1999 Rex Hill Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Willamette

Ripe and seductive, generous with its rich plum, cherry and currant flavors, wrapped with spicy, creamy oak notes on the long finish. Has fine tannins and juicy acidity to balance, but is approachable already. Drink now through 2008. 470 cases made ~92WS

Maresh (pronounced marsh) has been a benchmark Pinot producer for decades, as this lovely wine demonstrates. There is a smoky, almost chipotle-like character laced into the sweet fruit. It's a young wine, still showing tangy acids and slightly chalky tannins, but there is a lot of texture and depth already, and a couple more years in bottle will bring it all together. —P.G. ~91 WE