This bottle of fine Rex Hill Vineyards Pinot Noir 2003 is looking for a home in a loving wine glass or two, like pouring wine into wine. 

The 2003 vintage was the most interesting harvest since 1997. The growing season can be summed up with one word: hot. Spring was warm so that budbreak and flowering progressed unimpeded to yield an abundant crop. Summer brought hot weather that lasted through most of harvest, which was accelerated by a hot east wind. Higher elevations and older vineyards ripened more slowly but generally harvest came on quickly. The clusters were perfect with more tropical and mango notes than normal. The slight dehydration of the grapes made for more concentrated flavors and, most importantly, an underlying ripe acidity making for a tremendous vintage.

REX HILL Winery, founded in 1982 by Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen, was built around an old fruit and nut drying facility and opened in 1985. The original vineyard around the winery is now all Pinot Noir except for one row of Muscat left for the sweet delight of harvest visitors. The focus on high quality Pinot Noir at the gateway to the Northern Willamette Valley makes REX HILL a must stop on visits to or through wine country.