FLAVOR: White strawberry, lychee, nectarine, honeysuckle, quince, green pineapple, St. Germain, summertime
FINISH: Spicy, mineral driven and effervescent
Suggested Food Pairings: Thai, Mexican, NC BBQ, Indian, sushi burritos, Jamaican hand pies, brunch mimosas, dumplings, kimchi fried rice, hot days, boat rides, Netflix, life in general
Vinification
Grapes were brought directly to the winery in 1/2 ton totes in perfect condition. They were carefully sorted by hand; whole cluster pressed and placed into temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters. Each varietal was paired with a specific yeast, selected for aromatics and complexity, and slowly fermented at 45°F for maximum character. The wine aged on its lees for four months before blending and bottling. Wine is then infused with CO2 to preferred pétillance.
Vintage Notes
The name Amrita comes from the Buddhist equivalent of ambrosia, or a wine of the gods. Our Amrita is an 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.
Cold rain in March kept ground temperatures low, pushing budbreak back into the middle of April. From there, the weather cooperated beautifully with grape development. A warm Spring with just enough rain to fuel the vines encouraged early shoot growth. A mostly dry flowering brought a strong fruit set and reduced the possibility of disease later in the season. We made two key management decisions in response to previous years when high temperatures in August had pushed the fruit to ripen quickly and stressed the vines. First, we did alternate row cultivation in almost all of our acreage. This was to preserve the soil’s water content and work-in some green manure from the cover crops we had grown. Second, we delayed fruit thinning until mid-August. This was done to delay the onset of veraison and avoid exposing the softening fruit to the high temperature spikes that had occurred in prior years early in August. The weather worked with us and the high temperatures occurred in the last weeks of July and did not stretch into August. Summer ended with temperatures in the 70s-80s holding throughout September. Having preserved our soil’s and fruit’s moisture content, we did not experience spiking sugars caused by dehydration, allowing us to delay picking and let flavors mature. Almost all the fruit for still wine was picked in the first three weeks of October, as we finished on the 23rd, just as the rains came. 2018 was a serene grape-growing year for Anne Amie Vineyards and the wines made will hold the same composure and grace.
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 Peter Ebbers with the task of crafting extraordinary pinot noir. Thomas, Peter, 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 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.
Our estate vineyards are located in the rolling hills of the Yamhill-Carlton District and on the steep hillsides of the Chehalem Mountains, both nestled in Oregon’s verdant Willamette Valley. Our LIVE certified winery is located on our Yamhill-Carlton property, a few miles from both Lafayette and Carlton, Oregon.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
This was a pleasant surprise arrival in advance of a hot, humid holiday weekend. Delivery was Friday and the bottle immediately went into a cold fridge where it remained until this evening. Hope all you dads out there had a great Father’s Day!
Looks:
Pale straw and bubbly - but noticeably less so than your typical champagne or cava.
Initial Aroma:
I picked up some tropical fruit; the better half zeroed straight in on peach and mango.
Initial Taste:
Some sweetness on the front of the tongue; dry and almost peppery on the back. More dry than the nose would suggest. We both picked up some distinct lime in the finish.
We finished an already-open bottle of Vino Noceto Frivolo after the Amrita and the Frivolo was magnitudes sweeter in comparison.
Foodstuffs:
Given the pairing recommendations from the winery, we elected to order some Thai for dinner. Both of us are pretty good cooks but Thai is just one of those things I find always turns out better when I pay someone else to do all the hard work. I opted for Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) at a true medium spice; the wife went with Crispy Pad Thai (which is so absurdly tasty it’s usually my go-to there) at zero, less-than-milk spice. We also assembled a small collection of meats, cheeses, and nuts to further explore pairings.
Drunken Noodles: the acidity cut through the spice initially but the delicate flavors of the cuvee got lost too easily
Crispy Pad Thai: this was pretty good and the wine actually tasted sweeter with the (admittedly sweet) dish, better with the chicken than the shrimp
Spring Rolls: nice combination, the dryness cut through the sweet tanginess of the sauce
Merlot Bellavitano: this was really good, nicely balanced and brought out an enjoyable nuttiness in the cheese
Bourbon Bellavitano: the cuvee brought out some butterscotch flavors but they didn’t play so well together overall
Pepper Jack: I found this combo led to an especially creamy mouthfeel and the spice was cut nicely by the bubbles
Salame: a notable amount of pepper jumped out the second you took a sip and then there was a very tart apple finish
Peanuts: nope
As an aside, our toddler grabbed the entire board shown above when I set it on the table, pulled it over in front of her, and exclaimed “my charcuterie board!” before stuffing her face. So we’re raising her right, right?
General Thoughts:
I was certainly intrigued as soon as I saw the label; you don’t often see Müller-Thurgau listed - and I’m not ashamed to say I had to Google it since I’d never heard of the varietal before. I always appreciate a good Gewurtz and Riesling, especially with spicier foods, so those stood out to me the second I opened the package from the UPS man.
TL;DR:
We enjoyed this on its own. Refreshing, good acidity, definitely best served very cold.
My feelings are mixed when it comes to food pairings - while the label itself suggests Pan-Asian, Thai was a bit of a miss for us. It worked well with some of our typical charcuterie, however many foods too easily overpowered the subtle flavors. I think Indian cuisine or perhaps a Thai curry or something with coconut milk would pair better.
Winery pricing is only $15/bottle so I was expecting to see $8/bottle or so on here. And that’s precisely where it landed. At this price, it’s a decent value - maybe not screaming QPR, but no doubt better than most of what you’ll find at the local grocer for less than a Hamilton.
@sdilullo
Great review! And yes, I’d say your daughter is on the right track! haha
Where’d you get that board by the way? At first glance, it reminded me of some of the boards that Matt Cremona has made.
If you appreciate woodworking and ingenuity, you’d probably enjoy his YouTube channel. He lives here in Minnesota and he designed and built his own sawmill from scratch.
It was a gift; I believe it’s Koa wood. Woodworking isn’t something my hobby list has room for these days but I certainly do appreciate it… and he absolutely does some beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!
This is hilarious. My wife and I were in Willamette on October 4th, 2019, and stopped by Anne Amie after seeing the Casemates sale on mixed whites that day. Sadly, I was too late to grab the deal back then, so was excited to Labrat the sparkling!
I usually drink vintage sparklers at high-40 degrees, but I put this bottle right in the fridge to taste it at various temps. I’ll say now, it drinks best cold, and immediately upon opening. The bubbles don’t last very long.
This bottle uses a bottlecap instead of a cork. That’s fine, but the bottle shape doesn’t have the traditional ridge on the neck. This posed a problem, as a champagne stopper has nothing to grab onto. I hadn’t planned to drink this all in one sitting, but… had to.
As for notes, it’s very crisp and bright, with floral tones on the nose and mouth. My wife said “I get pine!”, and I had to agree. But with some sweetness. It has a bit of a lingering creamy finish that was quite pleasant. As it warmed up, the bubbles diminished, and the flavors got a little more tart. Maybe a little fruitier, but the smooth finish went away and was replaced with green apple. Blind pricepoints, my wife said $35, and I hit it on the head at $15. Half that for a case? Good deal.
If you missed it then, you should definitely get some now! I split the case with a fellow casemate and my portion is quickly diminishing with all of the warm weather we’ve been having. These have a great QPR and are quite refreshing on a warm day. I agree with the rats and definitely think this is best served cold, like right out of the fridge.
Fellow Casemate’rs comments convinced me to purchase the 2017 last month, and I’m down to 2 bottles. That’s with getting 4-5 cases of other wine this past month! Big hit with all who tried it! @infrom LMK if you buy a case and would like to split it.
/giphy capricious-dapper-crumpet
The 2017 last time was fantastic: dry, crisp, and with a fruity but not sweet finish. For the price (or otherwise) a great buy. I ordered two cases of this one…
I almost never pass on the Amrita, but I am currently sitting on a fair amount between the previous two vintages; anyone around CMH interested in a 2-3 way split?
I would definitely recommend! This is a perfect light refreshing drink for any evening, especially during the summer. Just ordered a second case, as the 2017 is nearly gone already
Thank you for the opportunity to restock
@bunnymasseuse@opiate2002@Winedavid49 oh, wow. I had (barely) decided to pass this time, but I guess I didn’t have a decision to make. I sure hope AA/Casemates gets Virginia working again, because I usually get their offers.
@opiate2002@Winedavid49 We got this delivered to VA just a couple months ago. My wife loved this and wants more - happy wife, happy life, right? My sanity is in jeopardy here!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita - $20 = 18.17%
I have already bought this TWICE and thinking about buying again. So I guess that’s a recommendation! I think these have all be the same vintage. As someone mentioned the price is even a bit better this time.
What do people think about this tolerating cellaring for a while? I think it would do fine. Most champagnes do, though I guess technically this is not a champagne process. I ask just because if I buy any more, I will definitely have too much!
@InFrom Happens with great frequency, but really not a d***n thing we can do about it. But I did have a lengthy conversation with a supervisor that improved delivery to our work address.
@rjquillin Yesterday was redelivery day. The window was pre-9 p.m. (2100 hrs for you, rjq.) At 8:35 the doorbell rang, so we buzzed them in. Wouldn’t you know, nobody came upstairs. I had to push that damn box across the lobby, into the elevator, and down the hall to my apt. What a PITA. That dang thing was heavy.
Idk what happened to our old UPS guy, he was pretty chill, and efficient.
I always try to keep things in so that anyone who might visit, could have something to their liking. I like them, so why not have something for everyone?
Wish you, and yours, the best, and should I ever be able to fix you up with something you can’t get here, just ask.
Chuck
Edit to add: I mean wine that can’t be shipped to where you are, nothing funny!
@bunnymasseuse@InFrom
Wasn’t too bad, and hit the spot being cold in this heat; imagine it’s a cooker in VA. Spent a few summers in Arlington, as a teen, and remember good wine, good meals, and heat. Looked up the old property, and couldn’t believe what that place last went for. A bit of CA pricing in VA, it seems. No Civil War relics, or earthquakes over 5 Richter, in the rust belt, but at least a good buyers’ market in the real estate arena.
2018 Cuvée A Amrita
Tasting Notes
Vinification
Vintage Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$250.25 (including shipping) for a case of 2018 Cuvée A Amrita
About The Winery
Winery: Anne Amie Vineyards
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, July 16th - Monday, July 20th
Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita
6 bottles for $54.99 $9.17/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita
This was a pleasant surprise arrival in advance of a hot, humid holiday weekend. Delivery was Friday and the bottle immediately went into a cold fridge where it remained until this evening. Hope all you dads out there had a great Father’s Day!
Looks:
Pale straw and bubbly - but noticeably less so than your typical champagne or cava.
Initial Aroma:
I picked up some tropical fruit; the better half zeroed straight in on peach and mango.
Initial Taste:
Some sweetness on the front of the tongue; dry and almost peppery on the back. More dry than the nose would suggest. We both picked up some distinct lime in the finish.
We finished an already-open bottle of Vino Noceto Frivolo after the Amrita and the Frivolo was magnitudes sweeter in comparison.
Foodstuffs:
Given the pairing recommendations from the winery, we elected to order some Thai for dinner. Both of us are pretty good cooks but Thai is just one of those things I find always turns out better when I pay someone else to do all the hard work. I opted for Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) at a true medium spice; the wife went with Crispy Pad Thai (which is so absurdly tasty it’s usually my go-to there) at zero, less-than-milk spice. We also assembled a small collection of meats, cheeses, and nuts to further explore pairings.
As an aside, our toddler grabbed the entire board shown above when I set it on the table, pulled it over in front of her, and exclaimed “my charcuterie board!” before stuffing her face. So we’re raising her right, right?
General Thoughts:
I was certainly intrigued as soon as I saw the label; you don’t often see Müller-Thurgau listed - and I’m not ashamed to say I had to Google it since I’d never heard of the varietal before. I always appreciate a good Gewurtz and Riesling, especially with spicier foods, so those stood out to me the second I opened the package from the UPS man.
TL;DR:
We enjoyed this on its own. Refreshing, good acidity, definitely best served very cold.
My feelings are mixed when it comes to food pairings - while the label itself suggests Pan-Asian, Thai was a bit of a miss for us. It worked well with some of our typical charcuterie, however many foods too easily overpowered the subtle flavors. I think Indian cuisine or perhaps a Thai curry or something with coconut milk would pair better.
Winery pricing is only $15/bottle so I was expecting to see $8/bottle or so on here. And that’s precisely where it landed. At this price, it’s a decent value - maybe not screaming QPR, but no doubt better than most of what you’ll find at the local grocer for less than a Hamilton.
@sdilullo
Great review! And yes, I’d say your daughter is on the right track! haha
Where’d you get that board by the way? At first glance, it reminded me of some of the boards that Matt Cremona has made.
If you appreciate woodworking and ingenuity, you’d probably enjoy his YouTube channel. He lives here in Minnesota and he designed and built his own sawmill from scratch.
@kawichris650 Grazie!
It was a gift; I believe it’s Koa wood. Woodworking isn’t something my hobby list has room for these days but I certainly do appreciate it… and he absolutely does some beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!
@sdilullo Fantastic, detailed report. Love the pics. Thank you.
This is hilarious. My wife and I were in Willamette on October 4th, 2019, and stopped by Anne Amie after seeing the Casemates sale on mixed whites that day. Sadly, I was too late to grab the deal back then, so was excited to Labrat the sparkling!
I usually drink vintage sparklers at high-40 degrees, but I put this bottle right in the fridge to taste it at various temps. I’ll say now, it drinks best cold, and immediately upon opening. The bubbles don’t last very long.
This bottle uses a bottlecap instead of a cork. That’s fine, but the bottle shape doesn’t have the traditional ridge on the neck. This posed a problem, as a champagne stopper has nothing to grab onto. I hadn’t planned to drink this all in one sitting, but… had to.
As for notes, it’s very crisp and bright, with floral tones on the nose and mouth. My wife said “I get pine!”, and I had to agree. But with some sweetness. It has a bit of a lingering creamy finish that was quite pleasant. As it warmed up, the bubbles diminished, and the flavors got a little more tart. Maybe a little fruitier, but the smooth finish went away and was replaced with green apple. Blind pricepoints, my wife said $35, and I hit it on the head at $15. Half that for a case? Good deal.
@tburritt
@ecanada thx! Never seen one like that, ordered.
@tburritt
Where’d you find it? This was all I could find and it can’t even be ordered there.
https://www.italesse.com/sp/en/prodotto/sparkling-wine-bottle-stopper.3sp?fcatalog=y
@kawichris650 I ordered this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZLSH5F1/
@kawichris650 @tburritt This looks more like the one pictured above.https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CTG-00-CHS-Champagne-Stopper-Stainless/dp/B078YQ3P9M/ref=pd_bxgy_2/130-9627910-7166923?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B078YQ3P9M&pd_rd_r=32d50bc1-916f-4028-b98b-8b96181a89f4&pd_rd_w=TEYcr&pd_rd_wg=3Iubm&pf_rd_p=4e3f7fc3-00c8-46a6-a4db-8457e6319578&pf_rd_r=80YTD5NTJGRP054XPD77&psc=1&refRID=80YTD5NTJGRP054XPD77
@tburritt Thank you for the report. Very interesting about the top of the bottle.
Good work Rats!
@Winedavid49 Least I can do for free fermented grape juice!
Hey, the case price is $5 cheaper than the previous offer!
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/anne-amie-cuve-a-amrita
If you missed it then, you should definitely get some now! I split the case with a fellow casemate and my portion is quickly diminishing with all of the warm weather we’ve been having. These have a great QPR and are quite refreshing on a warm day. I agree with the rats and definitely think this is best served cold, like right out of the fridge.
Any splits interest in MD?
/image versatile-clairvoyant-tea
/giphy versatile-clairvoyant-tea
Fellow Casemate’rs comments convinced me to purchase the 2017 last month, and I’m down to 2 bottles. That’s with getting 4-5 cases of other wine this past month! Big hit with all who tried it! @infrom LMK if you buy a case and would like to split it.
/giphy capricious-dapper-crumpet
@irenegade Wait a minute, am I reading right, you bought a case and still want to split another? I love it!
I’ve been back and forth about buying. A split would probably push me into the “buy” column.
@InFrom LOL! Yes! Perfect summer quaff!
@irenegade OK, I got the thumbs up, it’s a go!
/giphy dated-uneven-ice
@InFrom Great!
Any interest in a split near Indy?
/giphy demonic-outstanding-troll
@KNmeh7 that’s me during most Friday offers
The 2017 last time was fantastic: dry, crisp, and with a fruity but not sweet finish. For the price (or otherwise) a great buy. I ordered two cases of this one…
I almost never pass on the Amrita, but I am currently sitting on a fair amount between the previous two vintages; anyone around CMH interested in a 2-3 way split?
I would definitely recommend! This is a perfect light refreshing drink for any evening, especially during the summer. Just ordered a second case, as the 2017 is nearly gone already
Thank you for the opportunity to restock
@SueBee22 ditto!
/giphy thrilling-enigmatic-cobweb
Nooooooo!
I have been waiting for this to come back. What happened to VA? I wanted to order two, but alas it appears that I am fortunes fool tonight.
@Winedavid49 is the lack of VA shipping a mistake? AA has always had VA as an option before and their site still shows shipping to VA.
Thanks!
@opiate2002 @Winedavid49 How far into VA are you? If you are NOVA we could figure something out…
@bunnymasseuse @opiate2002 @Winedavid49 oh, wow. I had (barely) decided to pass this time, but I guess I didn’t have a decision to make. I sure hope AA/Casemates gets Virginia working again, because I usually get their offers.
Thanks @bunnymasseuse!
@PatrickKarcher I’ll have a few I can share if you decide you need some, LMK.
/giphy soft-gabby-jeans
@opiate2002 @PatrickKarcher <— you in NOVA? sounds like I may be delivering some juice to the area if you want to coordinate something… @Winedavid49
@bunnymasseuse @opiate2002 I’ll leave these to you, thanks. I’ve already got some, and I’m holding out for some other budget whites.
@opiate2002 @Winedavid49 We got this delivered to VA just a couple months ago. My wife loved this and wants more - happy wife, happy life, right? My sanity is in jeopardy here!
If any SoCal people are considering a case, I would take 2 - 4 as need be.
@davirom I am in. I will order and save 4 for you.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita - $20 = 18.17%
I have already bought this TWICE and thinking about buying again. So I guess that’s a recommendation! I think these have all be the same vintage. As someone mentioned the price is even a bit better this time.
What do people think about this tolerating cellaring for a while? I think it would do fine. Most champagnes do, though I guess technically this is not a champagne process. I ask just because if I buy any more, I will definitely have too much!
Do you recommend consuming in a flute or Bordeaux glass?
@losthighwayz In hindsight, we should have tried both.
But since we didn’t, let me just say that my hunch is to stick with a flute; the bubbles dissipated quickly enough in there as it is!
From those that have tried this, any food pairing suggestions (other than the ‘esoteric’ suggestions on the main page)!?
@dbarrym
Garden salad with Italian, balsamic or vinaigrette dressing. Fried chicken. Potato salad. Egg rolls.
Liar liar pants on fire! We were home all day. If you came to our building, where’s the missed delivery tickets???
@InFrom Happens with great frequency, but really not a d***n thing we can do about it. But I did have a lengthy conversation with a supervisor that improved delivery to our work address.
@rjquillin Yesterday was redelivery day. The window was pre-9 p.m. (2100 hrs for you, rjq.) At 8:35 the doorbell rang, so we buzzed them in. Wouldn’t you know, nobody came upstairs. I had to push that damn box across the lobby, into the elevator, and down the hall to my apt. What a PITA. That dang thing was heavy.
Idk what happened to our old UPS guy, he was pretty chill, and efficient.
@InFrom @rjquillin lol sorry but that put a funny picture in my head
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Believe me, it probably looked even funnier than you imagined. I’m gonna ask the super to delete that footage from the lobby cam.
Not bad, surprisingly good, from a person who normally prefers reds and Syrah or those mixes featuring it.
Son, and his potential wife, found this OK as well.
Was very happy to give a couple of bottles to his gf, a healthcare worker in the chemo area, some, and after a bad day, it was well received.
Stay safe out there, as this crap (virus), is no joke.
@CroutonOllie You too. Wash your hands, and drink plenty of wine with the ones you love.
@InFrom
Thanks, although sharing is much harder now.
I always try to keep things in so that anyone who might visit, could have something to their liking. I like them, so why not have something for everyone?
Wish you, and yours, the best, and should I ever be able to fix you up with something you can’t get here, just ask.
Chuck
Edit to add: I mean wine that can’t be shipped to where you are, nothing funny!
@CroutonOllie @InFrom Had some tonight, delivery of the rest to VA here in a few hours
@bunnymasseuse @InFrom
Wasn’t too bad, and hit the spot being cold in this heat; imagine it’s a cooker in VA. Spent a few summers in Arlington, as a teen, and remember good wine, good meals, and heat. Looked up the old property, and couldn’t believe what that place last went for. A bit of CA pricing in VA, it seems. No Civil War relics, or earthquakes over 5 Richter, in the rust belt, but at least a good buyers’ market in the real estate arena.