One of the electric new Oregon wineries, Ambar Estate was recently 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.
For years I have admired the wines by Bryan Weil. Weil did incredibly well at Alexana for many years, cultivating their wine program and making one of the best range of wines in all of Oregon. He has degree in Enology and Viticulture with a minor in Chemistry from Oregon State University. He has worked at some of the world’s top wineries including Domaine Serene, Tyee Wine Cellars, Rain Dance Vineyards, Hogue Cellars, and Kim Crawford. These wines were sensational. I love the 2023 Ambar ‘Lustral’ Chardonnay (OB, 96) which is intense and voluptuous with terrific volume. Learn more at https://www.ambarestate.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Ambar Estate wines.
2023 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Chardonnay- Another outstanding edition of this wine, the 2023 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Chardonnay offers sea salt dusted pear, juicy peaches and shades of buttered French bread on the palate. Smooth and viscous, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 93
2022 Ambar ‘Lustral’ Chardonnay- The 2023 ‘Lustral’ is a barrel selection Chardonnay that was stored in 35% new French oak before bottling. This comes off dense, rich and fat on the mouth with a terrific mouthfeel and gobs of minerality. This comes off seamless throughout the drinking experience. Salty minerals combine with rich citrus and orchard fruits on the palate. This is somehow even better than the ’22 edition. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2025-2035- 96
2023 Ambar ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir has a stellar nose. Strawberry and guava puree mark the aromatics alongside red rose petals, crushed wet rock and shades of Mandarin orange rind. This is seriously good, as the palate delivers a gorgeous melange of red and dark fruits, with rocky undercurrents. Lush and round at the mouth, this totally over-delivers for the price. Drink 2025-2038- 94
2023 Ambar ‘Sacra Terra’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Sacra Terra’ is a stunning wine coming entirely from the Dundee Hills AVA. Stored in mainly new French oak, the oak impact here is very minimal — but adds to the lush texture. This has depth and richness without being overly tannic. The rocky soil character really shines here as lush dark fruits combine with kumquat zest, and shades of bergamot. Drink 2025-2040- 95