Brooks Amycas White Blend 2015
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Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Pair with: variety of Asian foods. Sweet & sour pork, crispy or steamed spring rolls, red curry chicken, pad thai, etc. The perception of sweetness, which is actually aromatics, would be a perfect compliment to exotic spices.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Amycas is a blend of 44% Riesling, 21% Pinot Blanc, 15% Muscat, 10% Gewurztraminer and 10% Pinot Gris that are fermented as separate lots. They combine harmoniously on the nose, the Riesling driving this forward with kerosene-tinged citrus fruit, mango and nectarine scents that are well defined. The palate is crisp and fresh with a crisp line of acidity, touches of stem ginger and lemongrass infusing the citrus fruit with an attractive spicy finish that has real "zing" to it. For under twenty dollars, this really delivers a lot of drinking pleasure.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is one of those kitchen sink blends that is better than it has a right to be. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris are all in the mix, and the wine is both aromatic and packed with fresh flavors of bubble gum and tropical fruit candy. It's finished dry, yielding a multipurpose, unique white wine that you may try with just about any food you'd put in front of any of the component grapes.
Other Vintages
2022-
Enthusiast
Wine
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Enthusiast
Wine
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Parker
Robert
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.