Rex Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019

Rex Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019 is a 750ml, 14% ABV Oregon Pinot Noir drawing fruit from across the entire Willamette Valley. This vintage earned 93 points from Wine Spectator, which praised its supple vibrancy and fresh raspberry-pomegranate character, placing it among the stronger regional Pinot Noir releases from the 2019 Oregon growing season.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14%  |  Origin: Willamette Valley, Oregon  |  Vintage: 2019  |  Producer: Rex Hill Winery

Production & Heritage

Rex Hill Winery sits in Oregon's Willamette Valley and has been under the same ownership as A to Z Wineworks since 2007, when the founding families of A to Z acquired the estate. What sets this bottling apart is its sourcing strategy: rather than pulling from a single vineyard or sub-appellation, the 2019 draws grapes from every Willamette Valley sub-AVA, creating a broader, more representative expression of the region. Whole-cluster inclusion during fermentation adds structural complexity and a distinct spice element to the finished wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Floral lavender and violet notes lead into a spice-driven layer of black pepper, cedar, and tobacco. Deeper in the glass, Bergamot tea and dark plum emerge alongside subtle barrel spice and clove.

Taste: The entry delivers dark-spectrum fruit — black cherry, cassis, currant, and wild blueberry — with immediate richness. Mid-palate, chewy tannins take hold and a peppery spice element pushes through the fruit. The structure is rounded but firm, with enough grip to reward patience.

Finish: Long and persistent, with lingering tannin that slowly resolves into a juicy plum note. The spice and dark fruit echo well after the last sip fades.

How to Drink Rex Hill Pinot Noir

This wine is at its most expressive served at around 60°F in a large-bowled Burgundy glass; give it 20–30 minutes of air to let the floral and spice layers fully open. Duck Confit pairing: the wine's dark cherry fruit and tannin structure cut through rich, fatty duck beautifully. Mushroom Risotto: earthy cedar and tobacco notes in the wine mirror the umami depth of wild mushrooms. Charcuterie board: the peppery spice and bright acidity complement cured meats and aged cheeses without overwhelming them.

Best For

• Gifting an Oregon wine enthusiast exploring the breadth of the Willamette Valley
• Anchoring a Pinot Noir flight comparing single-AVA versus multi-AVA expressions
• Pairing with a fall or winter dinner featuring roasted game or braised meats
• Building a cellar of benchmark 2019 Oregon vintages

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rex Hill 2019 Pinot Noir taste like? The dominant profile centers on dark cherry, cassis, and wild blueberry, layered with peppery spice, cedar, and chewy tannins. Floral lavender and tobacco notes add complexity beyond the fruit.

How does Rex Hill Pinot Noir compare to A to Z Pinot Noir? Both wines come from producers under the same ownership since 2007, but Rex Hill sources from every Willamette Valley sub-AVA and incorporates whole-cluster fermentation, resulting in more structural complexity. A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir is generally positioned as a more approachable, everyday drinking wine at a lower price tier.

Is Rex Hill 2019 good for sipping on its own? Yes — with its 93-point Wine Spectator rating and layered tannin structure, this is a wine built for attentive, standalone drinking, especially with a brief decant to open up its aromatic range.

Where is Rex Hill Pinot Noir made? Rex Hill Winery is located in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, one of North America's most celebrated Pinot Noir growing regions. The 2019 vintage specifically draws fruit from vineyards across all of the Valley's recognized sub-appellations.

What foods pair well with Rex Hill 2019? Roasted duck or squab complements the dark fruit and tannin; wild mushroom dishes echo the wine's earthy cedar and tobacco; herb-crusted lamb plays off its peppery spice; aged Gruyère or Comté mirror its richness; and salmon with a berry reduction bridges the fruit-forward and savory elements.

What sizes does Rex Hill 2019 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the widely available format for this vintage.

Is Rex Hill 2019 worth the price? Rex Hill positions as a mid-premium Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, sitting above everyday Oregon bottlings but below single-vineyard reserve wines. A 93-point Wine Spectator score and multi-sub-AVA sourcing give it strong value credentials within that tier.

Why Rex Hill 2019?

Few Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs at this level attempt to represent the entire appellation in a single bottle. By sourcing fruit from every sub-AVA — Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton, and McMinnville among them — the 2019 functions almost as a regional survey, revealing the collective character of Oregon's most important Pinot Noir territory rather than a single site's personality. Whole-cluster fermentation adds a spice-and-structure dimension that many comparably priced Oregon Pinots lack. The 93-point Wine Spectator recognition confirms that the blending strategy succeeds, delivering complexity that justifies its place among the stronger 2019 Oregon releases.