A new Oregon winery making a strong showing in 2024, Ambar Estate was founded by Pam Turner and Robert Townsend. This couple have diverse backgrounds, Turner being an author and Townsend a corporate attorney and entrepreneur. The couple bought land on Northeast Worden Hill Road in 2017 and planted their estate mostly to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was quite a job removing the scrub oak and blackberries there. The land is farmed by the Results Partners.
The new wines were sensational. I particularly love the 2022 Ambar ‘Lustral’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is dense, heady and beautifully structured. Learn more at https://www.ambarestate.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Ambar Estate wines.
2022 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Chardonnay- The really good 2022 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Chardonnay offers a smooth texture with layers of ripe melon and toasted hazelnut alongside vanilla cream and Pink Lady apple. Polished and smooth with good viscosity, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2022 Ambar ‘Lustral’ Chardonnay- The ‘Lustral’ is a barrel selection Chardonnay from the 2022 vintage. This is a rich, dense and nervy wine with serious length. Meyer lemon cream and shades of walnut combine with dense melon and pear flavors on the palate. This is marvelously textured stuff that is drinking so well in its heady youth. Drink 2024-2039- 95
2022 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir comes from a range of sites in this higher elevation AVA. Translucent in the glass, this delivers tart red fruits that mingle well with volcanic soils, orange peel and shades of bergamot on the nose. The palaate has a beautiful melange of red fruits with citrus rind and forest floor tones. Very earthy and neatly textured, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2022 Ambar ‘Sacra Terra’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Sacra Terra’ is a beautiful expression of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. The wine spent 21 days on skins and then 12 months in 67% new French Oak before bottling. The wine shows serious polish and nerve with bright cranberry and strawberry fruit flavors alongside dusty soils and beautiful red florals. A delightful, elegant style of the Dundee Hills, with serious freshness, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2039- 95