This was still going with a long way to go. Fairly big for a pinot. Nose was Burgundian like, palate was new world, improved in decanter over 1 hour. suggested by the very kind sommelier at Blue restaurant at the Ritz in Grand Caymen
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This showed the best of three bottles bought at auction. Burgundian balance, plenty of structure left. This is one Oregon Pinot you can cellar, and ought to.
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An interesting wine. This opened up with minimal aroma and was tannic and somewhat unappealing. Gradually this opened up to be a pleasant enough wine. Paired with food (cheese and then Thai shrimp, sweet potatoe cake, and roasted broccoli) it was wonderful - losing the tannic thread and adding finish. After dinner back to meh. We drank this slowly. Earthy and spice. I much prefer the 2002 vintage of this wine drunk with 10 years of age. Still, a nice wine.
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Delicate, round aged '97 from Ribbon Ridge. I don't suppose most 1997 Oregon Pinots had the tannic structure to support aging but I always find the Beaux Freres wines need quite a bit of bottle time for my taste. This is the oldest I've tried and everyone liked it. Friendly berry nose, soft and fruity if a bit thin on the palate, just enough tannin to firm up the finish. Very drinkable now.
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Pinot Noir Night (Peter's House): This was my contribution to the tasting. Opened at 9am and then decanted for five hours. Young coloration of solid red core and brown fade at the rim. Old rose petals, rubber tire, leather, dried cherries, menthol, and grilled fruit. The group unanimously thought this was a ten year old Burgundy. Balanced with secondary notes and still very gritty tannins which resolved somewhat by the second hour.
This received 1 x 2nd place and 2 x 3rd place votes.
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Color is still quite dark, almost opaque at the core, fading to translucent ruby on the rim.
A soil-inflected nose here, more prominent than the black & red fruit - really attractive nose with a lot going on.
Not a hard edge to be found on the palate; quite nice, and fully mature. I've got a strip steak with my name on it that's going to be hitting the grill in about 45 minutes, and I think this will be a great match.
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Color was surprisingly youthful with only a minor brown tint on the rim. Has a poetic subtlety on the nose like an aged Bordeaux. Stewed mushrooms, cedar, gently layered red fruits and figs, plum pudding, slight fennel, eucalyptus, and other secondary elements. Still fresh on the palette but less complete here than on the nose. Once past the mid palette, the fruit recedes somewhat leaving it mostly to finish with the silky oak tannins and acidity. Fruit filled in a bit after two hours and was drinking better on the second day.
Overall really wonderful. If this bottle is any indication, this should easily see its 20th birthday and could continue to improve.
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mushroom nose,blackcurrant/blackberry palate, deep purple color, probably at peak and delivering more than expected from the this vintage from the last botttle of my case from the winery
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Winery direct. Last bottle. No bricking or browning at the edge. Color is reminiscent of a considerably younger pinot. Initial flavors of black cherry, light smoke, spice and bramble. Only the slightest of tannins. Great combination with hot smoked (Bradley Smoker) wild caught coho salmon, taters and veggies.
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Great wine. 10 years ago it "won" a Pinot wine tasting I held and it is still fantastic. Noting that others decanted and wondered if that was a good idea, I opened and poured. Big fruit and well structured with a long finish. No trace of past its prime from this bottle. I was sad to see it go.
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A lovely bricking brownish red color fills the glass as scents of freshly tilled earth, wet forest floor, dried cherries and cran-orange potpori that linger over a light eminating scent of an oil stained garage floor with a light scent of flint & lilac blossom in the air. This....is lovely. An absolute stunner...that is hard to wrap my mind around. n the mouth light bodied weight gives to softened tannins as flavors of baked cherries,wild strawberries, and pumpkin seeds fill the mouth across a subtle and elegant finish that lasts for 45+ seconds. This will hold one easily for another year or two...but it's not going to get any better...drink now - 2010
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Very floral nose, some tea leaf and mushroom. Unfortunately, palate does not show as well. There is something lacking on the palate, it comes across as tart, slightly austere. Weakest of '94-'99.
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NJ Pinot Noir Tasting - June 21st OFFLINE - took place on July 22nd (New Jersey): Another fun bottle of this '97, opened for a good 2 hours before first pour, but the fruit was lacking. May have been better popped and poured? Maybe nearing the end of it's life, or maybe in a weird stage with more time in the bottle possible? I am not good enough to tell. Good floral structure on the nose with some blackberry and black cherry on the nose. More black fruits and spice on the palate. Good, but this wine seemed very light and thin. I originally thought I scored this 93 points, but had it confused. Thanks RB!
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Huge (for a pinot), great structure. On opening was tight but still had decent fruit. Got to it's best well after 1 hr open. I think this wine wasn't even ready to drink yet!
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Poured from mag, even with a Parker autograph on the bottle neck. Blackberry, loamy blueberry, seems big and tight. Stony wood tannins on the finish. Dare say this wine even at 10 years old is not near ready. 5 more years?
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Not as bad as I thought it would be. Not drek. Varietal pinot nose. Smoky and some spice. On the palate, fruit still in evidence, but hard tannins are obstrusive even with extend time in the decater. Ok with food. Remaining bottles probably best used for cooking wine.
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This is nearing the end. The fruit has receded to the background, however there are some nice floral elements in the nose, with especially strong hints of rosemary and violet. The body is getting a little thin, but still has the structure to back up the herbs into the finish. Drink up now.
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I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. The fruit is nicely concentrated, and sweet with predominantly black fruit character. The wine is balanced, with good acidity, and has the backbone to stand up much longer in the cellar.
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Pre-1998 US Pinot Tasting (My home - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. Black cherry aromas and flavors, showing slightly ripe and sweet character. Good structure, balance and length. Modest spice, mostly oak driven. At its peak.
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Tasted several times, most recently 11/04 en magnum. Nose quite floral with very sweet blue and black fruits. Balanced palate with good ripeness and weight. Starting to hit its stride, drink now – 2009. ***
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Charming and accessible Pinot Noir aromas with less tannins than I normally expect from Beaux Freres. Dried red and black cherry with modest spice. Drinking well now, and while I doubt this will improve, it has the substance to hold at this level for close to a decade.
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12/8/2022 - bjlcrucrazy Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was still going with a long way to go. Fairly big for a pinot. Nose was Burgundian like, palate was new world, improved in decanter over 1 hour. suggested by the very kind sommelier at Blue restaurant at the Ritz in Grand Caymen
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9/8/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
This showed the best of three bottles bought at auction. Burgundian balance, plenty of structure left. This is one Oregon Pinot you can cellar, and ought to.
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4/20/2017 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 90 Points
An interesting wine. This opened up with minimal aroma and was tannic and somewhat unappealing. Gradually this opened up to be a pleasant enough wine. Paired with food (cheese and then Thai shrimp, sweet potatoe cake, and roasted broccoli) it was wonderful - losing the tannic thread and adding finish.
After dinner back to meh. We drank this slowly.
Earthy and spice.
I much prefer the 2002 vintage of this wine drunk with 10 years of age.
Still, a nice wine.
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4/4/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle had just a touch of bitter oxidation on the finish but it was still good.
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3/24/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicate, round aged '97 from Ribbon Ridge. I don't suppose most 1997 Oregon Pinots had the tannic structure to support aging but I always find the Beaux Freres wines need quite a bit of bottle time for my taste. This is the oldest I've tried and everyone liked it. Friendly berry nose, soft and fruity if a bit thin on the palate, just enough tannin to firm up the finish. Very drinkable now.
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6/28/2013 - overhill wrote: 91 Points
Pinot Noir Night (Peter's House): This was my contribution to the tasting. Opened at 9am and then decanted for five hours. Young coloration of solid red core and brown fade at the rim. Old rose petals, rubber tire, leather, dried cherries, menthol, and grilled fruit. The group unanimously thought this was a ten year old Burgundy. Balanced with secondary notes and still very gritty tannins which resolved somewhat by the second hour.
This received 1 x 2nd place and 2 x 3rd place votes.
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5/29/2013 - jlgnml wrote:
Restaurant broke the bottle
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5/18/2013 - Bob H Likes this wine:
Color is still quite dark, almost opaque at the core, fading to translucent ruby on the rim.
A soil-inflected nose here, more prominent than the black & red fruit - really attractive nose with a lot going on.
Not a hard edge to be found on the palate; quite nice, and fully mature. I've got a strip steak with my name on it that's going to be hitting the grill in about 45 minutes, and I think this will be a great match.
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1/11/2013 - overhill wrote: 91 Points
Color was surprisingly youthful with only a minor brown tint on the rim. Has a poetic subtlety on the nose like an aged Bordeaux. Stewed mushrooms, cedar, gently layered red fruits and figs, plum pudding, slight fennel, eucalyptus, and other secondary elements. Still fresh on the palette but less complete here than on the nose. Once past the mid palette, the fruit recedes somewhat leaving it mostly to finish with the silky oak tannins and acidity. Fruit filled in a bit after two hours and was drinking better on the second day.
Overall really wonderful. If this bottle is any indication, this should easily see its 20th birthday and could continue to improve.
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1/2/2012 - bamawine wrote: 93 Points
mushroom nose,blackcurrant/blackberry palate, deep purple color, probably at peak and delivering more than expected from the this vintage from the last botttle of my case from the winery
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10/9/2010 - RJ Meyer wrote: 91 Points
Winery direct. Last bottle. No bricking or browning at the edge. Color is reminiscent of a considerably younger pinot. Initial flavors of black cherry, light smoke, spice and bramble. Only the slightest of tannins. Great combination with hot smoked (Bradley Smoker) wild caught coho salmon, taters and veggies.
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9/18/2009 - jc510 wrote: 94 Points
This wine really showed. Medium body, lightly cloudy, ripe raspberry's, earth or forest floor, well balanced, medium finish. 12 year Oregon pinot!!!
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7/27/2009 - Breguet wrote: 92 Points
Great wine. 10 years ago it "won" a Pinot wine tasting I held and it is still fantastic. Noting that others decanted and wondered if that was a good idea, I opened and poured. Big fruit and well structured with a long finish. No trace of past its prime from this bottle. I was sad to see it go.
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11/14/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote: 90 Points
A lovely bricking brownish red color fills the glass as scents of freshly tilled earth, wet forest floor, dried cherries and cran-orange potpori that linger over a light eminating scent of an oil stained garage floor with a light scent of flint & lilac blossom in the air. This....is lovely. An absolute stunner...that is hard to wrap my mind around. n the mouth light bodied weight gives to softened tannins as flavors of baked cherries,wild strawberries, and pumpkin seeds fill the mouth across a subtle and elegant finish that lasts for 45+ seconds. This will hold one easily for another year or two...but it's not going to get any better...drink now - 2010
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11/14/2008 - decaturwinedude wrote: 86 Points
Very floral nose, some tea leaf and mushroom. Unfortunately, palate does not show as well. There is something lacking on the palate, it comes across as tart, slightly austere. Weakest of '94-'99.
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11/13/2008 - jivey wrote: 90 Points
Nice aged pinot, earthy with dried red fruits on the pallet and finish.
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7/22/2008 - markjahnke wrote: 89 Points
NJ Pinot Noir Tasting - June 21st OFFLINE - took place on July 22nd (New Jersey): Another fun bottle of this '97, opened for a good 2 hours before first pour, but the fruit was lacking. May have been better popped and poured? Maybe nearing the end of it's life, or maybe in a weird stage with more time in the bottle possible? I am not good enough to tell. Good floral structure on the nose with some blackberry and black cherry on the nose. More black fruits and spice on the palate. Good, but this wine seemed very light and thin. I originally thought I scored this 93 points, but had it confused. Thanks RB!
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4/26/2008 - Happybob wrote: 92 Points
Huge (for a pinot), great structure. On opening was tight but still had decent fruit. Got to it's best well after 1 hr open. I think this wine wasn't even ready to drink yet!
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12/8/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Poured from mag, even with a Parker autograph on the bottle neck. Blackberry, loamy blueberry, seems big and tight. Stony wood tannins on the finish. Dare say this wine even at 10 years old is not near ready. 5 more years?
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9/3/2007 - cfe wrote: 84 Points
Not as bad as I thought it would be. Not drek. Varietal pinot nose. Smoky and some spice. On the palate, fruit still in evidence, but hard tannins are obstrusive even with extend time in the decater. Ok with food. Remaining bottles probably best used for cooking wine.
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9/3/2007 - linesider wrote: 95 Points
With Frank and Cathy at Redfish/Blu; smooth, no effavescence. Best Beaux Freres that we've tasted in years.
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7/1/2007 - deniro64 wrote: 87 Points
This is nearing the end. The fruit has receded to the background, however there are some nice floral elements in the nose, with especially strong hints of rosemary and violet. The body is getting a little thin, but still has the structure to back up the herbs into the finish. Drink up now.
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7/1/2006 - Giladog wrote: 92 Points
I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. The fruit is nicely concentrated, and sweet with predominantly black fruit character. The wine is balanced, with good acidity, and has the backbone to stand up much longer in the cellar.
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5/30/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Pre-1998 US Pinot Tasting (My home - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. Black cherry aromas and flavors, showing slightly ripe and sweet character. Good structure, balance and length. Modest spice, mostly oak driven. At its peak.
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5/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Pre-98 Cali Pinot Group #5, My #3 - Full purple red. Nice tight aroma of black fruit. Big tight black fruit with some structure and spice. 5/06
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1/28/2006 - teekayfl wrote: 84 Points
Black fruits and acid. Lousy. 4/6 over 3 years, all lousy.
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1/13/2006 - jbaron wrote: 82 Points
Tart, tannic, and insipid. Some fruit, but overwhelmed by other, less desireable traits. Drink up - or not.
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3/6/2005 - auchrins wrote:
Tasted several times, most recently 11/04 en magnum. Nose quite floral with very sweet blue and black fruits. Balanced palate with good ripeness and weight. Starting to hit its stride, drink now – 2009. ***
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3/28/2002 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Charming and accessible Pinot Noir aromas with less tannins than I normally expect from Beaux Freres. Dried red and black cherry with modest spice. Drinking well now, and while I doubt this will improve, it has the substance to hold at this level for close to a decade.
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