash ravioli with brown butter and sage, wild turkey, mushroom bacon pizza, prime rib roast

Wine Details
AVA: Chehalem Mountains
Alcohol: 13.10%
Acidity: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.44
Harvest: October 2019
Release Date: March 2023
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Twelve Oaks Estate
Soil Type: Laurelwood
Oak: Aged 16 months in French oak - 33.3% new, 16.7% one year, 50% neutral

Sustainability
Anne Amie is fully committed to sustainable farming and winemaking. The Anne Amie winery and all Anne Amie Estate Vineyards are Salmon Safe or LIVE certified.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]