Pop n' pour. Deep, fragrant nose of forest floor, mushrooms, cola, dry leaves and rich red fruit. More multi-dimensional than the last bottle. On the palate, dark canned cherries and cola, balanced by generous acid. Perhaps a little heat on the finish? This started off as a 92-93 and dropped to a 91 with air.
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Decanted for sediment and tasted, this bottle has been laying in the same place in my cellar since 2005, last bottle of three. I believe That Mr. Big is a silent partner in Beaux Freres, this bottle was quite mature but still had plenty of cherry, cranberry fruit, some hints of brandy like nuances, along with tea and truffle flavors. Tannins of course were fully integrated and the finish was long and delightful. Best to drink sooner than later if you are lucky enough to have any!
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Overwhelming nose and taste of cooked mushrooms to start. Opened up over an hour, showing good acidity, red fruit, mushrooms, earth and aged balsamic notes. Not nearly as good as the incredible '05 Willamette Valley last year, but enjoyable. One more bottle left, should drink fairly soon.
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From a 1.5 liter slight brown color to the wine soft nose faint cherries very smooth and aging well i tasted Raisin not as fresh as a recent vintage BF but maturing nicely
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2003 BEAUX FRERES BEAUX FRERES VINEYARD WILLAMETTE VALLEY- this had some depth and complexity to it along with a big, spicy, super ripe red fruit profile; I was surprised to see it had 14.3% abv as it seemed more likely to be much more than that.
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popped and poured. Immediately, it showed enticing aromas including black cherry on the nose and palate. Over the course of the meal, it faded into just another nice, but not special pinot. After about 3 1/2-4 hours open, the nose came roaring back, and the wine became much more expressive. Sadly, it was the end of our bottle
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Clear light purple color The nose was A blast of bright fruit cherry most obvious very crisp Taste light on the tounge acidic with the same bright fruit long finish A fresh and youthful wine even at this age
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Way past prime. No fruit left. And perfectly stored…now in probably third stage of evolution, and for an American pinot it's just not what we buy pinot to experience.
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Pinot supper (Bitton Restaurant, Erskinville): Concentrated red cherry fruit, alcohol heat under a slightly musty note, autumn leaves, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is slightly sharp, juicy acidity, rich and quite dense and thick chalky tannins, there is some fruit here that is initially quite muted but with time (over the course of 3 hours) it starts to grow in presence and lends a certain fleshiness to the mouthfeel, pulling the acidity and tannins together. The alcohol heat is a little intrusive on the long finish. I think I like it.
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Emblematic of most Oregon Pinots, this had high acidity even at its advanced age. Although still holding up, certain this was a more complex wine at younger age.
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What was restrained on the nose doubled down in the mouth: huge flavors of big red fruit that was almost stunning with the overall impact and acidity. Paired with a braised pork tenderloin dish, this vintage knocked my socks off. One bottle left. I can't imagine I will leave it in the cellar beyond spring. If you have multiple bottles I implore you to enjoy one soon and go from there.
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Medium plus intensity aromas of coffee, ripe red cherries, rich and spicy with slightly oxidised notes. In the mouth the wine is alcoholic, ripe cherry, slightly confected notes - not chocolate but more vanilla and coconut. It's big. Perhaps a little too big. Hmm.
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Drank this with chicken crepes with curry sauce. Was a very good pairing. The other option was a Chardonnay. Decanted the Beaux Freres for about an hour. Very lush mouthfeel. The bouquet was nothing special, not good or bad. Lots of berries and licorice on the palate with a medium-long finish. A very nice pinot.
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This, my last bottle of the 2003 seems younger than stated age, with no signs of early bricking. Quite complex on the palate, with copious dark berries, ample richness, and balanced oak. Slightly prominent alcohol prevents me from rating this higher. The 1999 and the 2002 are better balanced.
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Dark red purple Quality secondary aroma of old world wine, similar to a Southern Rhone wine. Med-Full body, but nothing like Pinot from Bourgogne. Med complexity, med harmony, missing some structure compared to the level of aroma. Enjoyable, though something is missing on the palate.
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Decanted and poured, another oustanding showing from this producer, burgundian flavors of smoke, plum, black cherry, anise and fresh earth. Ready now, but should continue to drink well over the next several years. Nice!!
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The wine looks Crimson colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Forest floor, and Mushroom. It tastes like Raspberry, Red Currant, and Strawberry. The body is Medium. The wine is textured Silky. The wine finishes Medium.
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Very nice. Ruby red, lots of earth, mushrooms, forest floor and spice to go with the red and blue fruits. This is hitting on all cylinders right now, though it has years to go, it is at peak drinking. Probably the best BF I have had, and one of the best Oregon pinot's I have had to date. Many times these disappoint, not this one.
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Decanted for 1hr, first of 4 bottles purchased on release, bitter plum/cherry, wet earthy nose. rich on the palate yet balaned by dark plum, red cherry, vanilla and earth. Silky smooth finish that was maybe a tad short. Quite elegant, like an iron fist in a velvet glove, remined me of an aged Pomerol. Will drink my remaining bottles over the next 3 years.
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From magnum, the nose includes cherry/berry, spice and loam. On the palate the petillance that BF usualy has when young has resolved. Very ripe and relatively full bodied for a pinot, but typical for the vintage (which itself was NOT typical!) in Oregon. At least in this format, this wine was excellent, smooth, well balanced and long. Got about a dozen "thumbs ups" at the party last night.
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Color: Garnet with a ruby rim and a faint rusted orange tip at the meniscus
Smell: Scents of earth, forest floor, mushrooms, alcohol, and red fruits.
Taste: Cherry, strawberry, alcohol, and red licorice candy with a hint of spice at the end.
Overall: The heat is dominant on both the nose and the palate after being opened for less than 30 minutes. The wine softened a little with a little over an hour in the decanter. However, this is my least favorite bottle of wine from Mike Etzel to date. I don't see this improving with time sideways with the alcohol so dominant on both the nose and palate. I would think about consuming this sooner rather than later....
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Big nose, with dark fruits and spice. The palate was a bit heavy and monolithic this time around, but this followed some Champagne and might explain the perception vs. prior tastings. The finish displayed some high alcohol and seemed unbalanced...not a great showing tonight.
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My comments are similar to those in October when we drank the last bottle. Excellent! Nose consisted of berries, cherries and some oak. Possibly some cinnamon. Aging very nicely.
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Way better fruit than the 02 a couple nights ago. Nice acidity, very well balanced. Probably in it's prime drinking window now.
Note added 2 hours later. Had this alongside the 04 Belle Soeurs, and I initially thought the two compared very favorably. But as the night progressed, the Belle Soeurs stayed with the upfront birght red fruit highlights, and this wine got deeper, darker in terms of fruit and the finish lengthened. This is clearly a supreior wine, and this was not evident at the outset.
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Strong oak and coconut at first but fortunately those notes dissipated quickly and with time this wine kept getting better and better. Still a bit too much alcohol for my tastes (esp. the alcohol bite on the finish) but otherwise nice acidity and rather complex - could be a believable ringer in a burg flight, or at least appears that way. Good but even over 2 days we didn't finish the bottle, just a bit too much (or not enough) for our palates I guess.
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Perfect Christmas Dinner wine. Just a joy to drink, with a long 30+ second finish. Blackberry, earth, cedar, toast, cinnamon. Beautiful wine. Decanted for 5-hours.
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Popped and poured at the restaurant. Dark ruby. Nose full and hedonistic, showing scents of lavender, cinnamon, spice, anise. Full and potent on the palate, with notes of dark, dark berries and elements of licorice and earth. Oak was present but not excessive. Acidity on the low side, and tannins provided stature. Moderate, very harmonious finish echoing black fruit and a bit of cola. Definitely a crowd-pleaser on this occasion, despite still being on the young side.
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Popped and poured. Deep nose of pine tar, dried flowers and berries. The palate shows very "Dehlinger like" with sweetness balanced by good structure and fine grained but noticeable tannins. Very well balanced and drinking well today. Not sure how much positive evolution this wine will see, but it is in no danger of heading South.
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complex wine with evolving tastes over two days; initially great dark cherry, and plenty of clean earth, forest, and cola, still a bit heavy on the vanilla for me, but not oaky; very concentrated but not heavy (though not ethereal either); great structure with well balanced acid and residual tannins; has plenty of oomph left; these are finally smoothing out with extra time and qualify as great pinots.
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Wine Tasting Warm-up (Beaux Freres, Seavey, and Clos Fourtet): My first Beaux Freres. Decanted about 30 minutes and consumed over a couple of hours. The color was reddish-orange. The nose was spectacular and kept developing new nuances throughout the night. These included black fruit, coffee, licorice/anise, mineral, candied fruit, floral notes, brown sugar, and what I called "Dujac spice." Complex, interesting, and constantly developing. On the palate this was nearly as good with concentrated black fruit, mineral and some well hidden oak. A bit hot on the finish when first poured, but I didn't really notice this later on. Excellent balance and a long, satisfying finish. I thought this seemed surprisingly Burg-like.
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clearly special with great nose of loam; unctuous and silky mouth feel with bright cherry fruit and tingly acidity; however, too much vanilla and wood for my taste; this has enough stuffing that it might get better with more time;
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Good wine. Opened late in the evening and I'm sure it was a victim of palate fatigue. Has great structure, ample fruit and acidity. I much prefer this to most CA Pinots (with a handful of exceptions). I don't know if I would buy this though with retail price hovering around $90.
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Sunday lunch and blind Pinot Noir Tasting (Palazzo di Doug e Jeanette): Youthful, ruby. Not much intensity on the nose to start, but evolved with time in the glass giving light fruit, spiciness and balsamic notes. Much more intense on the palate, with big fruit, earth and minerality; nice acidic zing; fairly high level of youngish tannins; alcohol declared as 14.3%; but all well-balanced. Complex and long. Obviously a high quality wine, but needs more age. Because it was clearly New World and I liked it so much, I guessed Cabbage Tree. First time tasting a Beaux Freres. Thanks to Loren S who gave it to me when he was in Rome last year (or was it the year before?). In 2nd place.
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The Wine Summit 2007: Beaux Frères - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 9:00 A.M. (The Post Hotel - Lake Louise, AB): Clean, deeper ruby colour – wider rim; aromas more complex – bevy of kitchen spices like those coming from my wife’s spice drawers – dark cherry and soft oak, along with some floral; more harmony in the texture and flavours – blend of cherry and oak edged – showing some heat, but it would be dwarfed with food; a pleasing licorice note in the finish along with the fruit – tannins in the background.
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Wow, great bottle. Ruby red color, nose of earth, red berries and allspice. Fantastic texture, great length. Had alongside a 2002 Dumol Ryan, which was about as good.
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Unctuous is word. big nose. concentrated fruit of black/blue berries, toast, honeysuckle/violets. terroir evident. fat, sweet tannin. long finish-30 secs. very dense. will keep. recommend pouring blind for industry parker haters...
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Spectacular. Round bright cherry fruit right out of the gate. Transformed over the next hour into rich voluptuous blackberry flavors. Nice hints of earth that were not overpowering.
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Dense violet color in the glass with brooding scents of black plum, boysenberries, earth, and spice. In the mouth this is plush and fuller bodied that I would have expected. Still...for my first experience with this winery I can't help but comment that this might be the Pinot to convert me from Cabernet.
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Much better than the 2000 or 2001's I've had within the last 6 months. Noticeable acidity (little bit more than I'm used to in my Sonoma Pinots), but once past that has tasty rasberry fruit and nice nose.
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Opened and decanted for approximately one hour before tasting began. Tasted at more of a social event than a true tasting, so comments are from memory and scratchy notes written the morning after.
On the nose, blackberry, black cherry and raspberry with a floral element I could sniff all night. On the body, this full bodied (for a pinot) wine had both red and black fruits, with a mineral element sneaking in on the very long finish.Tannins were more noticeable than the Penner-Ash, but were much smoother and sweeter, with none of the slight scratchiness displayed by that wine.
I would guess this wine has a very long life ahead of it. This is the first vintage of the Beaux Freres Vineyard I have really enjoyed since the '99, and may even be close to worth the price (I did not try the '02 though).
I think the WS may have called this one correct with their 95 point rating. Not today, but it might get there.
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Thanksgiving Weekend in Willamette; 11/26/2004-11/28/2004: Tasting at winery. Nice floral character on nose. Good fruit as well on the palate, but didn't seem harmonious with aromatics. Moderate length right now. Upside if this comes into better balance.
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4/7/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Out of magnum. Musty color, cleared up in the glass floral Forest nose permeated the room, the wine was a good mouthfeel and a good finish.
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8/22/2021 - DougLee wrote:
A hit at the family dinner
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2/20/2021 - wardamnwine wrote: 87 Points
The finish was off, it just ended on a note of bitterness that I could not get past. I have another bottle which will be telling. But for now, 87.
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7/21/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote: 92 Points
Pop n' pour. Deep, fragrant nose of forest floor, mushrooms, cola, dry leaves and rich red fruit. More multi-dimensional than the last bottle. On the palate, dark canned cherries and cola, balanced by generous acid. Perhaps a little heat on the finish? This started off as a 92-93 and dropped to a 91 with air.
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5/31/2020 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full-throated with distinct nose of mushrooms or forest floor.
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4/11/2020 - wineshaman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for sediment and tasted, this bottle has been laying in the same place in my cellar since 2005, last bottle of three.
I believe That Mr. Big is a silent partner in Beaux Freres, this bottle was quite mature but still had plenty of cherry, cranberry fruit, some hints of brandy like nuances, along with tea and truffle flavors. Tannins of course were fully integrated and the finish was long and delightful. Best to drink sooner than later if you are lucky enough to have any!
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1/21/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Overwhelming nose and taste of cooked mushrooms to start. Opened up over an hour, showing good acidity, red fruit, mushrooms, earth and aged balsamic notes. Not nearly as good as the incredible '05 Willamette Valley last year, but enjoyable. One more bottle left, should drink fairly soon.
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7/13/2019 - jww Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a 1.5 liter
slight brown color to the wine soft nose faint cherries
very smooth and aging well i tasted Raisin not as fresh as a recent vintage BF but maturing nicely
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11/24/2018 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong. Enjoyed with figs and gorgonzola then turkey and rice, gravy and stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce.
Nice Thanksgiving follow up.
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10/6/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color, spice and berry fruit. Lovely delight.
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8/29/2018 - Bigtuna wrote: flawed
Good cork, unfortunately has just gone south of the border
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6/15/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red fruits on the nose
Light purple some bricking
Bright red fruits fresh and very light
Drank a 2005 the night before very similar
great wines
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3/4/2018 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
2003 BEAUX FRERES BEAUX FRERES VINEYARD WILLAMETTE VALLEY- this had some depth and complexity to it along with a big, spicy, super ripe red fruit profile; I was surprised to see it had 14.3% abv as it seemed more likely to be much more than that.
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11/24/2017 - Brad Tsai Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at thanksgiving dinner. Excellent wine the floral smell wonderful. Test a lot red fruit.
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11/16/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color, lots of depth on the palate. In a sweet spot, drink now + 5 years
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8/17/2017 - thalver wrote:
popped and poured. Immediately, it showed enticing aromas including black cherry on the nose and palate. Over the course of the meal, it faded into just another nice, but not special pinot. After about 3 1/2-4 hours open, the nose came roaring back, and the wine became much more expressive. Sadly, it was the end of our bottle
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11/20/2015 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear light purple color
The nose was A blast of bright fruit cherry most obvious very crisp
Taste light on the tounge acidic with the same bright fruit long finish
A fresh and youthful wine even at this age
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6/11/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 Points
Same experience as my January tasting note: this wine was fabulous in every way!
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5/16/2015 - Edclr Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Way past prime. No fruit left. And perfectly stored…now in probably third stage of evolution, and for an American pinot it's just not what we buy pinot to experience.
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5/7/2015 - chatters wrote:
Pinot supper (Bitton Restaurant, Erskinville): Concentrated red cherry fruit, alcohol heat under a slightly musty note, autumn leaves, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is slightly sharp, juicy acidity, rich and quite dense and thick chalky tannins, there is some fruit here that is initially quite muted but with time (over the course of 3 hours) it starts to grow in presence and lends a certain fleshiness to the mouthfeel, pulling the acidity and tannins together. The alcohol heat is a little intrusive on the long finish. I think I like it.
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3/31/2015 - Chip & Susanne Likes this wine: 89 Points
Emblematic of most Oregon Pinots, this had high acidity even at its advanced age. Although still holding up, certain this was a more complex wine at younger age.
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1/12/2015 - WineWright wrote: 94 Points
What was restrained on the nose doubled down in the mouth: huge flavors of big red fruit that was almost stunning with the overall impact and acidity. Paired with a braised pork tenderloin dish, this vintage knocked my socks off. One bottle left. I can't imagine I will leave it in the cellar beyond spring. If you have multiple bottles I implore you to enjoy one soon and go from there.
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7/18/2014 - chatters wrote:
Medium plus intensity aromas of coffee, ripe red cherries, rich and spicy with slightly oxidised notes. In the mouth the wine is alcoholic, ripe cherry, slightly confected notes - not chocolate but more vanilla and coconut. It's big. Perhaps a little too big. Hmm.
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4/26/2014 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared by john zaccone at an offline dinner. no formal notes. the wine showed typical pinot cherry notes. appeared to be fully mature.
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2/7/2014 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 89 Points
The fruit is still there, but I don't think I like Beaux Freres this old. To me, the 2006 vintage is drinking much better right now.
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1/1/2014 - tourproto wrote: 93 Points
Drank this with chicken crepes with curry sauce. Was a very good pairing. The other option was a Chardonnay. Decanted the Beaux Freres for about an hour. Very lush mouthfeel. The bouquet was nothing special, not good or bad. Lots of berries and licorice on the palate with a medium-long finish. A very nice pinot.
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9/16/2013 - Chaz Bham wrote: 88 Points
This, my last bottle of the 2003 seems younger than stated age, with no signs of early bricking. Quite complex on the palate, with copious dark berries, ample richness, and balanced oak. Slightly prominent alcohol prevents me from rating this higher. The 1999 and the 2002 are better balanced.
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8/23/2013 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color, dense and substance on the palate, enjoyable and quite a contrast to a lighter CA Pinot. Lots of life to it.
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2/26/2013 - Hazevedo wrote: 93 Points
- Ruby color.
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2/4/2013 - SPierson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank from magnum; great life still; terrific red fruits and wonderful nose
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11/15/2012 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
Dark red purple
Quality secondary aroma of old world wine, similar to a Southern Rhone wine.
Med-Full body, but nothing like Pinot from Bourgogne.
Med complexity, med harmony, missing some structure compared to the level of aroma. Enjoyable, though something is missing on the palate.
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7/17/2012 - Laughs and Juice wrote: 91 Points
Typical 2003 a bit too hot for pinot. Did work better on day two with food
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7/15/2012 - SeaSmoke wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle. Long finish. Very nice with a combination of red and blue fruit. This still has time to go forward.
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2/12/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and poured, another oustanding showing from this producer, burgundian flavors of smoke, plum, black cherry, anise and fresh earth. Ready now, but should continue to drink well over the next several years. Nice!!
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11/7/2011 - pjhr wrote: 91 Points
Tasty with similar tasting notes to the previous bottle, but with softer tannins and acidity.
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10/1/2011 - brunellolover Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine looks Crimson colored.
The legs are Medium.
It smells like Forest floor, and Mushroom.
It tastes like Raspberry, Red Currant, and Strawberry.
The body is Medium.
The wine is textured Silky.
The wine finishes Medium.
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5/6/2011 - brunellolover wrote: 90 Points
Nice Pinot with nose of dusty forest floor, garnet in color and nice fruit.
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3/12/2011 - cadamson wrote: 94 Points
Very nice. Ruby red, lots of earth, mushrooms, forest floor and spice to go with the red and blue fruits. This is hitting on all cylinders right now, though it has years to go, it is at peak drinking. Probably the best BF I have had, and one of the best Oregon pinot's I have had to date. Many times these disappoint, not this one.
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12/18/2010 - 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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11/26/2010 - jmh st louis wrote: 94 Points
big bouquet, raisin, earth, aged dark cherry, medium finish.
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9/18/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1hr, first of 4 bottles purchased on release, bitter plum/cherry, wet earthy nose. rich on the palate yet balaned by dark plum, red cherry, vanilla and earth. Silky smooth finish that was maybe a tad short. Quite elegant, like an iron fist in a velvet glove, remined me of an aged Pomerol. Will drink my remaining bottles over the next 3 years.
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5/16/2010 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
From magnum, the nose includes cherry/berry, spice and loam. On the palate the petillance that BF usualy has when young has resolved. Very ripe and relatively full bodied for a pinot, but typical for the vintage (which itself was NOT typical!) in Oregon. At least in this format, this wine was excellent, smooth, well balanced and long. Got about a dozen "thumbs ups" at the party last night.
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3/20/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 86 Points
Color: Garnet with a ruby rim and a faint rusted orange tip at the meniscus
Smell: Scents of earth, forest floor, mushrooms, alcohol, and red fruits.
Taste: Cherry, strawberry, alcohol, and red licorice candy with a hint of spice at the end.
Overall: The heat is dominant on both the nose and the palate after being opened for less than 30 minutes. The wine softened a little with a little over an hour in the decanter. However, this is my least favorite bottle of wine from Mike Etzel to date. I don't see this improving with time sideways with the alcohol so dominant on both the nose and palate. I would think about consuming this sooner rather than later....
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2/28/2010 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Excellent bottle. Finish is long. Cherry notes are still evident along with other spices. Enjoy...
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1/4/2010 - biggwater wrote: 95 Points
Fantastac...deep, long finish. Drink now and dont let it set overnight.
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12/31/2009 - Drmarg wrote: 90 Points
Nice big Burgundian Pinot. Distinct cherry notes with baking spices. Not real familiar with Oregon Pinots but I liked it!
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12/24/2009 - llink wrote:
Big nose, with dark fruits and spice. The palate was a bit heavy and monolithic this time around, but this followed some Champagne and might explain the perception vs. prior tastings. The finish displayed some high alcohol and seemed unbalanced...not a great showing tonight.
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12/18/2009 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
My comments are similar to those in October when we drank the last bottle. Excellent! Nose consisted of berries, cherries and some oak. Possibly some cinnamon. Aging very nicely.
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12/17/2009 - Edclr wrote: 93 Points
Way better fruit than the 02 a couple nights ago. Nice acidity, very well balanced. Probably in it's prime drinking window now.
Note added 2 hours later. Had this alongside the 04 Belle Soeurs, and I initially thought the two compared very favorably. But as the night progressed, the Belle Soeurs stayed with the upfront birght red fruit highlights, and this wine got deeper, darker in terms of fruit and the finish lengthened. This is clearly a supreior wine, and this was not evident at the outset.
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10/11/2009 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Excellent! Nose consisted of berries, cherries and some oak. Possibly some cinnamon. Aging very nicely.
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6/14/2009 - depdoc wrote: 94 Points
Some plum, cinnamon and spice on the nose. Red raspberries and strawberries are up front. A long finish that goes on and on.
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5/11/2009 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Excellent finish. Dark ruby color. Nose consisted of berries, cherries and some oak. A wonderful wine.
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12/27/2008 - Will wrote:
Strong oak and coconut at first but fortunately those notes dissipated quickly and with time this wine kept getting better and better. Still a bit too much alcohol for my tastes (esp. the alcohol bite on the finish) but otherwise nice acidity and rather complex - could be a believable ringer in a burg flight, or at least appears that way. Good but even over 2 days we didn't finish the bottle, just a bit too much (or not enough) for our palates I guess.
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12/25/2008 - DesertDogESQ wrote: flawed
Perfect Christmas Dinner wine. Just a joy to drink, with a long 30+ second finish. Blackberry, earth, cedar, toast, cinnamon. Beautiful wine. Decanted for 5-hours.
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10/20/2008 - djs wrote: 90 Points
Not bad! Cali fruitiness balanced with Burgundian acidity.
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8/15/2008 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured at the restaurant. Dark ruby. Nose full and hedonistic, showing scents of lavender, cinnamon, spice, anise. Full and potent on the palate, with notes of dark, dark berries and elements of licorice and earth. Oak was present but not excessive. Acidity on the low side, and tannins provided stature. Moderate, very harmonious finish echoing black fruit and a bit of cola. Definitely a crowd-pleaser on this occasion, despite still being on the young side.
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7/26/2008 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured. Deep nose of pine tar, dried flowers and berries. The palate shows very "Dehlinger like" with sweetness balanced by good structure and fine grained but noticeable tannins. Very well balanced and drinking well today. Not sure how much positive evolution this wine will see, but it is in no danger of heading South.
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7/3/2008 - E wrote: 91 Points
This is the second bottle and while it was enjoyable enough, it simply didn't wow despite all the ingredients in place for it to shine tonight.
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6/9/2008 - wabi47 wrote: 93 Points
complex wine with evolving tastes over two days; initially great dark cherry, and plenty of clean earth, forest, and cola, still a bit heavy on the vanilla for me, but not oaky; very concentrated but not heavy (though not ethereal either); great structure with well balanced acid and residual tannins; has plenty of oomph left; these are finally smoothing out with extra time and qualify as great pinots.
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5/17/2008 - SeaSmoke wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. Still excellent.
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3/6/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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11/28/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 94 Points
Wine Tasting Warm-up (Beaux Freres, Seavey, and Clos Fourtet): My first Beaux Freres. Decanted about 30 minutes and consumed over a couple of hours. The color was reddish-orange. The nose was spectacular and kept developing new nuances throughout the night. These included black fruit, coffee, licorice/anise, mineral, candied fruit, floral notes, brown sugar, and what I called "Dujac spice." Complex, interesting, and constantly developing. On the palate this was nearly as good with concentrated black fruit, mineral and some well hidden oak. A bit hot on the finish when first poured, but I didn't really notice this later on. Excellent balance and a long, satisfying finish. I thought this seemed surprisingly Burg-like.
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11/11/2007 - DougLee wrote:
Big, tight, and unevolved. Needs plenty of time.
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9/15/2007 - wabi47 wrote: 92 Points
clearly special with great nose of loam; unctuous and silky mouth feel with bright cherry fruit and tingly acidity; however, too much vanilla and wood for my taste; this has enough stuffing that it might get better with more time;
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8/4/2007 - sadiebear wrote: 91 Points
Just a killer Btl
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8/3/2007 - SeaSmoke wrote: 91 Points
Lots of fruit. Opened up over three hours. Still drinking very young.
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7/8/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Good wine. Opened late in the evening and I'm sure it was a victim of palate fatigue. Has great structure, ample fruit and acidity. I much prefer this to most CA Pinots (with a handful of exceptions). I don't know if I would buy this though with retail price hovering around $90.
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7/7/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours. I was disappointed. I had this 2 years ago and it was excellent. Hopefully it is just going through a closed phase.
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6/3/2007 - Barbara B wrote: 90 Points
Sunday lunch and blind Pinot Noir Tasting (Palazzo di Doug e Jeanette): Youthful, ruby. Not much intensity on the nose to start, but evolved with time in the glass giving light fruit, spiciness and balsamic notes. Much more intense on the palate, with big fruit, earth and minerality; nice acidic zing; fairly high level of youngish tannins; alcohol declared as 14.3%; but all well-balanced. Complex and long. Obviously a high quality wine, but needs more age. Because it was clearly New World and I liked it so much, I guessed Cabbage Tree. First time tasting a Beaux Freres. Thanks to Loren S who gave it to me when he was in Rome last year (or was it the year before?). In 2nd place.
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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): Clean, deeper ruby colour – wider rim; aromas more complex – bevy of kitchen spices like those coming from my wife’s spice drawers – dark cherry and soft oak, along with some floral; more harmony in the texture and flavours – blend of cherry and oak edged – showing some heat, but it would be dwarfed with food; a pleasing licorice note in the finish along with the fruit – tannins in the background.
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5/28/2007 - Vinfauv wrote: 94 Points
Lovely light red fruit, balanced, perfect acid and very long finish - bright.
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12/9/2006 - jmd60611 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious, full, fruity and everything that I want in Pinot...Big fruit yet still light with mineral elements and a long finish
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10/21/2006 - cadamson wrote: 96 Points
Wow, great bottle. Ruby red color, nose of earth, red berries and allspice. Fantastic texture, great length. Had alongside a 2002 Dumol Ryan, which was about as good.
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7/27/2006 - jdtonic wrote: 95 Points
Unctuous is word. big nose. concentrated fruit of black/blue berries, toast, honeysuckle/violets. terroir evident. fat, sweet tannin. long finish-30 secs. very dense. will keep. recommend pouring blind for industry parker haters...
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6/19/2006 - Hoya Vinophile wrote: 94 Points
Spectacular. Round bright cherry fruit right out of the gate. Transformed over the next hour into rich voluptuous blackberry flavors. Nice hints of earth that were not overpowering.
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5/29/2006 - Kirk Grant wrote: 91 Points
Dense violet color in the glass with brooding scents of black plum, boysenberries, earth, and spice. In the mouth this is plush and fuller bodied that I would have expected. Still...for my first experience with this winery I can't help but comment that this might be the Pinot to convert me from Cabernet.
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1/30/2006 - luko wrote:
Much better than the 2000 or 2001's I've had within the last 6 months. Noticeable acidity (little bit more than I'm used to in my Sonoma Pinots), but once past that has tasty rasberry fruit and nice nose.
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10/29/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted for approximately one hour before tasting began. Tasted at more of a social event than a true tasting, so comments are from memory and scratchy notes written the morning after.
On the nose, blackberry, black cherry and raspberry with a floral element I could sniff all night. On the body, this full bodied (for a pinot) wine had both red and black fruits, with a mineral element sneaking in on the very long finish.Tannins were more noticeable than the Penner-Ash, but were much smoother and sweeter, with none of the slight scratchiness displayed by that wine.
I would guess this wine has a very long life ahead of it. This is the first vintage of the Beaux Freres Vineyard I have really enjoyed since the '99, and may even be close to worth the price (I did not try the '02 though).
I think the WS may have called this one correct with their 95 point rating. Not today, but it might get there.
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6/4/2005 - nvandyk wrote: 92 Points
Very, very good, complex pinot. Very dark in color, essence of crushed black fruit. Will improve with age.
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11/26/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Thanksgiving Weekend in Willamette; 11/26/2004-11/28/2004: Tasting at winery. Nice floral character on nose. Good fruit as well on the palate, but didn't seem harmonious with aromatics. Moderate length right now. Upside if this comes into better balance.
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4/22/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Two Days in Willamette; 4/22/2004-4/23/2004 (Willamette Valley OR): Tasting at winery. Fun tasting wine, done with malo. Good balance and concentration, but perhaps a tiny bit roasted?
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