Wine: Oregon, 2005 - Rex Hill Pinot Noir

2005
Oregon, Willamette Valley
Rex Hill Vineyards Pinot Noir

Down the highway from Seattle to Eugene, the Willamette Valley is a great long rolling boulevard of gentle hills covered in soft emerald grass. Under a blazing blue sky in late spring, punctuated by light, white clouds, the landscape is infused with so much natural sunlight and so much fresh color that it seems to illuminate the soul of anyone looking upon it.


Somehow this image is inseparable from the taste of a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Somehow, the lighter, refreshing Pinot Noirs, full of ripe berry flavors, seem to be what I always thought wine should taste like. And if I had to imagine what the place that grows the grapes looks like, it would probably look and feel a lot like the Willamette Valley.

I hadn't tried 2005 yet, so I picked up a bottle to see what I thought. Perhaps its still too early to tell, but there's nothing wrong with the Rex Hill Pinot Noir. It's a little richer than your average Pinot Noir, and a little spicier. It's pretty young, so it's still got the fresh acidity and bitterness that will dissolve with time, but its strong enough now to suggest that it will age well for at least a few years. At this age, it's a little reckless, so it needs to be reigned in with some strong oils.

The Giovanni Votpi & Company Chianti Salami (USA, available at Trader Joe's) is a little too mild on its own to hold my attention, but with this Pinot Noir it balanced out the acid nicely enough that you could catch a glimpse of some of the more subtle fruit and spice flavors, like raspberry and green peppers. Trader Joe's Picholine Green Olives (France) have a great vanilla undertone which brought out the oak in the wine.

On the whole, let this one sit for a while, but the pay off may be worth it a few years down the road.

A.M.K.
Seattle, USA
March 11, 2007