Well balanced, mature Burgundian style pinot noir. Farmyard, redcurrant, and subdued spice. Velvet texture and astringent, almost like Bonnes Mares. Most guests thought it was a Grand Cru Burgundy.
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Selected to accompany sous vide filet mignon with bearnaise sauce - a suitable pairing. Originally purchased at the winery and held at cellar temps since release. Still in fine condition and good for what it is. Nice balance and structure in a full-bodied wine. Well stored bottles still have plenty of life ahead.
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This wine has held up very well over the years. It remains blue and red fruited with a generous personality. Amazing that there is still fruit left at this stage of the game. Through the mid-pallet you can tell it has some age because it is more savory with a cardamom dried oak leaf flavor. What is really impressive about the wine is that the beautiful Pinot texture remains intact with a black truffle finish. Fun to try if you get a chance.
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Needed more time to decant and I served it too cold. Wife said it was one dimensional and didn’t like the color. I thought it was on the way down and while I enjoyed it, it did fade at the end.
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Wide cross-section of cherry aromas and flavors with slightly sweet baking spice. This was bigger and more exciting when young, but it has added some nice nuanced character on its long finish.
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From magnum. Very little of the BF spritz on opening and it dissipated quickly. Just excellent. Had some the following day and it had fallen off a little bit. Pop and pour the next one.
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From magnum. A nose of dark fruit and Asian spice is followed by faint tannin, solid acid, tastes of black cherry and forest floor. Balanced and rich. Really wonderful.
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The ruby color is starting to brick at the meniscus. Plenty of acidity still and you notice the alcohol a bit (a negative), but the wine still took 30 minutes to fully open. Lovely black and Bing cherry fruit with the slightest amount of tartness, hints of cedar. More Burg than Cali. This wine actually has some years left.
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Perfect fill and cork from a bottle stored well since release. There was hope at opening, but the fruit faded fairly quickly and left nothing to enjoy. C
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Trio of Beaux Freres - 00,01,02. We drank a quartet two years ago; this year a trio. Interestingly, all three of these presented similar to last time. The 00 was the most reserved, but showed nicely. The 01 was a step up, and consensus #1 of the trio. The 02 was the biggest, and most youthful. These show no signs of decline, and there's no reason to hurry drinking them.
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Nicely floral, black fruit, lots of baking spice and dark chocolate. Very tasty. Good concentration and length, just finishing a little flat with a very ripe note.
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From prior notes: "medium ruby color - nose of red fruits, herbs. Palate this time seemed brighter than last bottle. Red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavender, baking spices..."
An elegant and restrained wine, it is still bright. Nicely aged and in a good spot. Noted on this bottle a bit more raspberry, baking spice and cinnamon. Our guests were split on this, Valerie and I always like BF. Was too lean for CVA, probably looking for the earthiness of a Burgundy...This is my last bottle of this vintage. Decant matters for this wine, would drink over the next few years, seems as if it may start to fade.
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This is delicious. Classic pinot noir profile of spicy fruits, cinnamon, some menthol, a little stem. The style is bright and restrained, could be old world except it lacks the earthiness of France. There's a sneaky length and persistence that it's compelling. Terrific Oregon PN.
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brick red in color and divine in taste. This 11 year old Willamette Valley Pinot is a gem revealing blackberry, cherry, moss. It didn't take that much time to open.
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Surprisingly youthful in appearance: dark crimson-purple in the glass, no evidence of fading. A beguiling nose, but not typical – brambly, blackberry pie. Similarly young and rich on the palate, lots of dark fruit and new oak vanilla. The wine is well balanced, tasty, and will provide many more years of life, but tasted blind I would be hard pressed to identify it as an Oregon pinot. Not my style, and therefore unrated.
A Quartet of Beaux Freres (The Kenwood - Minneapolis): The biggest wine of the group. Puppy fat, and showing more oak. Still seems relatively youthful, but is very charming and has a lot of weight. We liked this a lot - ranked #3 tonight - but it may turn out to be the best of the group in a few more years.
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In OC with Butch and Valerie. Opened for about an hour on slow ox, this bottle performed really well. Clean cork coming out
Basics consistent with prior notes: medium ruby color - nose of red fruits, herbs. Palate this time seemed brighter than last bottle. Red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavendar, baking spices. Longer finish, than I recall on the last bottle. Mellowed but doesnt seem past its prime at all.
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A bit disappointed. While the wine was just starting to diminish, it was not past its time, and had an edge to it that I didn't expect from Beaux Frères.
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Lots of ripe red and black cherry with plenty of sweet baking spice with good intensity and depth. Still fresh and vibrant. Slight signs of heat on finish. Good now, but this will hold nicely for 5+ years.
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Decanted for 30min, rich, smokey, plummy nose, the palate is full of cherry, plums, raspberry, minerals and earthy notes. There was a manufactured note that distracted slightly from the overall flavor. I have had this bottle in my cold cellar for a number of years and based on this bottle should drink well for a few more years.
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Pre Easter weekend dinner with the family in OC. Slox Oxed for about 90 minutes, I find BF drinks well out of the bottle but benefits from a decant.
Medium ruby color. Nose is red fruits, Provencal herbs. Palate is red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavendar.
BF Pinot is very consistent in my experieince. The wine has aged nicely, elegant and restrained. probably has more time ahead of it but will not improve much. Right in its zone now
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Had a very distinct effervescence upon opening which blew off after 30 minutes in the glass. Very nice wine, holding up well, but I've preferred the younger vintages of Beaux Freres I've tried.
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Popped with what looked to be a beautiful piece of wild caught salmon, which we then cedar planked. Fish turned out to be flavorless. The wine fared far better and held up it's end of the bargain. Still have half the bottle left for tomorrow. Sure seems to me like it has ample life left, if you're holding a few.
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Minneapolis Wine Spectator Offline (Fire Lake Grill, Minneapolis MN): This wine was noticeably aged, yet still maintained a lovely fruity aroma with hints of spice and oak. It was well-balanced, light, and with flavors of ripe and dried berries, spice, and some mineral/earthy qualities. The finish was long and complex, and it seemed to sparkle on the palate. Very reminiscent of Burgundy, only better! Drink now!
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Medium-dark color, showing decent fruit and cola. In good shape for its age, and showing well, with a style that did not seem so over the top when the Sea Smoke was next to it...I preferred the Mt Eden, but this was not bad and others preferred it. A-
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Big, rich, cola, heat. Plenty of dark fruit, but just overpowering. Will see if overnight it improves, but right now just too much to enjoy with food and would suggest after dinner. Certainly seems to have some life left to it. B+/?
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This is fantastic, plummy, black cherry, earthy, minerals, bold, bright and juicy; I could go on and on, this bottle just lingers on the palate, unfolding on multiple layers. :)
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Last bottle and it was a beauty. Bright, almost juicy with sweet fruit, but balanced by very ample acidity. Tannins felt resolved to us...this bottle was drank at a near perfect time. Brilliant.
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This pinot showed a hint of age with brownish accents at the rim, but more importantly, the wine was drinking wonderfully. Tasting notes included red fruits - plums, cherries - rounded out with spice, stems and earth. Ready to drink now; can't imagine this improving with additional cellar time.
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showed best the next day. Initially tight with tannin but not much fruit. Then opened up and plum, jam, cherry, leather. delicious with chicken with morel pear sauce.
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Beautiful earthy/plummy nose and flavors; slightly effervescent and smooth with fantastic acidity to balance; very long finish that really lingers; lovely.
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Not aging particularly well. Frankly, this is made like an over-oaked merlot from California. It's in no way representative of the Wilamette valley. Not a bad wine, just an over-priced, overrated one.
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This is one domestic pinot that I'm not afraid to give plenty of air. This got well over an hour in a decanter. Great nose of blueberries, violets, pine needles, peppery spices, dry stones.. very balanced mouthfell with nice fresh darker fruits blueberries and blackberries, peppers, roses, underbrush, nice acidity, smooth, and medium plus finish. This is the third time that I've checked in with this over the last 4 years and it's really starting to show me something. IMHO has the potential to be the best BF BF yet... We shall see in the next 5-10? This was a wedding year wine Happy Anniversary Amy! 92++
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Popped and poured a glass, initial reaction was only mediocre. After about 30 minutes, a green stemmy note on the palate, and a short finish. Unlikely I'll finish a glass, the rest will be for cooking, but I'll edit if it improves. (it didn't)
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I've been disappointed in how a number of vintages of this wine have turned out over time but the 2002 is clearly a winner here. Has that spritzy acidity (often overdone in this wine but not in this vintage) but it's balanced by ripe blueberry fruit along with a lovely silky texture. Perfectly aged now and totally delicious.
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I've generally been disappointed with the way many vintages of this wine have aged but every once in a while they seem to hit it right and this '02 is a really good representation of this vineyard at its best. A very fresh wine with good acidity and great matching richness of blueberry fruit. A very elegant pinot texture that leads to a finely concentrated finish with note of minerals spice. Big-boned but with cool fruit. Perfectly ready now.
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Mostly strawberry on the nose. Strawberry, raspberry, sour cherry, chocolate and leather on the palate. Bright, prickly acidity. Very dry and long finish. By itself, a little too spiky for my taste due to the acidity but perfect match with the duck confit, the food taming the acidity, ramping up the sweetness on the fruit and revealing an earthy note that went nicely with the lentils. Probably as good as it will get.
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This is an excellent example of a rich, concentrated but well structured Pinot Noir from Oregon whose quality approaches a Grand Cru level. The taste consumed the palate with a combination of dark berries, ripe plums and a mystery laden oriental spice. A wonderful wine and even at this price a good value compared with its French Burgundian cousins.
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Very hot, on the nose and palate. Similar experience to most of the other notes. Dark flavors which were not very Pinot. Loads of mushroom maybe some jerky, but the alcohol was too overpowering for it to be all that enjoyable. Too bad, because the wine under the alcohol was very interesting.
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Still a dark color, with big New World nose of cherries, rubber and some heat. But it has softened a bit with some age, and was pleasant to have with food. Not my style most of the time, but for a New World pinot this is very good. May be near its peak, as I am just not sure how long the fruit will hold, but feels like it may have a few years left before it starts to decline. A-
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Upon corking it had an almost fermented taste like there were bubbles in it. That blew off after about 20 minutes and the wine started to show itsef. Typical nose of BF, you could smell the 'imprint' that biodynamic farming leaves. This wine help up well and was still good the next day. I think it will not likely improve but should last a few years at least.
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Dissapointing to me. I expected more. Fruit is gone, and what is left is sort of brooding, dark flavors that do not resemble pinot. Not that this was bad, just not at all close to what was expected. The finish was long, but not very enjoyable in terms of flavors. Acidity pretty high. Let's see how the rest of the stash goes.
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Maybe I had a bad egg, but I found it thin and overly acidic and alcoholic, reminiscent of cough syrup. Very disappointed, will have to try one of the others in time I have remaining. In time it got no better, decanting, vinturi etc...
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Random Wines at Mike and Karen's house.: This spent a good 45 minutes in the decanter and it came out smooth as a babies bottom. rich nose of wet earth,cherries,plums,a bit of smoke, and baking spices. mouth is very balanced and smooth. It brings plums,cranberries,cloves into nice silky finish. Drinking well now after getting some air but still has plenty of energy left.
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A random Saturday Evening (Mike and Karen's): nose: lovely and wafting nose filled with fresh picked strawberries, plums, all sorts of purple floral tones, bits of various spices and nice tones of shiitake mushrooms. Beautiful depth with real nice expression
taste: very pretty and elegant on the palate with nice medium+ acidity along with tones of strawberries, plums, purple florals, bits of spice, and hints of smoke on the back end that gives way to a lovely finish
overall: starting to drink well, and has a real nice elegance to it. Certainly has a ways to go, but one should not feel bad about popping one of these right now. Lovely aromas and flavors that are well in balance that is just pure classic oregonian pinot noir
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Consumed at an offline. Nice but not a standout wine. No flaws. Will consume the next with aeration and appropriate food to see what will be best with this wine.
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Maybe I had a bad egg, but I found it thin and overly acidic. Very disappointed, will have to try one of the others in time I have remaining. In time it got no better.
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Very nicely done. Some earth on the nose that blew off, though it was an enjoyable scent. Good balance of fruit and acid, though fuller bodied than many burgundies. Interesting allspice and cinnamon notes in midpalate leading to a moderately long finish. Ready to drink but will last five more years.
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From a magnum - popped and poured. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, earth and just a bit of bramble. This is a great vintage and it shows in this wine. Absolutely perfectly balanced with dark fruit, cherry and loam flavors. Hard to identify individual flavors as it is so well balanced, integrated and smooth. A seamless wine with no rough edges. Long, smooth finish. One of the better examples of Oregon pinot that I have enjoyed in the last several years. I agree that it is in a burgundian-styled wine and that it is very food friendly. We had it with grilled pork tenderloin and it was a near-perfect match.
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Definitely a food wine. Far too much heat dominates the fruit. Dark fruits are nice (raspberries, dark cherries and just a bit of plum) and take well over an hour of decanting to show up. It's a good wine, but a clear attempt to apply Burgundian style to the Willamette Valley. In this regard, it fails.
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Can’t believe that this is still effervescent on opening. Just like it was a couple years ago. Softened after breathing. The Kosta Browne RRV put this to shame. But this was still enjoyable. I expected more. Time to drink it up.
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HUB Tasting (Custom House): Bright red/pink color. Big rich briar red fruit with some spice and a hitn of heat. nice balanced red fruit on the palate with spicy black notes. Still a bit warm, but nice with the food.
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Again with the spritz, but bright heady nose of cranberry, strawberry, and slight anise. Deeply textured mouthfeel and long finish with tannins fairly well resolved. Clearly preferred to the 2000.
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Clear medium red, with a very subtle nose of spices. Feminine styled, straddling the new and old world but probably closer to the French style. In particular, not "hot" tasting at all, and I got no astringency either. Very pleasant to drink now, fully integrated and nothing out of place.
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This bottle of wine has finally come around. I know there have been many fans of this wine over the years, but I always thought it was too tightly wound. Now that the tannins and acid have moderated over time this wine is still showing some fine fruit character, but with distinct rose, cardamom and nori notes. The still moderately present tannins would make this wine a good blind ringer for a Vosne-Romanee, 1ere Cru quality? Drank with Siggy at the LH Homestead.
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Brick red color. This wine is aging gracefully and has shed/integrated some of the jammy fruit character that it showed in its youth. Dusty red fruit, with an earthy, sous bois character and some baking spice. Soft texture; fairly well resolved tannin. Moderately long finish. Based on this bottle, I'd suggest drinking these up within the next few years.
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Ruby color. Nose was packed with floral notes, cinnamon, iodine, blackberry, blueberry, and earthiness. Still a bit citrusy and acidic on the palate, but also full of integrated blueberry and plum fruit with a hint of extraction. Long, very harmonious finish. Best bottle of our three, and unfortunately the last.
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Exceptional Oregon Pinot. We both loved this wine front to back. Full, sweet nose, but with hints of earth, licorice, hard candy (the kind your grandma had in her purse?), and a llittle berry as well. That 'Oregon Pinot' nose if you know what I mean. The entry on the palate is smoth and supremely balanced, R tasting mushrooms along with cranberries. I found the finish to be spectacular, very juicy and succulent, almost mouthwatering. R actually said '97', and she is usually more of a tough sell. Very well done.
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Pretty transluscent ruby red. Attractive earthy dark and perfumy cherry aromas. The flavor was rich sour cherry with a hint (early on) of a candy like my daughter's Icebreakers "berry splash." moderate tannins. good balance. med-long finish. Tasty but not earth shaking.
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wonderful wine. a little more cellaring will just make it even better. the nose was burgundian with red fruits and and minerals. taste was great however longer cellaring will just bring the wine together more.
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Good clear dark cherry color. Fine Burgundian-style nose of earthy cherries and bacon. Quite smooth and elegant and classically lean with a good kick of charred cherry fruit, bacon fat and allspice on the long, rich finish. In general, I've been disappointed with many vintages of this wine but the '02 seems like the real deal. Drinking well now.
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San Diego Pinot-fest (Cuvee Restaurant - Del Mar, CA): On its own, I might have liked this one quite a bit more. However, given the company of wine I was in, I'll just say that it was very good. Not excellent, just very good. Of course, I may be splitting hairs here, but isn't that what wine geeks do? Very good aromas of cherry cider and spice introduce very good sour cherry and plum fruit flavors, some earthiness, and a very good acidic spine.
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Extended family dinner of planked salmon. Popped and poured. Complex, fantastic, dynamic nose -- earth, spice, peat, forest floor -- that is very Burgundian in style. On the palate, this shows slightly restrained, high-toned dark fruit, earth, minerals, black tea, and light spice. While this put on a bit of weight with air, it didn't develop enough mid-palate density or length to be truly extraordinary. Delicious nonetheless. A dead ringer for a Burgundy (and I mean that as a compliment!)
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Uncorked and left in bottle for about an hour. Nice ruby color. Nose was notable for cinnamon, black cherry, and blackberry scents. Seamless and layered presentation of fruit on the palate, mostly bing cherry and raspberriy accompanied by leather, mulling spices, and nice grip at the end. Long, memorable finish which was elegant and classy. Very nice showing.
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The Wine Summit 2007: Beaux Frères - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 9:00 A.M. (The Post Hotel - Lake Louise, AB): Deeper ruby colour – fairly wide rim; perfumy nose with dark cherry dominating the aromas – nutmeg spice – sweet oak and that enticing licorice note; harmonious mix of fruit, spice and oak – beautifully textured on a firm structure – acidity pleasing – rich, sweet cherry flavours; finishes long with the balanced flavours running through. We very much enjoyed this wine at the Saturday dinner – partnered with a pan seared filet of Ahi Tuna on Swiss Chard, with a red wine fish sauce. It was another of the outstanding partnerships at this dinner. Mmmmm!
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This one had a little spritz that blew off quickly. Fruit is muted but still rustic and good. Seem like it has closed down and is not as approachable as previous bottles. Maybe 89pts tonight.
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Clear and dark color, Pinot fruit on the nose, spice and cherry fruit - sometimes sweet, sometimes sour - on the palate. Enjoyable wine consumed with appetizer of smoked salmon. Will hold the other 5 for a bit. Try #2 next year!
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Decanted for 90 minutes. Color was beautiful, more garnet than ruby. Extremely attractive nose of redcurrants, mulling spices, and leather that I hoped would portend good things for the palate. Good news, as the palate was a medium-bodied beam of raspberry, strawberry, pepper, and cinnamon with lots of verve and just enough refreshing acidity. Tannins and fruit were well-balanced, and the finish was moderate and sweet. The decanter emptied quickly! Showing very well at this early stage, definitely greater than the sum of its component parts.
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I have had this wine many times now, and the notes are pretty consistent. The '02 Beaux Freres pops out at you from the glass with an exotic perfume of amber, currant, minerals, and is largely dominated by dark red rose. When you first smell it you could mistake it for soap because the flower/rose is so dominant in the glass. The texture is a little rough and the finish dries out a little, which prevents it from being a truly outstanding wine. This wine rewards (and needs) heavy decanting 2+hrs.
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A perfectly stored bottle purchased directly from the winery but the wine is so overly acidic that it was difficult to drink. I've had other Beaux Freres that open this way and then soften after extended aeration but this bottle stayed that way and while it seemed like the underlying fruit was sweet and attractive, I just couldn't get to it. Will wait a few years and try another bottle.
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Decanted about 4-1/2 hours. On the nose, cherries and plums and some oak and oak spiciness. On the palate, full bodied with cherries leading the attack, with a touch of cola and plums, and a long, spicy, oaky finish.
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Extended family dinner of alder planked salmon. Not decanted. Deep brick red with no lightening. Wow, this was a seriously elegant, structured, complex Pinot that opened up beautifully over 2-3 hours. Great aromatics. Chocolate covered cherries, baking spices, forest floor. Lots of fruit. Supple, medium body with fine tannins on the finish. This should age very well. Hold off for a few more years if you can.
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Bigger than the 1999 also opened but not as enjoyable right now. Great fruit, but more acidity and not quite perfectly in balance right now. I am confident this will be an excellent wine but I'd hold onto it until 2008. Have no fear of the fruit fading. For now, I'd clearly vote for the 1999. But I will need a recount a few years down the road.
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Clear garnet, light color. Strong pinot-fruit, with some sous bois -- very burgundian -- on the nose. Round, dar fruit, a little cola on the palate. Overall, very good.
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Very burgundian and still very tight and structured. Over the course of 3 hours it did open up and reveal more cherry and spice as well as more plushness. Clearly, like the 2002 Grand Cru Burgundies, this needs time, but it is a winner.
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(from memory) This is a thick rich concentrated black pinot. It has tons of fruit and starts out a bit 'closed down' like so many oregon pinots do, but opened up nicely with time. Has almost a Kistler like richness. Nice, but not awesome. Should get substantially better in 3-5 years. 3/05
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Decanted for 3 hours before drinking......made a big difference. Had with 2 different cheeses, a raw sheep and a goat with juniper together with rye bread and kalmata olives and the combination was very pleasing. Rhe wine greatly complimented the cheeses and bread whereas the 2003 Ambullneo..much more fruit forward better complemented the apples. This was the first (0f 20) of this wine and while yet young is very promising. Very balanced, should continue to evolve for several years...drinkable now with decanting.
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WOW This is an incredible wine which is still very young. Decanted for 2 hours. Deep, purplish red color. Dark spice nose. Still fairly closed and somewhat tannic. Intense flavor of blackberries. I actually had fresh ones in the house and was able to confirm this. But then - the most incredible aftertaste I have ever experienced. It was almost more intense than the first taste and seemed to go on for minutes. I am so glad that I have 3 more of these.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Burgundy (Seattle, WA, USA): Uggh, something must have been wrong here, yet none of us could clearly describe this as a defective bottle. Green, alcoholic and stemmy on the nose with searing alcohol on the palate. This just has to be wrong. (The bottle in question was obtained on released from the winery and driven from Oregon to Seattle in an air-conditioned car, so ther is no way it was cooked.) Hmm.
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Two Days in Willamette; 4/22/2004-4/23/2004 (Willamette Valley OR): Tasting at winery. Bright red fruit from start to finish. Very nicely integrated already with some nice exotic spice. Picks up energy on the finish. Good now, I think this will keep improving for 5 more years, then hold well given its concentration and structure.
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7/19/2023 - lesz Likes this wine: 93 Points
just delicious still good fruit.
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2/4/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Out of a magnum. Super light fruit, good nose and good finish on the palate. Very tasty.
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8/29/2022 - GuanYu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Well balanced, mature Burgundian style pinot noir. Farmyard, redcurrant, and subdued spice. Velvet texture and astringent, almost like Bonnes Mares. Most guests thought it was a Grand Cru Burgundy.
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4/10/2021 - Jeepen Likes this wine: 90 Points
After 2 hours scrumptious, complex
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12/27/2020 - Brix wrote:
Selected to accompany sous vide filet mignon with bearnaise sauce - a suitable pairing. Originally purchased at the winery and held at cellar temps since release. Still in fine condition and good for what it is. Nice balance and structure in a full-bodied wine. Well stored bottles still have plenty of life ahead.
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11/14/2020 - lars1014 Likes this wine:
This wine has held up very well over the years. It remains blue and red fruited with a generous personality. Amazing that there is still fruit left at this stage of the game. Through the mid-pallet you can tell it has some age because it is more savory with a cardamom dried oak leaf flavor. What is really impressive about the wine is that the beautiful Pinot texture remains intact with a black truffle finish. Fun to try if you get a chance.
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8/22/2020 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a 3.0 liter bottle.
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7/7/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed more time to decant and I served it too cold. Wife said it was one dimensional and didn’t like the color. I thought it was on the way down and while I enjoyed it, it did fade at the end.
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5/15/2020 - JohnnyBark wrote:
Beautiful Oregon wine. Still nice acid/ fruit balance reminiscent of the vintage. A very consistent bottle. At its peak, but very delicious wine.
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9/30/2019 - wardamnwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed some time to open up, but when it did-excellent.
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2/8/2019 - korniev wrote: 92 Points
Decent american Pinot. Very predictable and streight forward! Its like Toyota in Cars - simply well made, amd you always know what to expect!
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10/17/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 93 Points
Subtle nose earthy fruits subtle especially compared to othe BF vintages
Full bodied flavor subtle fruits
showing really well
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5/13/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wide cross-section of cherry aromas and flavors with slightly sweet baking spice. This was bigger and more exciting when young, but it has added some nice nuanced character on its long finish.
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11/26/2017 - Jack wrote: 96 Points
From magnum. Very little of the BF spritz on opening and it dissipated quickly. Just excellent. Had some the following day and it had fallen off a little bit. Pop and pour the next one.
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11/23/2017 - rmcbrayer wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. A nose of dark fruit and Asian spice is followed by faint tannin, solid acid, tastes of black cherry and forest floor. Balanced and rich. Really wonderful.
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6/2/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
The ruby color is starting to brick at the meniscus. Plenty of acidity still and you notice the alcohol a bit (a negative), but the wine still took 30 minutes to fully open. Lovely black and Bing cherry fruit with the slightest amount of tartness, hints of cedar. More Burg than Cali. This wine actually has some years left.
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3/31/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep color, needed time in the glass developed quite slowly with dark beery taste. Lovely.
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3/16/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry sauce, refreshing clean fruit, tree bark, well balanced. Lacks a bit in the complexity but it's very good overall.
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2/26/2017 - MC wrote:
Perfect fill and cork from a bottle stored well since release. There was hope at opening, but the fruit faded fairly quickly and left nothing to enjoy. C
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12/25/2016 - BradE wrote:
Trio of Beaux Freres - 00,01,02. We drank a quartet two years ago; this year a trio. Interestingly, all three of these presented similar to last time. The 00 was the most reserved, but showed nicely. The 01 was a step up, and consensus #1 of the trio. The 02 was the biggest, and most youthful. These show no signs of decline, and there's no reason to hurry drinking them.
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11/2/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Nicely floral, black fruit, lots of baking spice and dark chocolate. Very tasty. Good concentration and length, just finishing a little flat with a very ripe note.
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10/15/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
A Decadent Wine Day...Zachy's Vault II and Dinner with special guest CVA and friends (Le Bernardin, New York and Chez Walker in Princeton, NJ): First red of the evening. Wanted to contrast with Burgundy profile for our guests. Decanted for about 45 minutes.
From prior notes: "medium ruby color - nose of red fruits, herbs. Palate this time seemed brighter than last bottle. Red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavender, baking spices..."
An elegant and restrained wine, it is still bright. Nicely aged and in a good spot. Noted on this bottle a bit more raspberry, baking spice and cinnamon. Our guests were split on this, Valerie and I always like BF. Was too lean for CVA, probably looking for the earthiness of a Burgundy...This is my last bottle of this vintage. Decant matters for this wine, would drink over the next few years, seems as if it may start to fade.
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5/15/2016 - Merengue wrote: 92 Points
extremely fresh and drinking beautifully with a beam of freshly picked raspberry and an earthy long finish. Wonderful, a great wine.
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1/26/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consumed several years ago. Held up surprisingly well. At peak. Dark fruit. Tannins still give nice structure.
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1/3/2016 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
This is delicious. Classic pinot noir profile of spicy fruits, cinnamon, some menthol, a little stem. The style is bright and restrained, could be old world except it lacks the earthiness of France. There's a sneaky length and persistence that it's compelling. Terrific Oregon PN.
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12/24/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good deep color, soft nose, good feel on the palate, lacked a strong finish.
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11/24/2015 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear youthful color nice nose dark berries and a bit earthy
Full bodied with well defined fruit smooth finish
Lovely wine
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11/13/2015 - lesz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good fruit and acidity. Probably will hold for some more years
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6/26/2015 - Chip & Susanne Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains a delicious pinot.
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5/21/2015 - renapen Likes this wine: 94 Points
brick red in color and divine in taste. This 11 year old Willamette Valley Pinot is a gem revealing blackberry, cherry, moss. It didn't take that much time to open.
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2/22/2015 - Brix wrote:
Surprisingly youthful in appearance: dark crimson-purple in the glass, no evidence of fading. A beguiling nose, but not typical – brambly, blackberry pie. Similarly young and rich on the palate, lots of dark fruit and new oak vanilla. The wine is well balanced, tasty, and will provide many more years of life, but tasted blind I would be hard pressed to identify it as an Oregon pinot. Not my style, and therefore unrated.
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1/23/2015 - BradE wrote:
A Quartet of Beaux Freres (The Kenwood - Minneapolis): The biggest wine of the group. Puppy fat, and showing more oak. Still seems relatively youthful, but is very charming and has a lot of weight. We liked this a lot - ranked #3 tonight - but it may turn out to be the best of the group in a few more years.
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7/22/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second time drinking this vintage. Very nice, but not getting any better.
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6/14/2014 - leadpencil wrote: 94 Points
Cherry, chambord, pine, anise
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5/24/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
In OC with Butch and Valerie. Opened for about an hour on slow ox, this bottle performed really well. Clean cork coming out
Basics consistent with prior notes: medium ruby color - nose of red fruits, herbs. Palate this time seemed brighter than last bottle. Red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavendar, baking spices. Longer finish, than I recall on the last bottle. Mellowed but doesnt seem past its prime at all.
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5/19/2014 - jgoerke Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit disappointed. While the wine was just starting to diminish, it was not past its time, and had an edge to it that I didn't expect from Beaux Frères.
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4/29/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Lots of ripe red and black cherry with plenty of sweet baking spice with good intensity and depth. Still fresh and vibrant. Slight signs of heat on finish. Good now, but this will hold nicely for 5+ years.
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4/26/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 30min, rich, smokey, plummy nose, the palate is full of cherry, plums, raspberry, minerals and earthy notes. There was a manufactured note that distracted slightly from the overall flavor. I have had this bottle in my cold cellar for a number of years and based on this bottle should drink well for a few more years.
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4/18/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Pre Easter weekend dinner with the family in OC. Slox Oxed for about 90 minutes, I find BF drinks well out of the bottle but benefits from a decant.
Medium ruby color. Nose is red fruits, Provencal herbs. Palate is red fruits, dried raspberry, strawberry/rhubarb, oak, earth, lavendar.
BF Pinot is very consistent in my experieince. The wine has aged nicely, elegant and restrained. probably has more time ahead of it but will not improve much. Right in its zone now
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3/11/2014 - Ali wrote: 87 Points
This bottle seemed to be past it's peak. first glass was nice, then it went flat.
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2/7/2014 - aacharya Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. A very solid wine at the beginning, and opened up quite nicely to give that solid, earthy mouthfeel that a great Willamette Valley wine gives.
Not much experience with Beaux Freres, but I'm impressed.
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1/12/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had a very distinct effervescence upon opening which blew off after 30 minutes in the glass. Very nice wine, holding up well, but I've preferred the younger vintages of Beaux Freres I've tried.
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12/29/2013 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Strawberry fruit
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9/28/2013 - Adventr.us Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped with what looked to be a beautiful piece of wild caught salmon, which we then cedar planked. Fish turned out to be flavorless. The wine fared far better and held up it's end of the bargain. Still have half the bottle left for tomorrow. Sure seems to me like it has ample life left, if you're holding a few.
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3/10/2013 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Minneapolis Wine Spectator Offline (Fire Lake Grill, Minneapolis MN): This wine was noticeably aged, yet still maintained a lovely fruity aroma with hints of spice and oak. It was well-balanced, light, and with flavors of ripe and dried berries, spice, and some mineral/earthy qualities. The finish was long and complex, and it seemed to sparkle on the palate. Very reminiscent of Burgundy, only better! Drink now!
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12/23/2012 - MC wrote:
Medium-dark color, showing decent fruit and cola. In good shape for its age, and showing well, with a style that did not seem so over the top when the Sea Smoke was next to it...I preferred the Mt Eden, but this was not bad and others preferred it. A-
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12/21/2012 - lesz wrote: 92 Points
everyone really liked this wine.
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11/28/2012 - Grinner Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum: no notes, just fond memories. This was nearing maturity. The Upper Terrace was younger.
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10/30/2012 - MC wrote:
Big, rich, cola, heat. Plenty of dark fruit, but just overpowering. Will see if overnight it improves, but right now just too much to enjoy with food and would suggest after dinner. Certainly seems to have some life left to it. B+/?
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9/18/2012 - johnwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine is somewhat disappointing and lacks lush, jammy fruit. Maybe it is past its peak.
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9/2/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes and then again at JG Grill. Somewhat reticent nose. But pine scent masculine Cotes de Nuits styled Pinot.
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8/4/2012 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
This is fantastic, plummy, black cherry, earthy, minerals, bold, bright and juicy; I could go on and on, this bottle just lingers on the palate, unfolding on multiple layers. :)
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4/1/2012 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Tasty blackberry and ripe cherries on the nose and palate with leather and mineral notes finishing with well balanced acidity and tannins.
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2/20/2012 - jakearoe wrote:
Last bottle and it was a beauty. Bright, almost juicy with sweet fruit, but balanced by very ample acidity. Tannins felt resolved to us...this bottle was drank at a near perfect time. Brilliant.
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2/11/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Aromas of black cherry with attractive baking spice. Maturing black cherry and red cherry flavors on palate with very nice balance. Drinking very well now.
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12/28/2011 - Edclr wrote:
Last bottle - mag. Beautiful. Wonderfully balanced, fruit still bright, very good acidity, long finish. Can;t ask for more in an American pinot.
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12/18/2011 - wineaux2 wrote: 91 Points
This pinot showed a hint of age with brownish accents at the rim, but more importantly, the wine was drinking wonderfully. Tasting notes included red fruits - plums, cherries - rounded out with spice, stems and earth. Ready to drink now; can't imagine this improving with additional cellar time.
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11/20/2011 - WDSteers wrote: 92 Points
showed best the next day. Initially tight with tannin but not much fruit. Then opened up and plum, jam, cherry, leather. delicious with chicken with morel pear sauce.
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8/31/2011 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful earthy/plummy nose and flavors; slightly effervescent and smooth with fantastic acidity to balance; very long finish that really lingers; lovely.
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7/8/2011 - bwaverley wrote: 83 Points
Not aging particularly well. Frankly, this is made like an over-oaked merlot from California. It's in no way representative of the Wilamette valley. Not a bad wine, just an over-priced, overrated one.
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6/20/2011 - burgbob wrote: 91 Points
Full body and great balance. Breathing more than an hour only seemed to cause some fading of the flavors, so I think this is fully ready to enjoy.
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5/12/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote: 92 Points
This is one domestic pinot that I'm not afraid to give plenty of air. This got well over an hour in a decanter.
Great nose of blueberries, violets, pine needles, peppery spices, dry stones.. very balanced mouthfell with nice
fresh darker fruits blueberries and blackberries, peppers, roses, underbrush, nice acidity, smooth, and medium plus finish.
This is the third time that I've checked in with this over the last 4 years and it's really starting to show me something.
IMHO has the potential to be the best BF BF yet... We shall see in the next 5-10? This was a wedding year wine Happy Anniversary
Amy! 92++
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5/2/2011 - rnellans wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits. Good depth and acid/fruit balance. Touch of oak, not obtrusive. Solid pinot that improves after open for a day. Not a complex wine..
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5/1/2011 - Chuck Miller wrote:
Popped and poured a glass, initial reaction was only mediocre. After about 30 minutes, a green stemmy note on the palate, and a short finish. Unlikely I'll finish a glass, the rest will be for cooking, but I'll edit if it improves. (it didn't)
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1/9/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Spicy raspberries, caramel and molasses. Showing some nice age - slightly oxidative.
High acidity. Great finish. Less notes due to a head cold.
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12/14/2010 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Great again. Last bottle must have been off a little.
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11/26/2010 - dream wrote: 92 Points
I've been disappointed in how a number of vintages of this wine have turned out over time but the 2002 is clearly a winner here. Has that spritzy acidity (often overdone in this wine but not in this vintage) but it's balanced by ripe blueberry fruit along with a lovely silky texture. Perfectly aged now and totally delicious.
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10/31/2010 - dream wrote: 92 Points
I've generally been disappointed with the way many vintages of this wine have aged but every once in a while they seem to hit it right and this '02 is a really good representation of this vineyard at its best. A very fresh wine with good acidity and great matching richness of blueberry fruit. A very elegant pinot texture that leads to a finely concentrated finish with note of minerals spice. Big-boned but with cool fruit. Perfectly ready now.
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10/19/2010 - smithphish wrote: 93 Points
Sublime great Oregon pinot with great balance of cherry and earthiness with long finish.
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10/12/2010 - Clarkmeister wrote: 94 Points
Scrumptious and youthful
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7/23/2010 - winesteward wrote: 87 Points
Mostly strawberry on the nose. Strawberry, raspberry, sour cherry, chocolate and leather on the palate. Bright, prickly acidity. Very dry and long finish. By itself, a little too spiky for my taste due to the acidity but perfect match with the duck confit, the food taming the acidity, ramping up the sweetness on the fruit and revealing an earthy note that went nicely with the lentils. Probably as good as it will get.
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7/14/2010 - Clarkmeister wrote: 93 Points
Superb, smooth, light.
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7/14/2010 - johnwine wrote: 93 Points
This is an excellent example of a rich, concentrated but well structured Pinot Noir from Oregon whose quality approaches a Grand Cru level. The taste consumed the palate with a combination of dark berries, ripe plums and a mystery laden oriental spice. A wonderful wine and even at this price a good value compared with its French Burgundian cousins.
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6/18/2010 - Clarkmeister wrote: 94 Points
Just incredibly smooth.
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5/29/2010 - Rubz1 wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Tim at the Ringside in Portland after our trip to Reno.
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5/8/2010 - ahgoodman wrote: 88 Points
Very hot, on the nose and palate. Similar experience to most of the other notes. Dark flavors which were not very Pinot. Loads of mushroom maybe some jerky, but the alcohol was too overpowering for it to be all that enjoyable. Too bad, because the wine under the alcohol was very interesting.
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5/3/2010 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Delicious and drinking well. Great with grilled red snapper!
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5/2/2010 - MC wrote:
Still a dark color, with big New World nose of cherries, rubber and some heat. But it has softened a bit with some age, and was pleasant to have with food. Not my style most of the time, but for a New World pinot this is very good. May be near its peak, as I am just not sure how long the fruit will hold, but feels like it may have a few years left before it starts to decline. A-
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4/10/2010 - fritz001 wrote: 93 Points
Dry cherry flavors. The wine was bursting with flavor on the tongue. Fantastic wine.
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2/14/2010 - WST wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this. Full, smoky dark red fruit, scant oak, minerals. Wouldn't call it a classic pinot nose, but a beauty just the same.
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12/25/2009 - Wolflarson wrote:
Upon corking it had an almost fermented taste like there were bubbles in it. That blew off after about 20 minutes and the wine started to show itsef. Typical nose of BF, you could smell the 'imprint' that biodynamic farming leaves. This wine help up well and was still good the next day. I think it will not likely improve but should last a few years at least.
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12/23/2009 - Edclr wrote: 94 Points
perfect
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12/12/2009 - Edclr wrote: 90 Points
Dissapointing to me. I expected more. Fruit is gone, and what is left is sort of brooding, dark flavors that do not resemble pinot. Not that this was bad, just not at all close to what was expected. The finish was long, but not very enjoyable in terms of flavors. Acidity pretty high. Let's see how the rest of the stash goes.
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11/29/2009 - GA wrote:
11/09 Red fruit with fine intergrated tannins - structured and layered - great balance - burgundian. 94 pts.
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11/22/2009 - markopf wrote: 96 Points
Perfect from beginning to end. This sets the bar.
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10/16/2009 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
Very good but not great like prior bottle.
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9/30/2009 - simba-mk@cox.net wrote: 95 Points
Really delicious!
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9/25/2009 - sedation (yellowgas) wrote: 94 Points
a beatiful Pinot Noir. perfectly balanced, we decanted for approx. 1 hour and drank it over the next hour. enjoyed every drop. sorry to see it gone
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9/3/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 85 Points
Maybe I had a bad egg, but I found it thin and overly acidic and alcoholic, reminiscent of cough syrup. Very disappointed, will have to try one of the others in time I have remaining. In time it got no better, decanting, vinturi etc...
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7/27/2009 - LeatherPalate wrote: 92 Points
Random Wines at Mike and Karen's house.: This spent a good 45 minutes in the decanter and it came out smooth as a babies bottom.
rich nose of wet earth,cherries,plums,a bit of smoke, and baking spices.
mouth is very balanced and smooth. It brings plums,cranberries,cloves
into nice silky finish. Drinking well now after getting some air but still has plenty of
energy left.
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7/18/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
A random Saturday Evening (Mike and Karen's): nose: lovely and wafting nose filled with fresh picked strawberries, plums, all sorts of purple floral tones, bits of various spices and nice tones of shiitake mushrooms. Beautiful depth with real nice expression
taste: very pretty and elegant on the palate with nice medium+ acidity along with tones of strawberries, plums, purple florals, bits of spice, and hints of smoke on the back end that gives way to a lovely finish
overall: starting to drink well, and has a real nice elegance to it. Certainly has a ways to go, but one should not feel bad about popping one of these right now. Lovely aromas and flavors that are well in balance that is just pure classic oregonian pinot noir
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6/16/2009 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Consumed at an offline. Nice but not a standout wine. No flaws. Will consume the next with aeration and appropriate food to see what will be best with this wine.
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6/13/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: flawed
Maybe I had a bad egg, but I found it thin and overly acidic. Very disappointed, will have to try one of the others in time I have remaining. In time it got no better.
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6/10/2009 - burgbob wrote: 92 Points
Very nicely done. Some earth on the nose that blew off, though it was an enjoyable scent. Good balance of fruit and acid, though fuller bodied than many burgundies. Interesting allspice and cinnamon notes in midpalate leading to a moderately long finish. Ready to drink but will last five more years.
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5/17/2009 - Clarkmeister wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth, miles to go.
Demands a 15 minute decant due to typical Beaux Freres CO2
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4/14/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 94 Points
From a magnum - popped and poured. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, earth and just a bit of bramble. This is a great vintage and it shows in this wine. Absolutely perfectly balanced with dark fruit, cherry and loam flavors. Hard to identify individual flavors as it is so well balanced, integrated and smooth. A seamless wine with no rough edges. Long, smooth finish. One of the better examples of Oregon pinot that I have enjoyed in the last several years. I agree that it is in a burgundian-styled wine and that it is very food friendly. We had it with grilled pork tenderloin and it was a near-perfect match.
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2/22/2009 - bwaverley wrote: 85 Points
Definitely a food wine. Far too much heat dominates the fruit. Dark fruits are nice (raspberries, dark cherries and just a bit of plum) and take well over an hour of decanting to show up. It's a good wine, but a clear attempt to apply Burgundian style to the Willamette Valley. In this regard, it fails.
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2/14/2009 - jim_crane wrote:
Can’t believe that this is still effervescent on opening. Just like it was a couple years ago. Softened after breathing. The Kosta Browne RRV put this to shame. But this was still enjoyable. I expected more. Time to drink it up.
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1/5/2009 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
soft, fruit, earth
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11/20/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
HUB Tasting (Custom House): Bright red/pink color. Big rich briar red fruit with some spice and a hitn of heat. nice balanced red fruit on the palate with spicy black notes. Still a bit warm, but nice with the food.
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9/18/2008 - ERoss wrote: 90 Points
Again with the spritz, but bright heady nose of cranberry, strawberry, and slight anise. Deeply textured mouthfeel and long finish with tannins fairly well resolved. Clearly preferred to the 2000.
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8/13/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 94 Points
Clear medium red, with a very subtle nose of spices. Feminine styled, straddling the new and old world but probably closer to the French style. In particular, not "hot" tasting at all, and I got no astringency either. Very pleasant to drink now, fully integrated and nothing out of place.
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6/16/2008 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Typical BF spritz blows off in a half hour and then the fruit really starts coming on.
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6/1/2008 - lars1014 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle of wine has finally come around. I know there have been many fans of this wine over the years, but I always thought it was too tightly wound. Now that the tannins and acid have moderated over time this wine is still showing some fine fruit character, but with distinct rose, cardamom and nori notes. The still moderately present tannins would make this wine a good blind ringer for a Vosne-Romanee, 1ere Cru quality? Drank with Siggy at the LH Homestead.
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6/1/2008 - Siggy wrote: 91 Points
Brick red color. This wine is aging gracefully and has shed/integrated some of the jammy fruit character that it showed in its youth. Dusty red fruit, with an earthy, sous bois character and some baking spice. Soft texture; fairly well resolved tannin. Moderately long finish. Based on this bottle, I'd suggest drinking these up within the next few years.
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4/23/2008 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 93 Points
Amazing Oregon pinot noir. Cherry fruit and tobacco. I think this may have been better earlier so drink now.
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3/28/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Pebble Beach Food and Wine; 3/27/2008-3/30/2008 (Pebble Beach Resort, CA): Subtle spicy nose. Tantalizingly light palate with cherry, raspberry notes with fine tannins. Long lingering finish adding some earth, mineral, oak and roast.
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2/24/2008 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Ruby color. Nose was packed with floral notes, cinnamon, iodine, blackberry, blueberry, and earthiness. Still a bit citrusy and acidic on the palate, but also full of integrated blueberry and plum fruit with a hint of extraction. Long, very harmonious finish. Best bottle of our three, and unfortunately the last.
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2/23/2008 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Tasty blackberry and dried cherries on the nose and palate with leather and mineral notes finishing with well balanced acidity and tannins.
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2/17/2008 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
this is aging well, with a slightly sweet dried cherry; plenty of sous bois; medium mid palate; nice with wild mushroom risotto
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1/9/2008 - jivey wrote:
Off Bottle..
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1/9/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: 88 Points
Backstreet - Oregon and Washington (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Standard pinot
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1/9/2008 - kstoddard wrote:
eRobert Parker Offline - Washington and Oregon (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): From magnum. Cherry, raspberry, cola, earth and spice. Rich and extracted. Powerful finish. No varietal character whatsoever.
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12/3/2007 - jakearoe wrote: 95 Points
Exceptional Oregon Pinot. We both loved this wine front to back. Full, sweet nose, but with hints of earth, licorice, hard candy (the kind your grandma had in her purse?), and a llittle berry as well. That 'Oregon Pinot' nose if you know what I mean. The entry on the palate is smoth and supremely balanced, R tasting mushrooms along with cranberries. I found the finish to be spectacular, very juicy and succulent, almost mouthwatering. R actually said '97', and she is usually more of a tough sell. Very well done.
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12/2/2007 - CMCLR wrote: 90 Points
Great balance- fruit is a bit muted.
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10/15/2007 - Calistoga wrote: 90 Points
Pretty transluscent ruby red. Attractive earthy dark and perfumy cherry aromas. The flavor was rich sour cherry with a hint (early on) of a candy like my daughter's Icebreakers "berry splash." moderate tannins. good balance. med-long finish. Tasty but not earth shaking.
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8/19/2007 - spts1000 wrote: 93 Points
wonderful wine. a little more cellaring will just make it even better. the nose was burgundian with red fruits and and minerals. taste was great however longer cellaring will just bring the wine together more.
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8/7/2007 - dream wrote: 90 Points
Good clear dark cherry color. Fine Burgundian-style nose of earthy cherries and bacon. Quite smooth and elegant and classically lean with a good kick of charred cherry fruit, bacon fat and allspice on the long, rich finish. In general, I've been disappointed with many vintages of this wine but the '02 seems like the real deal. Drinking well now.
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7/17/2007 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Subdued fruit and a little cherry and dark fruit with a bit of oak. Needs another year to show its stuff.
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7/17/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
San Diego Pinot-fest (Cuvee Restaurant - Del Mar, CA): On its own, I might have liked this one quite a bit more. However, given the company of wine I was in, I'll just say that it was very good. Not excellent, just very good. Of course, I may be splitting hairs here, but isn't that what wine geeks do? Very good aromas of cherry cider and spice introduce very good sour cherry and plum fruit flavors, some earthiness, and a very good acidic spine.
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7/7/2007 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Extended family dinner of planked salmon. Popped and poured. Complex, fantastic, dynamic nose -- earth, spice, peat, forest floor -- that is very Burgundian in style. On the palate, this shows slightly restrained, high-toned dark fruit, earth, minerals, black tea, and light spice. While this put on a bit of weight with air, it didn't develop enough mid-palate density or length to be truly extraordinary. Delicious nonetheless. A dead ringer for a Burgundy (and I mean that as a compliment!)
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6/19/2007 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Uncorked and left in bottle for about an hour. Nice ruby color. Nose was notable for cinnamon, black cherry, and blackberry scents. Seamless and layered presentation of fruit on the palate, mostly bing cherry and raspberriy accompanied by leather, mulling spices, and nice grip at the end. Long, memorable finish which was elegant and classy. Very nice showing.
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6/2/2007 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
The Wine Summit 2007: Beaux Frères - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 9:00 A.M. (The Post Hotel - Lake Louise, AB): Deeper ruby colour – fairly wide rim; perfumy nose with dark cherry dominating the aromas – nutmeg spice – sweet oak and that enticing licorice note; harmonious mix of fruit, spice and oak – beautifully textured on a firm structure – acidity pleasing – rich, sweet cherry flavours; finishes long with the balanced flavours running through.
We very much enjoyed this wine at the Saturday dinner – partnered with a pan seared filet of Ahi Tuna on Swiss Chard, with a red wine fish sauce. It was another of the outstanding partnerships at this dinner. Mmmmm!
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6/2/2007 - Jack wrote:
This one had a little spritz that blew off quickly. Fruit is muted but still rustic and good. Seem like it has closed down and is not as approachable as previous bottles. Maybe 89pts tonight.
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4/6/2007 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Clear and dark color, Pinot fruit on the nose, spice and cherry fruit - sometimes sweet, sometimes sour - on the palate. Enjoyable wine consumed with appetizer of smoked salmon. Will hold the other 5 for a bit. Try #2 next year!
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1/20/2007 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Color was beautiful, more garnet than ruby. Extremely attractive nose of redcurrants, mulling spices, and leather that I hoped would portend good things for the palate. Good news, as the palate was a medium-bodied beam of raspberry, strawberry, pepper, and cinnamon with lots of verve and just enough refreshing acidity. Tannins and fruit were well-balanced, and the finish was moderate and sweet. The decanter emptied quickly! Showing very well at this early stage, definitely greater than the sum of its component parts.
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11/24/2006 - lars1014 wrote: 91 Points
I have had this wine many times now, and the notes are pretty consistent. The '02 Beaux Freres pops out at you from the glass with an exotic perfume of amber, currant, minerals, and is largely dominated by dark red rose. When you first smell it you could mistake it for soap because the flower/rose is so dominant in the glass. The texture is a little rough and the finish dries out a little, which prevents it from being a truly outstanding wine. This wine rewards (and needs) heavy decanting 2+hrs.
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10/28/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 88 Points
Its shut down right now. Wait another year at least to open a new one.
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10/15/2006 - dream wrote: 82 Points
A perfectly stored bottle purchased directly from the winery but the wine is so overly acidic that it was difficult to drink. I've had other Beaux Freres that open this way and then soften after extended aeration but this bottle stayed that way and while it seemed like the underlying fruit was sweet and attractive, I just couldn't get to it. Will wait a few years and try another bottle.
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10/1/2006 - DWillard wrote: 96 Points
Integrated, balanced with plums and cherry notes. This still has many more good years to go.
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7/19/2006 - SacredCow wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 4-1/2 hours. On the nose, cherries and plums and some oak and oak spiciness. On the palate, full bodied with cherries leading the attack, with a touch of cola and plums, and a long, spicy, oaky finish.
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6/13/2006 - MikeZ wrote:
Every glass improved, wait and this will be great.
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6/2/2006 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Extended family dinner of alder planked salmon. Not decanted. Deep brick red with no lightening. Wow, this was a seriously elegant, structured, complex Pinot that opened up beautifully over 2-3 hours. Great aromatics. Chocolate covered cherries, baking spices, forest floor. Lots of fruit. Supple, medium body with fine tannins on the finish. This should age very well. Hold off for a few more years if you can.
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3/9/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Bigger than the 1999 also opened but not as enjoyable right now. Great fruit, but more acidity and not quite perfectly in balance right now. I am confident this will be an excellent wine but I'd hold onto it until 2008. Have no fear of the fruit fading. For now, I'd clearly vote for the 1999. But I will need a recount a few years down the road.
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2/2/2006 - mrwhy2k wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth and easy to drink. One of the better Pinots of 2002. This wine is still very young, if you can, wait to drink until later date.
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1/6/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 93 Points
Subtle, sweet, complex. Ruby red color. Decanted for an hour. Plum, cherry with some spice. Should age nicely.
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10/20/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
WS New York Wine Experience Grand Tastings; 10/20/2005-10/21/2005 (Marriott Marquis NYC): Tight and acidic medium fruit. Good, but not exceptional.
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9/12/2005 - Greg Pierce wrote:
Clear garnet, light color. Strong pinot-fruit, with some sous bois -- very burgundian -- on the nose. Round, dar fruit, a little cola on the palate. Overall, very good.
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8/15/2005 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
WOW! Still young and should open up more.
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7/9/2005 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
CHERRIES AND A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE WITH CHERRIES AND DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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3/18/2005 - Chewbacchus wrote: 94 Points
Very burgundian and still very tight and structured. Over the course of 3 hours it did open up and reveal more cherry and spice as well as more plushness. Clearly, like the 2002 Grand Cru Burgundies, this needs time, but it is a winner.
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3/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
(from memory) This is a thick rich concentrated black pinot. It has tons of fruit and starts out a bit 'closed down' like so many oregon pinots do, but opened up nicely with time. Has almost a Kistler like richness. Nice, but not awesome. Should get substantially better in 3-5 years. 3/05
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2/24/2005 - Ddog wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours before drinking......made a big difference. Had with 2 different cheeses, a raw sheep and a goat with juniper together with rye bread and kalmata olives and the combination was very pleasing. Rhe wine greatly complimented the cheeses and bread whereas the 2003 Ambullneo..much more fruit forward better complemented the apples. This was the first (0f 20) of this wine and while yet young is very promising. Very balanced, should continue to evolve for several years...drinkable now with decanting.
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2/20/2005 - rkorchid wrote:
WOW This is an incredible wine which is still very young. Decanted for 2 hours. Deep, purplish red color. Dark spice nose. Still fairly closed and somewhat tannic. Intense flavor of blackberries. I actually had fresh ones in the house and was able to confirm this. But then - the most incredible aftertaste I have ever experienced. It was almost more intense than the first taste and seemed to go on for minutes. I am so glad that I have 3 more of these.
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1/22/2005 - Eric wrote: 70 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Burgundy (Seattle, WA, USA): Uggh, something must have been wrong here, yet none of us could clearly describe this as a defective bottle. Green, alcoholic and stemmy on the nose with searing alcohol on the palate. This just has to be wrong. (The bottle in question was obtained on released from the winery and driven from Oregon to Seattle in an air-conditioned car, so ther is no way it was cooked.) Hmm.
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1/22/2005 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
Needs at least 2 hours to open up. Good friut, nice balance. Still needs some time to show its best but very nice now. Better on the 2nd day.
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4/22/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Two Days in Willamette; 4/22/2004-4/23/2004 (Willamette Valley OR): Tasting at winery. Bright red fruit from start to finish. Very nicely integrated already with some nice exotic spice. Picks up energy on the finish. Good now, I think this will keep improving for 5 more years, then hold well given its concentration and structure.
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