Remarkably and seamlessly complex, with a polished and refined core wrapped in silky raspberry and blueberry flavors, accented by savory spice and orange zest hints. The long finish builds toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2025.
Beaux Frères has helped set the standard for modern Pinot Noir in Oregon since its founding in the late 1980s, part of the second generation of Willamette Valley wineries. Founder Mike Etzel is not hands-on in the cellar these days, but son Mike D. Etzel and his team haven’t lost a beat. This 2018 is the wine of the vintage to date, from a year that had its challenges. The 24-acre Beaux Frères Vineyard is planted to a mixture of Pommard, Wädenswil and newer Dijon clones on a steep south-facing slope on Ribbon Ridge, a sweet spot in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.
A wine of presence and expression, impeccably structured yet elegantly layered, with evocative raspberry, rose petal and brown baking spice notes that pick up richness and tension toward fine-grained tannins.
Impeccably polished and structured, with gracefully expressive cherry and blueberry flavors, laced with black tea, spice and orange peel notes, taking on richness toward refined tannins.
Harmonious yet dynamic, with fervent violet and raspberry notes that pick up orange peel and black tea accents along the way to a polished, structured finish.
Distinctive, and tight at first, but blooms in the glass, rich yet delicate, with lemon verbena, apricot blossom and minerally lime notes that play out on the long, supple finish. — TF
The Beaux Frères Vineyard track record (Vintages 1991-2018)
Combines structure with verve, offering richly expressive raspberry, violet and orange peel flavors that take on polish and complexity toward well-buffed tannins.
Brilliant magenta. Mineral-accented red berries, incense and candied flowers on the expansive, seductively perfumed nose, with a spicy accent adding vivacity. Sappy, alluringly sweet and sharply delineated on the palate, offering juicy cherry, raspberry preserve and lavender pastille flavors that are sharpened by a zesty Asian spice nuance. Fine-grained and seamless in texture, finishing extremely long and precise, with resonating spiciness and smooth, well-knit tannins.
Seduces you immediately, with expressive violet and dark raspberry aromas that open to polished and brilliantly structured blueberry, savory anise and tea flavors that take on richness on a long finish. Drink now through 2026. From Oregon.
