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1999 Pinot Noir Jacob-Hart Vineyard

(updated 2/28/02)

2000 (Rex Hill North Block)
2000 (Bethel Heights Wadenswil Clone)
2000 (Stoller Vineyards Clone 115)
1999 | 1998 (Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard)
1999 | 1998 (Bethel Heights Southeast Block)
1999 | 1998 (Jacob-Hart Vineyard)

Chehalem 1999 Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Wine

This wine is very limited and is a result of ongoing experimentation between Chehalem and two close friends at Bethel Heights and Rex Hill. Since 1998 the three wineries have exchanged fruit from key vineyard blocks, making wines that, when assembled into a 3 by 3 tasting array, give insight to the relative influences of terroir, winemaking style and, replicated over several years, vintage. The concept is that vineyard distinctions are important determinants in wine quality, but that winemaking style can often mask nuance site differences. With three different approaches, even the same vineyard can reflect differently. This is the second of three consecutive vintages in which we deviated from our Estate Bottled Only philosophy to learn more.

The Vineyard

Rex Hill has numerous vineyards of its own, some it manages and several from which it only sources fruit in the Willamette Valley. Jacob-Hart Vineyard is in the Chehalem Hills and is on an iron-bearing volcanic soil called Jory. The vineyard is on the mid-flank of the Chehalem Ridge, was planted beginning in the mid-eighties by Rex Hill owners Jan Jacobsen and Paul Hart (thus the vineyard name). The site is non-irrigated, relatively shallow and therefore easily water stressed in late season. Its elevation is 3-400 feet and is easily ripened. The Jacob-Hart Vineyard has been vineyard designated for several years as a key Rex Hill property. The vineyard is known for robust, briary, ripe berry fruit aspects with dusty, dark spices.

The Vintage

The 1999 vintage is the second of three excellent vintages in a row. A great year for white wines because of retained acidity, Pinot noir also benefited from good structure and good ripeness, making the vintage good for aging. Some vineyards were exceptional in the vintage, others very good. Ridgecrest Vineyards excelled, with extremely low tonnage of 1.4 tons/acre yielding a density of fruit and structure unparalleled to-date.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/17/99, harvested @ 23.2 brix, 7.6 g/L acid and 3.48pH

Fermentation:

Fermented with indigenous yeasts with 10 days total skin contact, 8 days of that pre-maceration; acidulated with 05 g/L; no post maceration; not totally dry at pressing, i.e. stick fermentation requiring finish in barrel

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 11 months with one racking in 1/3 new, 1year and 2 year French oak

Clonal Selection:

Pommard clones

Bottling:

Bottled 9/20/00 with no fining and no filtration

Bottling Analyses:

Cases Produced:

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

February, 2002

Winemaker's Comments

The characteristic Jacob Hart fruit shows through, with dust, exotically spiced plummish elements. There is a firm structure but also a brightness and clarity. Although the wine is perfectly dry now, the time in barrel with residual sugar allowed a slight bllom of Brett, which, like ML, is attractive to some and puzzling to others. I personally am intrigued by those blue fruit aspects. Like exotoc perfume, this will be right for most of us, too much for others. Balance is good, fruit strong and structure rustic. A moderate to big size. Pleased.