I love the wealth of great new wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Today we have another one for you. Meaning “for the love of the Earth,” Amaterra is new winery and restaurant located in the slopes of Portland’s West Hills. Just minutes from downtown Portland, Amaterra serves as a destination for both residents and visitors alike and features a 12-acre vineyard, chef-driven restaurant, outdoor event lawn, and expansive valley views. Founders Werner Nistler, Jr. and Colleen Nistler are Co-founders of Amaterra. Their endeavor with Marcus Breuer and Matt Vuylsteke resulted in the creation of Swede Hill Vineyards in 2013, a Pinot Noir vineyard planted in Portland’s West Hills. Werner is also the Founder and Chairman of Touchmark, which develops and operates full-service retirement communities throughout North America. Colleen serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Touchmark Board of Directors, having held several roles including controller.
The wines were really good across the board. I love the new 2021 Amaterra ‘WIllatte Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which walks the tightrope between richness and poise. Learn more about this exciting new spot at https://amaterrawines.com and here are my reviews of the new Amaterra wines.
2021 Amaterra ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- Stored in 29% new French oak this beautiful 2021 Chardonnay offers buttered French bread, macadamia nut and shades of honeydew melon on the palate. Soft and round, this is drinking beautifully already. Drink 2023-2030- 92
2019 Amaterra ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2019 Amaterra ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir shows off macerated cherries with tobacco leaf, forest floor and shades of tilled earth. The palate shows a smooth texture with plenty of mouth-watering acidity and citrus rind accents. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2019 Amaterra ‘Swede Hill’ Pinot Noir- The delicious 2019 Amaterra ‘Swede Hill’ Pinot Noir was stored in 67% new French oak before bottling. Smooth and refined on the mouth, this offers bright Bing cherry and pomegranate seed flavors alongside teaberry and blood orange zest notes. Finishing long with red fruits ad copious minerals, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2023-2038- 93
2020 Fifty-One Weeks Winemaking ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Syrah- Smoky and savory, the 2020 Fifty-One Weeks Winemaking ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Syrah offers bacon fat and black olives on the palate with sweetened black plum and shades of white pepper. Drink 2023-2039- 91