From a magnum, winery mailing list purchase when I was younger but no less foolish. Nose is eccentric on opening fruit toned by exotic spice - more likely old age. Dark color, very dark, too dark to be browning. Retains fairy's kiss of CO2 used in bottling (in place of sulphur). Textured fruit, spice impregnated, well balanced with correct acid and memory of tannin. Much less sweet than the 2000 tasted a few days ago. Observation or Opinion. Most tasters would guess a young Oregon Pinot although no young Oregon Pinot tastes like this. Yes, young Oregon Pinot fruit character; No, texture and depth of taste perceptions, a patina which I cannot recall in any other Pinot Noir and pure enjoyment. Purchasing and cold storing new releases of OR Pinot for 20+ years and awaiting the Right occasion is admittedly an admission of lack of foresight. It is only the corkage fees at St. Peter's Gate which requires action.
Has Michael Etzel ever been properly praised for earthly miracles?
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Utilizing a two-pronged escape strategy named Ah So, the cork managed an escape from 20 years solitary confinement in one piece and a richly colored wine flowed quite naturally into the waiting balloon. Swirls induced molecular aromas, sun sweetened strawberry, exotic spices and aged wine notes of barnyard. Sweet delicate fruit and spices with an incredibly fresh fruit acidity entice the palate from entry to chewing to aftertaste. Can a well-aged Pinot be too sweet, too exotic? Assigning a score would be ungentlemanly, an enchanting wine.
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The 1999 Beaux Freres Freres Vineyard is past its prime, but still enjoyable as a bit of history in a bottle. Color is limid red with bricking at the end. On the nose you get clove, spices, mushroom, and some synthetics from the wine showing its age. I'm still a bit stunned as to how much fruit (strawberry, cherry) is left in this wine. This must have had some amazing concentration in its youth. Silky and smooth on the palate.
Tasted with Ryan for his 100 points podcast.
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At first (on PnP) the previously experienced harsh tannin and shrill acidity were there to greet me. But after a considerable amount of time and airing, a strong, beautiful Pinot Noir emerged. Very big and structured, but as described by others, clearly New World.
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Wine in the Sunshine State; 2/20/2020-2/23/2020 (Florida): Of all of the wines of the night this one jumped out because it was new world and truly tasted as such. Fruit still going strong. Would need to age quite a bit more to get to my sweet spot. Secondary notes not there yet.
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From a magnum Strong nose red fruits Nice color starting to show some bricking at edges Tased great bright fruits, typical BF strawberry and cherry hunts of darker fruits Drank with a 2011. this bottle was holding its own with two he younger vintage. Nice fruit but smoother
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This was a much better showing than a bottle a couple years ago. While it had less bottle boquet than I might want from a mature wine, it drank much younger than that bottle. This one seemed like it still had some life ahead. That said, it was pleasant, though less complex than I'd hoped for given the age. It stood up well over the coarse of a few hours, but the boquet never really blossomed.
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Have similar comments to thalver. Decanted two hours and poured, first thought - this is past its time. Then, over the next hour the wine came to life. While not at its prime, definitely drinkable. She may be old, but she still has a little something left. Short window though - after another hour, the wine was gone.
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Decanted and poured. This wine seemed to have faded to an Oregon pinot with the amplitude turned down to the point where it took concentration to get much pleasure from it. However, after about the third hour open, and when nearing the end of the bottle, the nose came from out of nowhere, and the palate became less reticent. Note to self: give the last bottle some air before drinking
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A Quartet of Beaux Freres (The Kenwood - Minneapolis): Immediately, a nose that was beautiful, really off the charts. Less attractive on the palate versus the nose. Silky texture, a bit of a mineral element, and a bit crunchy. Note of red cherry. Faded after 30-45 minutes. Best of the flight while it was on.
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Not what I hoped it would be tonight but very pleasant if not, a tad ripe. This is at its peak and will not likely improve. Good for a few more years though. Not compelled to seek it out unless I score it cheaply.
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Beautiful initial nose of clove and spice that is overpowered by alcoholic heat. The body is pretty big, a little clumsy, and the palate finishes way too hot.
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1999 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (SE Wine Collective): Nasty wine compared to the Reed & Reynolds poured along side it in this flight. The aromas are soft and hugely herbal. Quite nice, actually. The palate on the other hand is incredibly chewy. It's like chewing on a cookie, in fact, and even tastes like one (with booze mixed in). Soft, stewed fruit finish.
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1999 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (SE Wine Collective): I'm done with Beaux Frere. The wines just don't show well for me. Sweet cocoa on the nose with some lavender. Spicy in the mouth, no acid, then hot finish. Simplistic.
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Un joli nez de sous bois, avec du fruit rouge. Une bouche ronde et amène, bien enveloppée, jolie mais pas très complexe. Un vin agréable mais qui laisse l'impression que ses plus beaux jours sont derrière lui. Sans doute un peu trop vieux. 89 pts
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Un nez discret mais suave de sous-bois et de petites fraises des champs, racé et joli. Il développe ensuite des notes d'agrûmes. La bouche est assez élégante mais plus sur la structure que sur le fruit. Le vieillissement le rend assagi, mais sans la complexité espérée. C'est agréable, mais meilleur au nez qu'en bouche. 89 pts
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The nose was quite misleading in that I got aromatics more of Cabernet Franc with some violets and cassis joining in with some cranberry and blueberry by mid palate; no way do I pick out Pinot Noir in a blind tasting; so, in it`s atypical display, it has no varietal correctness or likeness; I`ve never had a BF that tasted anywhere close to this.
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I haven't had this wine in quite a few years and it remains an impressive OR Pinot starting with great spice. Red fruits are now fairly mature, but have picked up some interesting charm and nuance. Spice has an intriguing Vosne type character, with both sweet baking spice and Asian five spice hints. Very well structured and textured, this is close to a great wine, if only the fruit remained a little more fresh. I think I have another few bottles and will want to finish them over the next year or three.
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Drank along with the 1998 both bottles were excellent the 1999 had a light nose bright taste of blackberry and dark fruits. Very light tannins pleasant fruit in the toungue smooth finish. This wine is in great shape I don't think it is past prime yet.
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Slight browning and throwing fine sediment. But still very fresh in the nose and on the palate, with ocean breeze elements and minerals. Suppressed fruit, but a touch of caramel. Likely past its prime, so drink now.
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Sadly the last bottle. The years have been very kind, and in the past, I had my doubts about BF's ability to age, but I was a believer after tasting some nice examples of the 2002. Elegance and restraint in a nicely balanced package. Just lovely, and a prime example of an Oregon Pinot that will satisfy most any Burgundy aficionado. Reminds me of nicely aged examples of Laurène.
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With Chris and Stephanie for the 7 Fishes + dinner...We popped and poured, nose was reticent on this bottle. May have been this bottle, fruit was not as expressive but did come around. See prior notes, flavor profile was the same. Performs better with a healthy decant.
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90 minute decant, opened up nicely from initial taste on the pour. Nose was outstanding on initial pour and got more nuanced as the wine opened. I could pick it up a couple feet away on the first pour, Floral and rich red fruit, some spice.
Color is light ruby, mild bricking. Burgundy style. Red fruit, cola, clove, blackberry, strawberry, forest floor, some pepper (had more in its youth). Smooth mouthfeel, mellowed tannins.
I have been drinking Beaux Freres since the mid 90s. When you get a good vintage with some bottle age on it, they mature to a really beautiful wine. It's hard to say if these wines are at or past their peak - my take is they just change and become a different wine to drink. Not worse, just more mellow. I think they are good in their youth as well, just much more ripe - depends on your palate which you prefer.
On this theory - i think this one has some time left - or drink now- cant go wrong.
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From magnum. Needs 30 minutes to open, but drinks very well now with powerful fruit and a modern style, but age has been kind. Should hold for a bit. A-
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New Year's Eve in Eketahuna: Round fruit, hazelnut nuance beautiful balance and layers. Classically burgundy in style . The table went for burgundy which caused consternation at the table. This is excellent pinot noir of great character that has aged very well.
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Really surprised by this one; felt this had more in common with RRV than OR pinots. Red fruit, cola and spice rounded out the nose and carried through to the palate. Even noticed a little spritz on the tongue accentuating the cola impression, though could have been the alcohol which was somewhat peeking through (14.2% abv). Held overnight and the wine still drank beautifully the next day. Nothing about this wine indicated that it was 12 years old; seemed like it had many years left to go.
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This is beautiful Burgundian, Cotes Nuits style Pinot. The nose is filled with the scents of sweet black berries and plums with a hint of honeysuckle. The taste is intense with flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and plum with a touch of earthy spice.
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Sublime (Seattle, WA): Lord what a nose. Cloves and red fruit. A confession from my younger days, I loved clove cigarettes because of the way they smell, regardless of how horrible they are for you. I could smell this all night. The palate is pure red fruit. Berries everywhere. Not terribly complex, but a pleasure to drink. Medium to long finish showing more red fruit. Acidity is not apparent, but plenty of tannic structure left.
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Had this wine at Joel Rubuchons for my birthday. It was the perfect wine with the perfect meal. Went extremely well with veal cheeks, the spice in the wine melded well with the ginger of the dish. Layers of red fruit, plenty of time left on this wine.
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Slight yellowing on the rim; dark garnet body. Black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, sweet tobacco, forest floor. Still drinking decently, but the fruit seems to have slightly diminished in the mouth. Nice finish. From the color one would think the fruit concentration in the mouth would be a lot bigger. Still has some time left, but who knows how long. Have rated this 2-3 points higher in the past. (Rating 91-92).
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Been a while since I had this vintage. Not as big and bold as I remembered. Time has definitely mellowed this wine. Earthy nose, notes of berries and leather. Well integrated tannins.
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Perfect compliment to roast chicken dinner with lots of traditional turkey sides. Fruity and forward, balanced with good acidity and lingering finish. Drinking younger than some other recent bottles of this, hence a slighlty higher score.
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Slight heat on the nose, dark cherry, blue berry. Taste of blueberry and dark fruit, black cherry, silky smooth ripe tannins, good acidity, a little residual sugar, the alcohol (listed as 14.2) is contained. The balance is there but this is a bigger pinot and has a little residual sugar.
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Smell: earth, fall underbrush, a faint greenness, and a hint of tart red fruits.
Taste: Black cherries, raspberries, tart cherries, and the greeness comes through on the palate offering a slight hint of mouthpuckering the acidity that is holding them together.
Overall: This is simply not up to the last bottle that I had.
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Not as impressive today as it was a few years back. I had this young and it was an over the top Napa Cab like Pinot. With time it resolved itself and became a terrific example of Oregon Pinot. The heaviness and clumsiness fell away and left a gorgeous wine. Now however, while good, the wine is in graceful decline. Plenty of earth and some strawberry fruit on the nose. More of the same in the mouth. Solid wine, but not spectacular at this stage.
Picked this up recently at auction, somewhat risky given the age, but it was fairly cheap. Thankfully this one was in good shape and the cork in perfect condition. Middle-aged, but still vibrant; grapey in a good way with nice fruit and acidity; cinnamon, nutmeg and blueberry.
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Still has an abundant amount of fruit left, and while I wouldn't call the wine spectacular, I would say that it has held up (and held its own) quite well. It's pretty and fruity and a bit floral. No terribly complex, but certainly not simple, and has thrown sediment. A good showing for an 11 year old pinot.
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Lots of fruit. Somewhat acidic at the start but smoothed put quickly to reveal a nice spicy peppery feel. Wonderful nose of berries and bell pepper. A great bottle.
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This was my last bottle of this wine, and it was truly a pleasure to drink. The word I think of to describe the wine is sublime. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Very subtle smell. More floral than earlier bottles. The fruit is still very evident, particularly the cherry flavor. Don't often keep Pinots this long, but recommend the experience.
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Didn't rock my world, and when I tasted it on release, it did. Brick colored rim, brilliant color, and a heck of a sediment. Decanted 2 hours. spicy nose with blackberries and blueberries. The taste was deep and complex, with the blackberries dominating a rustic palate.
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This wine needed some time to open. Initially the nose quite subdued. It then developed in the glass with aromas of dark fruits and earth ...a complex nose that is so characteristic of older BF wines. Quite expansive on the mid-palate with good fruit, spice and soft tannins. Long in the finish. One of the better pre 2000 BF's, along with 92,93 and 94.
.
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Very good in every facet. I believe this was the best BF bottled at this point and I think it would contend with subsequent bottlings as well. Very sweet dark fruit with slatiness and a touch of earth. Oak is subdued and well-incorporated at this point. Mid-palate is sweet but restrained with cocoa, dark spices, and toast framing in the smooth, rich substantial fruits. Very good length with sweet fine tannins on the back. A graceful wine with a touch of largesse. Tasting very nicely now but I see now downside in the near future and may have more room for growth.
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Showing a deep violet-ruby hue in the glass. This is a wine that is all about finesse. It's showing strong scents of roses, earth, and red fruit. In the mouth the acidity, fruit & tannin are all in fine balance. Yet this wine is all about it's subtle nature...there are few that will take the time to contemplate this wine in our "drive through" nation. Those with the "you're way right away" notion will miss most of what this wine has to offer...this is a wine for those that will take the time to listen to the subtleties, like the notes of Yann Tiersen as his fingers dance across the keys...Drink or Hold. I will continue to hold...
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Deep garnet with clear rim and slightest tinge of orange along clear edge; very open and agreeable nose of dark pinot fruit, spices and forest floor; rich open palate with gobs of fruit and secondary flavors just developing; the acids and late puckering effect of residual tannins make this a slightly rough ride still. But it has softened out surprisingly as I never thought I'd find this wine drinkable (my 1st bottle 5 years ago was so screechy acidic and unknit that I feared I'd never like this wine). Very long and satisfying finish. Would score higher if it was more burgundian in texture and mouthfeel. Who knows what a few more years will do to this mellowing it seems to be undergoing. A buddy of mine who loves Oregon pinots swears that it's a waste to drink them younger than 1o years old.
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Brought to FL for dad's 75th birthday. Drinking beautifully, right out of the gate. Very open aromatically, which surprised me given the decant & coaxing I've often needed with BF. Bright red fruits, very full and round on the palate, looooong finish with hints of spice and tiny bit of oak. Truly drinking in the sweet spot.
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Polished off my last bottle. I have never been let down by this wine. Clear red to red/orange velvet color in a Sommelier Reidel Burgundy glass. Wonderful aromas of red wild fruit, some deeper darker cherries mixed in as well. A hint at some forest-like mushrooms, like sweet smelling wild mushrooms, and finally a little rising dough. Very smooth, and balanced, with enough acidity, to round it off nicely and a good long finish of dark sweet wild red and dark fruit. I like this wine with a few years on it. I would not be in a hurry to finish off bottles but they are very good now.
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Well... After opening 5 magnums, 97-01 with all 12 members of our group gagging on the amount of Brett and VA, this bottle was a revelation. Almost steely clean wine with Raspberry, strawberry, nice finesse style pallet on a great balanced wine. The finish was awesome with raspberry and intriguing not sweet cocoa in the background.
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HUH! Not quite the same wine with age. Have had many older vintage recently and the wines seem to have lost something rather than gained something. The Tar almost barnyard character and some of the freshness from the fruit have faded and does not seem to have picked up any nuances. Dried cherry, herbs and earth with a rather heavy mouth feel (14.2 Alcohol) made it tough to drink. Like these wines around the 4 year mark.
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This showed much better than my last taste of it a few years ago. More acidity showing which helped carry the fruit. Some complexity with spices, dark fruits (plum?) and reasonable length, though nothing spectacular. I suspect this will live another five years easily, but not sure it will improve further.
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Nice core of complex cherry fruit. Very finely delineated on the finish. Lightish and elegant but somewhat green. Not as good a showing as the last bottle perhaps because this was moved around quite a bit before opening.
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Cherry, cedar, wet soil, beef, orange zest, cinnamon stick. High acid, medium bodied. Virtually no heat. This bottle seemed much more elegant than the one we opened a couple of years ago. Not a huge finish, and I'm not sure it's worth the price, but we enjoued this quite a bit.
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Tasted December 19, 2007 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of black cherries, tar, spices, white pepper and rose petals. Flavors of black cherries, plums and a bit of jammy berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full body. Drink or hold.
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Beautiful nose of perfumed dark cherries with notes of cardboard, ferrous minerals and a vegetal hint. A lean and structured wine that needs to breathe but its loaded with delicious and bright cherry fruit. The finish is intense, juicy and finely concentrated with a lovely dry, minerally complexity. I have often found vintages of this wine to be too structured and hard but they got it right in '99.
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Poured from a 375 for a dinner of Yakutat river sockeye salmon. Tasty but a little acidic, the fruit is fading and I wondered if the smaller bottle should have been consumed a couple years back... I would imagine that a regular 750 would give a better representation of this wine.
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This wine still tasted young and rich. it doesn't need to be decanted but it did open up nicely over an hour or two. Smooth, rich and great with steak.
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This was my first Beaux Freres Pinot. The best way to describe this wine is BIG. For a 8 year old pinot, it was still rather tannic. However, it had a lot of great stuffing that you could tell was just waiting to emerge. After an hour in the decanter, the big dark boysenberry, blackberry and cherry emerged along with baking spice (i got graham cracker). I think this wine is FAR from being at its peak. I have one more bottle of 99, and 2 each of 00, 01, and 02. I will be holding these for a long time before I drink another. On a side note, I rather disagree with the tasting note from the winery website that this wine is "Burgundian." To me, its way to fruit forward and no where near restrained enough to be "burgundian" in style. To each his own I guess!
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Not as impresive as previous bottles but still very nice. This bottle had a little spritz (nothing like the 98s) that needed a little time to blow off. The 2nd day showed just a touch better than the first. Plenty of stuffing to last but with some air these are good now.
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A trio of Pinots with the 22 year olds. (Colorado): A decent bottle of wine, but 3rd of 3 of the pinots tasted tonight. Still somewhat primary. My 22 year old daughter liked it best, but most of us were nonplussed.
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Decanted 3 hours befroe dinner. Ellen the hypertaster gave it an 80, saying the acidity was excessive. I gave it an 88, as it was a pleasant, but undisitnctive and overpriced pinot. Perhaps it will develop into something with time, given its acidity? I will keep my other bottle until 2010, at least.
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Again, an import bottle from the UK, and again, rather spritzy and ugly. Took hours for it to come out of its shell, and it wasn't even all that good at that point.
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Straight from the bottle, it was very funky and Earthy, with little fruit, and a lot of heat on the nose. With just a little air, it's mellowed into a very nice wine. There's fragrant raspberry, cherry, tea, smoke, dill, cinnamon, pungent wet earth, and light oak on the nose. The cherry in particular follows through to the palate, where the wine is medium bodied and silky. The tannins still pack a punch, but the oak is far less prominent than it was a couple of years ago. I plan to hold my last '99 for a few more years.
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Very powerful, extracted, and spritzy wine. Blackberries and blueberries galore on both the nose and the palate. The fruit, while present, was subsumed beneath the tannins even at age 7. More powerful than graceful at this point.
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Atlanta Off-line with Ron Kramer (Bones Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Definite Oregon nose and follows through on the fruit flavors. Slightly corked, I hardly spent any time with this. It was also a bit difficult for me transitioning from the Cabs to the Pinot Noir flight and a corked one really jumbled things up a bit for me. No score.
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Tasted alongside its 2002 counterpart. Incredibly bright fruit, showing blackberry and raspberry flavors. Very fresh fruit. Everything is nicely balance and integrated here. It barely shows its age, and reminds me of how it tasted 4+ years ago. This wine will last for a long time. 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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1999 Pinot Noirs; 1/14/2006-12/31/2006 (All over the map...): Opens nicely, but quickly closes down for about half an hour. After that, a nice nose of earth and stewed red fruits, with tastes of the same, particularly cherries. Good mid-palate, but the length seems shorter than the taste would seem to warrant.
This is my favorite of the 3 BF that I've tasted in the past few weeks (the '97, '98, and '99) and it makes an interesting contrast to the 3 '99 Ken Wright's that we've had over the past 3 nights, which were much more ethereal in their experiences, but (remarkably) no less concentrated. That said, I can't say that I prefer any of the BF to the Ken Wright's, and at almost twice the price, it seems out of whack.
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The a elegant and resolved as a bottle drank last week. This one seemed tighter but still revealed good fruit and length....a bit of fizz that was not on the palate of the other bottle.
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Outstanding nose of earth and red fruit. Very resolved tannins, smooth, this has really come around nicely. Brugundy like in the mouth feel...a winner.
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Absolutely delicious with salmon and Esteban. Subtle elegance. Needs a little bit of air and then opens into a wonderful wine. Very smooth and long finish. On the 2nd day there is a little bit of increased acid that shows through (not in a bad way) and more spice and fruit. This is a great wine with or with out food.
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Cherry bomb! A little tight at first with a hint of phenol, could be cellared for several more years. Opened up nicely and is drinking very well about an hour after opening. Last glass was the best.
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Darker ruby. Nose kind of funky and barnyard-like at first, but this blew off to reveal blackberry and spiced tea scents. Full on the palate, with smoky black fruits, licorice, cinnamon, and anise. Maybe even a little pepper. Nice balance of fruit, structure, and acidity. Finish was sweet. After less than enthusiastic experiences with the '98, this came across as a very welcome alternative. Too bad I have just one more bottle!
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Nicely true to the grape but with some angles that subtracted. Cherry liquor and bright red fruits with silky but noticable pinot tannins... reasonably well rounded. I've had other bottles show better.
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If Mr. Parker is trying for a Burgundian profile, this didn't make it. Seemed rich, chunky, and Californian in its profile. Not a lot of finesse. It may improve with time, but I doubt it will become great in any way.
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Even though the winery and the pros said this was ready to drink at release I haven't found that to be true. This is the first bottle (out of 7) I've had that has been ready. The second day it was even better.
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Nice, but not great. Probably needed another year. Thick and dense, but fell apart after two and a half or three hours in the decanter. Give the rest another year or two.
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1999 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Beaux Freres Vineyard - Everyone was waiting to taste Uncle Bob's wine. With apologies to Mr. Parker, this was a monumental disappointment (especially to me as I brought it). The nose was more like Burg than the Kistler. There was some exotic spiciness and woodsy aromas. Yet, Gilly said that the nose seemed "chemically" created. I agree that there seemed to be some artifice - as if there was an effort to imitate. On the palate, the wine just loses it. Quite weak and without any distinction or character. Someone said "you can taste it but you can't feel it". I really wanted this to be good. But it just wasn't. 85 pts.
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Beaux Freres Dinner (West Town Tavern - Chicago IL): Great black cherry and blackberry aromas with huge spice and perfumed support. Long, vibrant and powerful black fruit flavors as well on palate. Close to its peak now, but I'd expect this to drink well for a decade+.
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1/5/2024 - xyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a magnum, winery mailing list purchase when I was younger but no less foolish. Nose is eccentric on opening fruit toned by exotic spice - more likely old age. Dark color, very dark, too dark to be browning. Retains fairy's kiss of CO2 used in bottling (in place of sulphur). Textured fruit, spice impregnated, well balanced with correct acid and memory of tannin. Much less sweet than the 2000 tasted a few days ago.
Observation or Opinion. Most tasters would guess a young Oregon Pinot although no young Oregon Pinot tastes like this. Yes, young Oregon Pinot fruit character; No, texture and depth of taste perceptions, a patina which I cannot recall in any other Pinot Noir and pure enjoyment.
Purchasing and cold storing new releases of OR Pinot for 20+ years and awaiting the Right occasion is admittedly an admission of lack of foresight. It is only the corkage fees at St. Peter's Gate which requires action.
Has Michael Etzel ever been properly praised for earthly miracles?
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5/1/2022 - xyc Likes this wine:
Utilizing a two-pronged escape strategy named Ah So, the cork managed an escape from 20 years solitary confinement in one piece and a richly colored wine flowed quite naturally into the waiting balloon. Swirls induced molecular aromas, sun sweetened strawberry, exotic spices and aged wine notes of barnyard. Sweet delicate fruit and spices with an incredibly fresh fruit acidity entice the palate from entry to chewing to aftertaste. Can a well-aged Pinot be too sweet, too exotic?
Assigning a score would be ungentlemanly, an enchanting wine.
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11/19/2020 - jgreco Does not like this wine: 87 Points
The 1999 Beaux Freres Freres Vineyard is past its prime, but still enjoyable as a bit of history in a bottle. Color is limid red with bricking at the end. On the nose you get clove, spices, mushroom, and some synthetics from the wine showing its age. I'm still a bit stunned as to how much fruit (strawberry, cherry) is left in this wine. This must have had some amazing concentration in its youth. Silky and smooth on the palate.
Tasted with Ryan for his 100 points podcast.
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10/7/2020 - jmoore431 wrote: 89 Points
At first (on PnP) the previously experienced harsh tannin and shrill acidity were there to greet me. But after a considerable amount of time and airing, a strong, beautiful Pinot Noir emerged. Very big and structured, but as described by others, clearly New World.
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2/22/2020 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine in the Sunshine State; 2/20/2020-2/23/2020 (Florida): Of all of the wines of the night this one jumped out because it was new world and truly tasted as such. Fruit still going strong. Would need to age quite a bit more to get to my sweet spot. Secondary notes not there yet.
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9/21/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for a half an hour. Drank over an hour and a half and it just got better and better.
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8/26/2019 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stunned at how much fruit this wine still had. Notes of strawberry and sweet cherry. Long finish.
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11/24/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a magnum
Strong nose red fruits
Nice color starting to show some bricking at edges
Tased great bright fruits, typical BF strawberry and cherry hunts of darker fruits
Drank with a 2011. this bottle was holding its own with two he younger vintage. Nice fruit but smoother
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7/18/2018 - thalver wrote:
This was a much better showing than a bottle a couple years ago. While it had less bottle boquet than I might want from a mature wine, it drank much younger than that bottle. This one seemed like it still had some life ahead. That said, it was pleasant, though less complex than I'd hoped for given the age. It stood up well over the coarse of a few hours, but the boquet never really blossomed.
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9/10/2016 - Bigtuna wrote:
Have similar comments to thalver. Decanted two hours and poured, first thought - this is past its time. Then, over the next hour the wine came to life. While not at its prime, definitely drinkable. She may be old, but she still has a little something left. Short window though - after another hour, the wine was gone.
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5/1/2016 - thalver wrote:
Decanted and poured. This wine seemed to have faded to an Oregon pinot with the amplitude turned down to the point where it took concentration to get much pleasure from it. However, after about the third hour open, and when nearing the end of the bottle, the nose came from out of nowhere, and the palate became less reticent. Note to self: give the last bottle some air before drinking
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1/26/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consumed several years ago. Held up better than expected. Nice fruit. Drink up.
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1/23/2015 - BradE wrote:
A Quartet of Beaux Freres (The Kenwood - Minneapolis): Immediately, a nose that was beautiful, really off the charts. Less attractive on the palate versus the nose. Silky texture, a bit of a mineral element, and a bit crunchy. Note of red cherry. Faded after 30-45 minutes. Best of the flight while it was on.
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1/22/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Not what I hoped it would be tonight but very pleasant if not, a tad ripe. This is at its peak and will not likely improve. Good for a few more years though. Not compelled to seek it out unless I score it cheaply.
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12/25/2014 - lesz wrote: 89 Points
We all thought it was drinking pretty good. Not a rock star but enjoyable
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8/8/2014 - diggydan wrote: 84 Points
Beautiful initial nose of clove and spice that is overpowered by alcoholic heat. The body is pretty big, a little clumsy, and the palate finishes way too hot.
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7/21/2014 - BradE wrote:
Not a rock star, but decent.
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6/22/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 85 Points
1999 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (SE Wine Collective): Nasty wine compared to the Reed & Reynolds poured along side it in this flight. The aromas are soft and hugely herbal. Quite nice, actually. The palate on the other hand is incredibly chewy. It's like chewing on a cookie, in fact, and even tastes like one (with booze mixed in). Soft, stewed fruit finish.
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6/22/2014 - pwillen1 wrote:
1999 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (SE Wine Collective): I'm done with Beaux Frere. The wines just don't show well for me. Sweet cocoa on the nose with some lavender. Spicy in the mouth, no acid, then hot finish. Simplistic.
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1/10/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote: 89 Points
Un joli nez de sous bois, avec du fruit rouge.
Une bouche ronde et amène, bien enveloppée, jolie mais pas très complexe. Un vin agréable mais qui laisse l'impression que ses plus beaux jours sont derrière lui. Sans doute un peu trop vieux. 89 pts
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11/15/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Chez Walker avec Lauren/Colin/Wendy/Simon/Andrea/Dave/Isobel/Jeroen: Drank after our white flights and next to an 07 Bergstrom Vineyard. Last bottle. Consistent with prior notes - made sure this got a 90 minute decant.
Red fruits are fairly mature, but elegant and nuanced. BF with some age takes on a Burgundian feel and texture.
Very nice, would drink if you have it over the next 1-3 years.
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10/26/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 89 Points
Un nez discret mais suave de sous-bois et de petites fraises des champs, racé et joli. Il développe ensuite des notes d'agrûmes.
La bouche est assez élégante mais plus sur la structure que sur le fruit. Le vieillissement le rend assagi, mais sans la complexité espérée. C'est agréable, mais meilleur au nez qu'en bouche. 89 pts
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6/14/2013 - Blake Brown wrote: flawed
The nose was quite misleading in that I got aromatics more of Cabernet Franc with some violets and cassis joining in with some cranberry and blueberry by mid palate; no way do I pick out Pinot Noir in a blind tasting; so, in it`s atypical display, it has no varietal correctness or likeness; I`ve never had a BF that tasted anywhere close to this.
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6/1/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
I haven't had this wine in quite a few years and it remains an impressive OR Pinot starting with great spice. Red fruits are now fairly mature, but have picked up some interesting charm and nuance. Spice has an intriguing Vosne type character, with both sweet baking spice and Asian five spice hints. Very well structured and textured, this is close to a great wine, if only the fruit remained a little more fresh. I think I have another few bottles and will want to finish them over the next year or three.
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5/29/2013 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOW
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5/12/2013 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank along with the 1998 both bottles were excellent the 1999 had a light nose bright taste of blackberry and dark fruits. Very light tannins pleasant fruit in the toungue smooth finish. This wine is in great shape I don't think it is past prime yet.
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3/17/2013 - jonahfactor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slight browning and throwing fine sediment. But still very fresh in the nose and on the palate, with ocean breeze elements and minerals. Suppressed fruit, but a touch of caramel. Likely past its prime, so drink now.
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3/12/2013 - Chaz Bham wrote: 91 Points
Sadly the last bottle. The years have been very kind, and in the past, I had my doubts about BF's ability to age, but I was a believer after tasting some nice examples of the 2002. Elegance and restraint in a nicely balanced package. Just lovely, and a prime example of an Oregon Pinot that will satisfy most any Burgundy aficionado. Reminds me of nicely aged examples of Laurène.
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2/23/2013 - MC wrote:
This one was similar to previous notes, but it did seem the fruit was drying out just a bit. Still pleasant, but would be drinking up. B+/A-
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12/24/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
With Chris and Stephanie for the 7 Fishes + dinner...We popped and poured, nose was reticent on this bottle. May have been this bottle, fruit was not as expressive but did come around. See prior notes, flavor profile was the same. Performs better with a healthy decant.
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9/2/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
90 minute decant, opened up nicely from initial taste on the pour. Nose was outstanding on initial pour and got more nuanced as the wine opened. I could pick it up a couple feet away on the first pour, Floral and rich red fruit, some spice.
Color is light ruby, mild bricking. Burgundy style. Red fruit, cola, clove, blackberry, strawberry, forest floor, some pepper (had more in its youth). Smooth mouthfeel, mellowed tannins.
I have been drinking Beaux Freres since the mid 90s. When you get a good vintage with some bottle age on it, they mature to a really beautiful wine. It's hard to say if these wines are at or past their peak - my take is they just change and become a different wine to drink. Not worse, just more mellow. I think they are good in their youth as well, just much more ripe - depends on your palate which you prefer.
On this theory - i think this one has some time left - or drink now- cant go wrong.
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7/21/2012 - MC wrote:
From magnum. Needs 30 minutes to open, but drinks very well now with powerful fruit and a modern style, but age has been kind. Should hold for a bit. A-
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12/31/2011 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
New Year's Eve in Eketahuna: Round fruit, hazelnut nuance beautiful balance and layers. Classically burgundy in style . The table went for burgundy which caused consternation at the table. This is excellent pinot noir of great character that has aged very well.
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12/31/2011 - scarlino wrote:
Very nice...took a while to open up. Once it did the cola nut flavor was intense.
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11/3/2011 - wineaux2 wrote: 91 Points
Really surprised by this one; felt this had more in common with RRV than OR pinots. Red fruit, cola and spice rounded out the nose and carried through to the palate. Even noticed a little spritz on the tongue accentuating the cola impression, though could have been the alcohol which was somewhat peeking through (14.2% abv). Held overnight and the wine still drank beautifully the next day. Nothing about this wine indicated that it was 12 years old; seemed like it had many years left to go.
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7/7/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Mellowed from its "peak" but a beautiful example of domestic PN. Dark fruit but soft soft tannin and earthy undertones.
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5/26/2011 - WWSGURU wrote: 98 Points
Fantastic bottle of wine at it's peak.
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5/14/2011 - johnwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is beautiful Burgundian, Cotes Nuits style Pinot. The nose is filled with the scents of sweet black berries and plums with a hint of honeysuckle. The taste is intense with flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and plum with a touch of earthy spice.
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4/23/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Sublime (Seattle, WA): Lord what a nose. Cloves and red fruit. A confession from my
younger days, I loved clove cigarettes because of the way they smell, regardless of how horrible they are for you. I could smell this all night. The palate is pure red fruit. Berries everywhere. Not terribly complex, but a pleasure to drink. Medium to long finish showing more red fruit. Acidity is not apparent, but plenty of tannic structure left.
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4/5/2011 - JohnnyBark wrote: 95 Points
Had this wine at Joel Rubuchons for my birthday. It was the perfect wine with the perfect meal. Went extremely well with veal cheeks, the spice in the wine melded well with the ginger of the dish. Layers of red fruit, plenty of time left on this wine.
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2/7/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 91 Points
Slight yellowing on the rim; dark garnet body. Black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, sweet tobacco, forest floor. Still drinking decently, but the fruit seems to have slightly diminished in the mouth. Nice finish. From the color one would think the fruit concentration in the mouth would be a lot bigger. Still has some time left, but who knows how long. Have rated this 2-3 points higher in the past. (Rating 91-92).
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1/23/2011 - tourproto wrote: 91 Points
Been a while since I had this vintage. Not as big and bold as I remembered. Time has definitely mellowed this wine. Earthy nose, notes of berries and leather. Well integrated tannins.
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10/18/2010 - winejnky wrote: 90 Points
Perfect compliment to roast chicken dinner with lots of traditional turkey sides. Fruity and forward, balanced with good acidity and lingering finish. Drinking younger than some other recent bottles of this, hence a slighlty higher score.
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10/18/2010 - winemaker wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was much better than the last. Not showing signs of decline. Lovely complete round Pinot. Not super complex.
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10/16/2010 - gfish wrote: 90 Points
Slight heat on the nose, dark cherry, blue berry.
Taste of blueberry and dark fruit, black cherry, silky smooth ripe tannins, good acidity, a little residual sugar, the alcohol (listed as 14.2) is contained. The balance is there but this is a bigger pinot and has a little residual sugar.
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10/8/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 90 Points
Color: garnet with some light bricking
Smell: earth, fall underbrush, a faint greenness, and a hint of tart red fruits.
Taste: Black cherries, raspberries, tart cherries, and the greeness comes through on the palate offering a slight hint of mouthpuckering the acidity that is holding them together.
Overall: This is simply not up to the last bottle that I had.
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5/31/2010 - winemaker wrote: 91 Points
Not as impressive today as it was a few years back. I had this young and it was an over the top Napa Cab like Pinot. With time it resolved itself and became a terrific example of Oregon Pinot. The heaviness and clumsiness fell away and left a gorgeous wine. Now however, while good, the wine is in graceful decline. Plenty of earth and some strawberry fruit on the nose. More of the same in the mouth. Solid wine, but not spectacular at this stage.
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5/23/2010 - winejnky wrote: 89 Points
Picked this up recently at auction, somewhat risky given the age, but it was fairly cheap. Thankfully this one was in good shape and the cork in perfect condition. Middle-aged, but still vibrant; grapey in a good way with nice fruit and acidity; cinnamon, nutmeg and blueberry.
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5/15/2010 - Ronfeldman wrote: 90 Points
Lots of forward fruit, still had nice tannins. Very balanced wine.
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5/12/2010 - jbaron wrote: 92 Points
Still has an abundant amount of fruit left, and while I wouldn't call the wine spectacular, I would say that it has held up (and held its own) quite well. It's pretty and fruity and a bit floral. No terribly complex, but certainly not simple, and has thrown sediment. A good showing for an 11 year old pinot.
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2/12/2010 - VinoMax Likes this wine: 92 Points
C- Bright garnet N- Floral/earth/dark cherry T- Medium bodied, soft tannins, cherry, herbal, good finish.
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11/7/2009 - carcoach wrote: 90 Points
Lots of fruit. Somewhat acidic at the start but smoothed put quickly to reveal a nice spicy peppery feel. Wonderful nose of berries and bell pepper. A great bottle.
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11/1/2009 - Edclr wrote: flawed
Corked!!! Out of magnum. What a shame.
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10/31/2009 - islayman wrote: 92 Points
This was my last bottle of this wine, and it was truly a pleasure to drink. The word I think of to describe the wine is sublime. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Very subtle smell. More floral than earlier bottles. The fruit is still very evident, particularly the cherry flavor. Don't often keep Pinots this long, but recommend the experience.
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10/14/2009 - Colia wrote: 91 Points
Didn't rock my world, and when I tasted it on release, it did. Brick colored rim, brilliant color, and a heck of a sediment. Decanted 2 hours. spicy nose with blackberries and blueberries. The taste was deep and complex, with the blackberries dominating a rustic palate.
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10/3/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Past its prime.
Still showing nice dark spicy berries, black pepper and true old school Oregon terroir.
Nice acidity still showing.
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8/7/2009 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
This wine needed some time to open. Initially the nose quite subdued. It then developed in the glass with aromas of dark fruits and earth ...a complex nose that is so characteristic of older BF wines. Quite expansive on the mid-palate with good fruit, spice and soft tannins. Long in the finish. One of the better pre 2000 BF's, along with 92,93 and 94.
.
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6/15/2009 - jimbomatic wrote: 92 Points
Very good in every facet. I believe this was the best BF bottled at this point and I think it would contend with subsequent bottlings as well. Very sweet dark fruit with slatiness and a touch of earth. Oak is subdued and well-incorporated at this point. Mid-palate is sweet but restrained with cocoa, dark spices, and toast framing in the smooth, rich substantial fruits. Very good length with sweet fine tannins on the back. A graceful wine with a touch of largesse. Tasting very nicely now but I see now downside in the near future and may have more room for growth.
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4/6/2009 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Showing a deep violet-ruby hue in the glass. This is a wine that is all about finesse. It's showing strong scents of roses, earth, and red fruit. In the mouth the acidity, fruit & tannin are all in fine balance. Yet this wine is all about it's subtle nature...there are few that will take the time to contemplate this wine in our "drive through" nation. Those with the "you're way right away" notion will miss most of what this wine has to offer...this is a wine for those that will take the time to listen to the subtleties, like the notes of Yann Tiersen as his fingers dance across the keys...Drink or Hold. I will continue to hold...
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2/14/2009 - jmoore431 wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet with clear rim and slightest tinge of orange along clear edge; very open and agreeable nose of dark pinot fruit, spices and forest floor; rich open palate with gobs of fruit and secondary flavors just developing; the acids and late puckering effect of residual tannins make this a slightly rough ride still. But it has softened out surprisingly as I never thought I'd find this wine drinkable (my 1st bottle 5 years ago was so screechy acidic and unknit that I feared I'd never like this wine). Very long and satisfying finish. Would score higher if it was more burgundian in texture and mouthfeel. Who knows what a few more years will do to this mellowing it seems to be undergoing. A buddy of mine who loves Oregon pinots swears that it's a waste to drink them younger than 1o years old.
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1/25/2009 - Veloman wrote:
Brought to FL for dad's 75th birthday. Drinking beautifully, right out of the gate. Very open aromatically, which surprised me given the decant & coaxing I've often needed with BF. Bright red fruits, very full and round on the palate, looooong finish with hints of spice and tiny bit of oak. Truly drinking in the sweet spot.
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1/4/2009 - simba-mk@cox.net wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing and over the hill...
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12/16/2008 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 92 Points
Polished off my last bottle. I have never been let down by this wine. Clear red to red/orange velvet color in a Sommelier Reidel Burgundy glass. Wonderful aromas of red wild fruit, some deeper darker cherries mixed in as well. A hint at some forest-like mushrooms, like sweet smelling wild mushrooms, and finally a little rising dough. Very smooth, and balanced, with enough acidity, to round it off nicely and a good long finish of dark sweet wild red and dark fruit. I like this wine with a few years on it. I would not be in a hurry to finish off bottles but they are very good now.
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9/4/2008 - jivey wrote: 93 Points
Well... After opening 5 magnums, 97-01 with all 12 members of our group gagging on the amount of Brett and VA, this bottle was a revelation. Almost steely clean wine with Raspberry, strawberry, nice finesse style pallet on a great balanced wine. The finish was awesome with raspberry and intriguing not sweet cocoa in the background.
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8/24/2008 - tacman wrote: 87 Points
agree w/ Jivey ... fruit has lost its character and this just seems flat/lifeless. Not corked, just nothing spectacular.
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8/4/2008 - Giladog wrote: 94 Points
Awesome wine. My current choice for the standard in what Willamette Valley Pinot can express. One of the best I've had from this region.
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6/10/2008 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured this one and it was excellent from the beginning. 93+ A little left on day 2 and still excellent - maybe a touch more complex.
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6/1/2008 - jivey wrote: 88 Points
HUH! Not quite the same wine with age. Have had many older vintage recently and the wines seem to have lost something rather than gained something. The Tar almost barnyard character and some of the freshness from the fruit have faded and does not seem to have picked up any nuances. Dried cherry, herbs and earth with a rather heavy mouth feel (14.2 Alcohol) made it tough to drink. Like these wines around the 4 year mark.
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5/6/2008 - burgbob wrote: 90 Points
This showed much better than my last taste of it a few years ago. More acidity showing which helped carry the fruit. Some complexity with spices, dark fruits (plum?) and reasonable length, though nothing spectacular. I suspect this will live another five years easily, but not sure it will improve further.
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5/2/2008 - BradE wrote:
Decent, but just okay.
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4/25/2008 - dream wrote: 86 Points
Nice core of complex cherry fruit. Very finely delineated on the finish. Lightish and elegant but somewhat green. Not as good a showing as the last bottle perhaps because this was moved around quite a bit before opening.
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4/10/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Give it an hour to open up and enjoy.
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3/3/2008 - christopher wish wrote: 94 Points
delicious! still very young!
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2/16/2008 - Brix wrote: 91 Points
Cherry, cedar, wet soil, beef, orange zest, cinnamon stick. High acid, medium bodied. Virtually no heat. This bottle seemed much more elegant than the one we opened a couple of years ago. Not a huge finish, and I'm not sure it's worth the price, but we enjoued this quite a bit.
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1/21/2008 - simba-mk@cox.net wrote: 88 Points
A little disappointing-medium body and fading
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1/9/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: 89 Points
Backstreet - Oregon and Washington (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Medium-bodied. Typical pinot but nothing extraordinary.
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1/9/2008 - kstoddard wrote:
eRobert Parker Offline - Washington and Oregon (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): From magnum. Cherry, raspberry and spice. Spritzy minerality. Loads of brett. Over extracted. Finishes flat.
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1/7/2008 - jivey wrote: 89 Points
Barnyard, licorice, nice balance, spice and pepper.
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12/19/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted December 19, 2007 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of black cherries, tar, spices, white pepper and rose petals. Flavors of black cherries, plums and a bit of jammy berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full body. Drink or hold.
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12/5/2007 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful nose of perfumed dark cherries with notes of cardboard, ferrous minerals and a vegetal hint. A lean and structured wine that needs to breathe but its loaded with delicious and bright cherry fruit. The finish is intense, juicy and finely concentrated with a lovely dry, minerally complexity. I have often found vintages of this wine to be too structured and hard but they got it right in '99.
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11/5/2007 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Same as 3/27 note.
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10/6/2007 - ml wrote:
Decent, but acidic and you can taste the alcohol in this.
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7/16/2007 - BradA wrote: 89 Points
Poured from a 375 for a dinner of Yakutat river sockeye salmon. Tasty but a little acidic, the fruit is fading and I wondered if the smaller bottle should have been consumed a couple years back... I would imagine that a regular 750 would give a better representation of this wine.
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4/18/2007 - mrwhy2k wrote: 92 Points
This wine still tasted young and rich. it doesn't need to be decanted but it did open up nicely over an hour or two. Smooth, rich and great with steak.
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4/1/2007 - shudave wrote: 90 Points
This was my first Beaux Freres Pinot. The best way to describe this wine is BIG. For a 8 year old pinot, it was still rather tannic. However, it had a lot of great stuffing that you could tell was just waiting to emerge. After an hour in the decanter, the big dark boysenberry, blackberry and cherry emerged along with baking spice (i got graham cracker). I think this wine is FAR from being at its peak. I have one more bottle of 99, and 2 each of 00, 01, and 02. I will be holding these for a long time before I drink another. On a side note, I rather disagree with the tasting note from the winery website that this wine is "Burgundian." To me, its way to fruit forward and no where near restrained enough to be "burgundian" in style. To each his own I guess!
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3/23/2007 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
Not as impresive as previous bottles but still very nice. This bottle had a little spritz (nothing like the 98s) that needed a little time to blow off. The 2nd day showed just a touch better than the first. Plenty of stuffing to last but with some air these are good now.
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12/25/2006 - BradE wrote:
A trio of Pinots with the 22 year olds. (Colorado): A decent bottle of wine, but 3rd of 3 of the pinots tasted tonight. Still somewhat primary. My 22 year old daughter liked it best, but most of us were nonplussed.
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12/23/2006 - Ali wrote: 89 Points
not very exciting, especially at it's price point
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11/24/2006 - sbeeks wrote: 93 Points
took with us to Lulu Restaurant in Mammoth. Paired with rotisserie leg of lamb. Fantastic, restrained fruit.
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9/17/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 84 Points
Decanted 3 hours befroe dinner. Ellen the hypertaster gave it an 80, saying the acidity was excessive. I gave it an 88, as it was a pleasant, but undisitnctive and overpriced pinot. Perhaps it will develop into something with time, given its acidity?
I will keep my other bottle until 2010, at least.
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8/4/2006 - sbeeks wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing. Thin. Flat fruit.
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8/1/2006 - caldwell wrote:
Again, an import bottle from the UK, and again, rather spritzy and ugly. Took hours for it to come out of its shell, and it wasn't even all that good at that point.
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6/30/2006 - Brix wrote: 89 Points
Straight from the bottle, it was very funky and Earthy, with little fruit, and a lot of heat on the nose. With just a little air, it's mellowed into a very nice wine. There's fragrant raspberry, cherry, tea, smoke, dill, cinnamon, pungent wet earth, and light oak on the nose. The cherry in particular follows through to the palate, where the wine is medium bodied and silky. The tannins still pack a punch, but the oak is far less prominent than it was a couple of years ago. I plan to hold my last '99 for a few more years.
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5/21/2006 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Very powerful, extracted, and spritzy wine. Blackberries and blueberries galore on both the nose and the palate. The fruit, while present, was subsumed beneath the tannins even at age 7. More powerful than graceful at this point.
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4/25/2006 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Great.
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4/22/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: flawed
Atlanta Off-line with Ron Kramer (Bones Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Definite Oregon nose and follows through on the fruit flavors. Slightly corked, I hardly spent any time with this. It was also a bit difficult for me transitioning from the Cabs to the Pinot Noir flight and a corked one really jumbled things up a bit for me. No score.
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4/5/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 88 Points
not my favorite, fairly one dementional, in a subdued way
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3/25/2006 - BradE wrote:
Good, I liked it. Nothing too otherworldly, but a decent Saturday night at home drink.
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3/9/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Tasted alongside its 2002 counterpart. Incredibly bright fruit, showing blackberry and raspberry flavors. Very fresh fruit. Everything is nicely balance and integrated here. It barely shows its age, and reminds me of how it tasted 4+ years ago. This wine will last for a long time. 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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2/8/2006 - Eric wrote:
Rhubarb. Stalk. I actually like the edginess of the nose. Alas, this bottles shows a bit of refermentation and seems off.
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1/19/2006 - jbaron wrote: 90 Points
1999 Pinot Noirs; 1/14/2006-12/31/2006 (All over the map...): Opens nicely, but quickly closes down for about half an hour. After that, a nice nose of earth and stewed red fruits, with tastes of the same, particularly cherries. Good mid-palate, but the length seems shorter than the taste would seem to warrant.
This is my favorite of the 3 BF that I've tasted in the past few weeks (the '97, '98, and '99) and it makes an interesting contrast to the 3 '99 Ken Wright's that we've had over the past 3 nights, which were much more ethereal in their experiences, but (remarkably) no less concentrated. That said, I can't say that I prefer any of the BF to the Ken Wright's, and at almost twice the price, it seems out of whack.
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12/16/2005 - Alpine wrote: 91 Points
The a elegant and resolved as a bottle drank last week. This one seemed tighter but still revealed good fruit and length....a bit of fizz that was not on the palate of the other bottle.
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12/9/2005 - Alpine wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding nose of earth and red fruit. Very resolved tannins, smooth, this has really come around nicely. Brugundy like in the mouth feel...a winner.
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12/4/2005 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely delicious with salmon and Esteban. Subtle elegance. Needs a little bit of air and then opens into a wonderful wine. Very smooth and long finish. On the 2nd day there is a little bit of increased acid that shows through (not in a bad way) and more spice and fruit. This is a great wine with or with out food.
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11/24/2005 - jeepie wrote: 92 Points
Good nose, not quite as balanced as I had hoped. Seemed a bit young still; but it should continue to evolve.
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11/24/2005 - etirer wrote: 93 Points
Cherry bomb! A little tight at first with a hint of phenol, could be cellared for several more years. Opened up nicely and is drinking very well about an hour after opening. Last glass was the best.
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9/25/2005 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Darker ruby. Nose kind of funky and barnyard-like at first, but this blew off to reveal blackberry and spiced tea scents. Full on the palate, with smoky black fruits, licorice, cinnamon, and anise. Maybe even a little pepper. Nice balance of fruit, structure, and acidity. Finish was sweet. After less than enthusiastic experiences with the '98, this came across as a very welcome alternative. Too bad I have just one more bottle!
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4/16/2005 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Decant and this is really starting to taste good.
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3/1/2005 - caldwell wrote:
From earlier note: This wasn't another year problem, it's just not as good as some of the young California stuff we've been drinking.
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11/17/2004 - watchnwine wrote: 88 Points
Nicely true to the grape but with some angles that subtracted. Cherry liquor and bright red fruits with silky but noticable pinot tannins... reasonably well rounded. I've had other bottles show better.
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9/22/2004 - burgbob wrote: 87 Points
If Mr. Parker is trying for a Burgundian profile, this didn't make it. Seemed rich, chunky, and Californian in its profile. Not a lot of finesse. It may improve with time, but I doubt it will become great in any way.
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7/31/2004 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
Even though the winery and the pros said this was ready to drink at release I haven't found that to be true. This is the first bottle (out of 7) I've had that has been ready. The second day it was even better.
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1/1/2004 - caldwell wrote:
Nice, but not great. Probably needed another year. Thick and dense, but fell apart after two and a half or three hours in the decanter. Give the rest another year or two.
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8/12/2003 - Blair Curtis wrote: 85 Points
1999 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Beaux Freres Vineyard - Everyone was waiting to taste Uncle Bob's wine. With apologies to Mr. Parker, this was a monumental disappointment (especially to me as I brought it). The nose was more like Burg than the Kistler. There was some exotic spiciness and woodsy aromas. Yet, Gilly said that the nose seemed "chemically" created. I agree that there seemed to be some artifice - as if there was an effort to imitate. On the palate, the wine just loses it. Quite weak and without any distinction or character. Someone said "you can taste it but you can't feel it". I really wanted this to be good. But it just wasn't. 85 pts.
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3/8/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Beaux Freres Dinner (West Town Tavern - Chicago IL): Great black cherry and blackberry aromas with huge spice and perfumed support. Long, vibrant and powerful black fruit flavors as well on palate. Close to its peak now, but I'd expect this to drink well for a decade+.
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3/27/2002 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 94 Points
The second bottle of this, the best Beaux Freres.
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3/27/2002 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 94 Points
This has been my favorite Beaux Freres. A really solid wine both times I have had it.
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