05 Mar Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Rex Hill 2019 Pinot Noir, Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Willamette Valley

Wine is made to pair with food. And when you have a pairing that really works together, it might stop you in your tracks. That is what happened while I attended a wine pairing lunch at Rex Hill Winery in the Willamette Valley, and that is why the Rex Hill 2019 Pinot Noir, Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Willamette Valley, is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Rex Hill:

Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, within the Willamette Valley, in Newberg, Oregon, Rex Hill Winery was founded in 1982 by Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen. Originally a hazelnut farm and roastery, and later a pig farm, Paul and Jan planted more than 17 acres of Pinot Noir on the 38-acre property that makes up the Rex Hill Estate Vineyard. In 1987, they purchased the Jacob-Hart Vineyard which had formally been an old turkey farm. Here the Pinot Noir is planted in at least 13 different soil types and sits on a warm southeast-facing slope of the Chehalem Ridge. In addition to Pinot Noir, they also have plantings of Chardonnay. Both vineyards are Demeter Certified Biodynamic, LIVE Certified, and Salmon Safe and Rex Hill is a certified B Corporation.

Rex Hill renovated its historic tasting room in 2021 and they offer a variety of experiences including seated tastings and winery tours. But the special experience is The Somm’s Table, a four-course wine and food pairing guided by the in-house Sommelier and expertly paired with dishes created by Winery Chef Billy Brownlee. Chef Billy grew up on the Gulf Coast, then moved to New Orleans where he spent several years in the food industry before working abroad and ultimately moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Tasting Notes

The Rex Hill Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard 2019 Pinot Noir is 18% whole cluster and was aged for 10 months in 43% new oak, 33% 1-year-old barrels, and 24% in 2-year-old barrels. The resulting wine has brambly, blackberry, and blue fruit aromas, as well as floral and earthy notes. The wine is beautifully balanced and complex with dusty tannins.

Food Pairing

As much as I enjoyed the wine on its own, it was when I took a bite with the pairing Chef Billy had prepared, that everything was elevated to another level. The dish was braised beef short ribs with potato gratin and roasted shitake butter. Seven layers of very thinly sliced potato, with onions in between the layers was covered in the roasted shitake butter, which was like a big hug. The richness of the wine was a match with the beef and the acidity cut through the roasted shitake butter. There was a beautiful harmony between the food and wine which made both shine and leave a memorable impression. For more wine and food pairing ideas, check out the recipes on the Rex Hill website.

Where To Purchase

The Rex Hill Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard 2019 Pinot Noir retails for $95 and can be purchased directly on the Rex Hill website.