2003 Maresh Red Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir

[dananne]

This Red Hills of Dundee estate in the Willamette Valley are grape growers, though wines under their own label are made for them by Rex Hill and Archery Summit, and these wines are only sold on site in their red barn tasting room. We've stopped there the last two summers, and we liked their P/Q and friendly atmosphere. This one was made by Archery Summit, though Rex Hill also made a Red Hills Vineyard wine that we purchased. It's interesting to taste the differences between the two wines, as the fruit is the same, so any differences are clearly the impact of the winemaker.

Anyway, dark ruby with purple flashes, and a nose of black cherry with toasty notes and toffee. The cherry flavors mingle with, in Anne's words, "more cherries." I also noticed the toffee note show up on the finish, and it also had the "pine needle" thing that I detect in many Oregon PN. We liked it. Though the vintage has produced many wines that show stewed flavors and heat, this one only clocks in at 13%, and it was very nicely balanced. It cost in the $25 range.

[dananne]

We had the Rex Hill-produced version of this one over two nights. Again, it's so interesting to note the differences between the two wines, since they're working with the same grapes that Archery Summit used. This one was a light garnet color, with aromas and flavors of strawberries and cream. Tart cherry on the finish. True to the variety in texture, weight, acidity. Same 13% alc. as the other bottling, same price. In '03, we may have preferred the Archery one, but not by a whole lot.