93 points
Sleek and silky, with pretty cherry and mineral flavors that glide seamlessly through the long, vivid finish. This has depth, deft balance
and welcome restraint. Drink now through 2017.—H.S.
Reviews
09 Beaux Freres, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Wine Spectator Insider
August 3, 2011
09 Beaux Freres, The Upper Terrace Vineyard
Wine Spectator Insider
August 3, 2011
94 points
Taut and focused, this offers a cascade of cinnamon, clove, cherry, raspberry and guava flavors, coming together harmoniously
against refined tannins. The finish glides easily. Lingers and lingers. Drink now through 2019.—H.S.
09 Beaux Freres, Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir
Wine Spectator Insider
August 3, 2011
94 points
Light and spicy, with pretty red berry and cinnamon flavors that linger against refined tannins. The flavors expand with each sip, picking up extra mineral and earth nuances, as the finish sails on unabated. It’s the length that makes this special. Drink now through 2019. H.S.
09 Beaux Freres, The Upper Terrace Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
7/15/2011
92+ points
Deep red with a bright rim. Exotically perfumed nose displays an array of dark fruit and floral scents, along with notes of Asian spices, anise
and lavender. Shows very good depth and a surprisingly lithe character, with energetic raspberry and cherry flavors and notes of floral pastilles and licorice. A spicy quality adds energy to the long, sweet, silky finish. This is very young still.
09 Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
7/15/2011
91 points
Vivid red. Sexy, expressive aromas of black raspberry, rose, Asian spices and mocha, with a hint of anise. Sappy and expansive on
entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors and notes of spicecake and candied flowers. Puts on weight with air and finishes with very good focus, length and subtle smokiness. This drinks very well right now.
09 Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
7/15/2011
92 points
Bright ruby. Perfumed, vibrant aromas of blackberry, dried flowers, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, precise and energetic, showing a suave blend of power and finesse. Very pure red and dark berry, spice and mineral flavors linger impressively on the sappy, persistent finish. This is approachable now but has the spine and power to age.
2007 Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
may/jun 09
90 points
Bright red. Red currant and strawberry on the nose, with a lively underpinning of brown spices. Finely etched red berry flavors are given spine by a nervy mineral quality and pick up a rose pastille note on the back end. Finishes with a sweeter black raspberry quality and very good, sneaky persistence. This wine should age nicely on its balance and freshness.
2007 Beaux Freres Upper Terrace Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
may/jun 09
92 points
Deep red with a bright rim. Pungent aromas of red and dark berries, Asian spices and musky herbs. Broad, fleshy, dark berry flavors gain freshness with air and pick up notes of allspice and candied rose. Manages to be both rich and lively, finishing with excellent energy and lingering spiciness. This really hangs onto the palate. More serious than the Beaux Freres Vineyard bottling, but I marginally prefer that wine's liveliness.
2007 Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
may/jun 09
"92 points
Vivid red. Bright berry and cherry aromas are complicated by dried rose and brown spices. Tangy, sharply focused red fruits on the palate, with slow-mounting spiciness and building power. Silky tannins add grip to the very long, seamless finish. This gained weight with air but maintained admirable vivacity and clarity."
08 Vintage Overview
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
jul/aug 2010
"Mike Etzel told me that when he got started here, back in the late 1980’s, he’d use “anything available to make the biggest, richest, inkiest and most kick-your-ass wine possible: enzymes, heavily toasted new oak, ridiculously low yields, whatever. But people change, and I’ve evolved, and so have our customers. We want to showcase what makes pinot unique, and that’s power without massiveness, red fruit and not black, delicate and not inky. Basically, finesse.” Etzel describes 2008 as a cross between 2007 and 2006, “with really good density but also freshness. The clusters and grapes were tiny so there’s real structure, which will make them age really well.” Etzel has immersed himself in biodynamic practices but believes that the most important move he has made in recent years is to move the wines as little as possible. “They sit for about 11 months in barrel on their gross lees and we move them with a Bulldog Pup [a gas pressure device that is the most gentle tool available for transferring wine from vessel to vessel] to preserve freshness. Because there’s so little movement of the wines before bottling they really need a lot of air if you open them young.” If you plan on drinking any of these ‘08s any time soon, Etzel advises opening them, pouring off a touch (to drink, of course) and recorking them to drink the following day, a regimen that I can vouch for here."
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Reviewer
- Harvey Steiman (9)
- Josh Raynolds (10)