This feels a little past prime to me, and I'll caveat that by saying the bottle itself may be partly to blame here, as the cork disintegrated trying to open it, so I had to decant immediately.
I see that in the last note from Keith Akers he compared it to an older Brunello, and on the nose I can definitely get that comparison. This has a smoked meat note on the nose, and it's mostly black fruits. There is a hint of maderization here as well.
But the acidity on the palate is somewhat pronounced and dominates the fruit. Moderately drinkable, but to be honest, if you were at a wine dinner with multiple bottles, this wine is getting dumped in the bucket so you can get ready for the next wine.
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Saturday Brisket (Matt's, Portland OR): Nose: This was served up blind and with a big ole slice of humble pie. It was extremely aromatic and savory with red cherries, cranberries, roses, violets, herbs, tobacco, sour red fruits. There is excellent depth and this is clearly in the mature category while still showing plenty of fruit.
Taste: The feel is Medium/full bodied with tart, medium+ acidity and resolved, medium tannins. The acidity is just a smidge astringent, but that is nitpicking. The feel is refined and balanced with savory notes, red cherries, cranberries, violets, herbs, sour red fruits, and tobacco.
Overall: So, I thought this was a Brunello from around-ish the same vintage. I don't drink much (if at all) older Oregon pinot noir and it definitely threw me for a big time loop. Good thing this was still pretty damned awesome and a great way for me to get back into more blind tasting again.
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My expectations were low for this 4th vintage from the signature vineyard, despite having bought this from the winery on Release, and cellar storing with minimal movement for 20+ years. The cork fragmented into 3 pieces as I opened it. The color was beyond brick, toward brown. Then, magic happened. No off notes, and superb secondary aromas of mentholated rub, mushroom, forest floor, rust, smokey bacon fat, and , after 25 minutes, chocolate covered strawberries. In the mouth, this presented much younger: cherry cola syrup, shiso leaf, Connecticut wrapper, mint, and leather, with a respectably long still tannic finish. Even the color brightened with time, more purple than brown! Wine began to fade after an hour. My guess is this is a sensitive wine, very susceptible to storage and movement. If provenance and storage were good, you’re in for a treat! Superb w applewood grilled yellowfin tuna and miso slaw.
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Slightly corked. Nose shot but palate ok. Youthful, bright cherry without being tart. Subtle heat on the finish would be only complaint. If not corked would have been 90-91.
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drank during the night of the 95 with KS ( drank with a 2006 BF, 1995 Yquem, 1995 Ridge Monte Bello) faint nose out of the bottle in the glass still had nice color aging around the edges rasbeberry and cherry faintly present on the nose surprising with good fruit cherries, very soft but not oxidized the wine is past its prime but showed well
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DRC Tasting Group (Cafe Veloce): Tasted blind. Sweet fruit, some heat, mixed with wood spice and earth. A bit reductive. Rich, red cherry and strawberry flavors on the body. Fine but present tannins fade out softly on the long finish. Medium acidity, and nicely balanced. Most folks (myself included) pegged this for younger Burgundy. 91+
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aging color suggests loss of primary flavors which is certainly the case; in fact, it was washed out, dry and pretty much gone; too bad as I`ve had many of this wine and all have been very good to superb.
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This bottle with a terrible fragmented fully saturated cork. Very nice Burgundian nose. Color of a maturing Burgundy as well. Palate doesn't live up to the nose, but is OK, with just a touch of disjointed alcohol at the finish. I suspect other bottles, chosen because of excellent fill, will be in better shape.
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Older Oregon Pinots (Wildwood, Portland OR): I was having problems with this bottle. The nose was very nice with red fruits, cherries and spice tones. But the palate for me was mostly out of whack acid. Granted, it took me a bit to get to this bottle as I was behind others in drinking
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Old Oregon Pinot Noir - Wine Berserker off-line (Wildwood restaurant - Portland, OR): Rich nose here, cherries, chalk, caramel and vanilla. Smells delicious. The cherries and caramel play strongest on the palate along with chalky mineral, earth and stems. Grippy tannin and strong acidity present but fairly balanced to the intensity of the palate. Showing just a bit of age leading into the long finish. A very good bottle that still has many years left.
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This wine is spectacular ala a DRC Burgundy. The flavors were intense and well knit with suggestions of plum, prune and cassis with a very earthy note throughout.
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On it's last legs but still alive in my opinion. Poop, mushrooms and earth on the nose, a little sweetness on the palate with some fruit left but absolutely no finish. Tart as well. Hmm.
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A regular at the restaurant gave me a taste of this beside the 93 and 94. This was in a very good place giving off beautiful earthy aromas, hints of mushrooms, and wild cherry. This wine still had wonderful acidity and should be good for another year or two.
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I couldn't tell if there was seepage or just a bad cork as there was a small brown spot at the top when the capsule was removed. The cork completely fell apart to 3/4 down. I successfully removed the remaing cork intact. The wine was tannins and cardboard. Poured it down the sink.
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Lighter in body than any other Beaux Freres we've ever tried, but nicely evolved and very enjoyable. We paired it with a very hearty wild mushroom lasagna, and it was an excellent match.
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Shows both red and black fruit with nicely integrated tannins. Good acidity helps give this a nice finish. Seems less interesting aromatically than what I recall from the last time I opened this a few years ago. Drink up?
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Starts with really uplifting aromatics. Powerful dark fruit with its ripeness nicely balanced with great rose petal and violet floral notes. Flavors also more dark fruit - blackberry and black cherry. Tannins completely integrated. Moderate length with some interesting layers of flavor on finish.
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10/14/2023 - Bob H wrote:
This feels a little past prime to me, and I'll caveat that by saying the bottle itself may be partly to blame here, as the cork disintegrated trying to open it, so I had to decant immediately.
I see that in the last note from Keith Akers he compared it to an older Brunello, and on the nose I can definitely get that comparison. This has a smoked meat note on the nose, and it's mostly black fruits. There is a hint of maderization here as well.
But the acidity on the palate is somewhat pronounced and dominates the fruit. Moderately drinkable, but to be honest, if you were at a wine dinner with multiple bottles, this wine is getting dumped in the bucket so you can get ready for the next wine.
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8/28/2021 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Brisket (Matt's, Portland OR): Nose: This was served up blind and with a big ole slice of humble pie. It was extremely aromatic and savory with red cherries, cranberries, roses, violets, herbs, tobacco, sour red fruits. There is excellent depth and this is clearly in the mature category while still showing plenty of fruit.
Taste: The feel is Medium/full bodied with tart, medium+ acidity and resolved, medium tannins. The acidity is just a smidge astringent, but that is nitpicking. The feel is refined and balanced with savory notes, red cherries, cranberries, violets, herbs, sour red fruits, and tobacco.
Overall: So, I thought this was a Brunello from around-ish the same vintage. I don't drink much (if at all) older Oregon pinot noir and it definitely threw me for a big time loop. Good thing this was still pretty damned awesome and a great way for me to get back into more blind tasting again.
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6/3/2019 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 94 Points
My expectations were low for this 4th vintage from the signature vineyard, despite having bought this from the winery on Release, and cellar storing with minimal movement for 20+ years. The cork fragmented into 3 pieces as I opened it. The color was beyond brick, toward brown. Then, magic happened. No off notes, and superb secondary aromas of mentholated rub, mushroom, forest floor, rust, smokey bacon fat, and , after 25 minutes, chocolate covered strawberries. In the mouth, this presented much younger: cherry cola syrup, shiso leaf, Connecticut wrapper, mint, and leather, with a respectably long still tannic finish. Even the color brightened with time, more purple than brown! Wine began to fade after an hour. My guess is this is a sensitive wine, very susceptible to storage and movement. If provenance and storage were good, you’re in for a treat! Superb w applewood grilled yellowfin tuna and miso slaw.
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1/27/2019 - SARED wrote: flawed
Slightly corked. Nose shot but palate ok. Youthful, bright cherry without being tart. Subtle heat on the finish would be only complaint. If not corked would have been 90-91.
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6/5/2018 - cweiss wrote:
6 years after a couple of tired tasting bottles, this was the last and the best. Nice Burgundian nose as in the past but much younger on the palate.
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5/10/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 87 Points
drank during the night of the 95 with KS ( drank with a 2006 BF, 1995 Yquem, 1995 Ridge Monte Bello)
faint nose out of the bottle
in the glass still had nice color aging around the edges
rasbeberry and cherry faintly present on the nose
surprising with good fruit cherries, very soft but not oxidized
the wine is past its prime but showed well
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6/3/2013 - dpolivy Likes this wine: 91 Points
DRC Tasting Group (Cafe Veloce): Tasted blind. Sweet fruit, some heat, mixed with wood spice and earth. A bit reductive. Rich, red cherry and strawberry flavors on the body. Fine but present tannins fade out softly on the long finish. Medium acidity, and nicely balanced. Most folks (myself included) pegged this for younger Burgundy. 91+
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1/7/2013 - Blake Brown Does not like this wine: 69 Points
aging color suggests loss of primary flavors which is certainly the case; in fact, it was washed out, dry and pretty much gone; too bad as I`ve had many of this wine and all have been very good to superb.
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12/7/2012 - cweiss wrote:
China King. I do really like the nose, but the palate doesn't compare. Fully mature
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9/27/2012 - cweiss wrote:
This bottle with a terrible fragmented fully saturated cork. Very nice Burgundian nose. Color of a maturing Burgundy as well. Palate doesn't live up to the nose, but is OK, with just a touch of disjointed alcohol at the finish. I suspect other bottles, chosen because of excellent fill, will be in better shape.
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7/30/2011 - KeithAkers wrote:
Older Oregon Pinots (Wildwood, Portland OR): I was having problems with this bottle. The nose was very nice with red fruits, cherries and spice tones. But the palate for me was mostly out of whack acid. Granted, it took me a bit to get to this bottle as I was behind others in drinking
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7/30/2011 - gripNsip wrote: 91 Points
Old Oregon Pinot Noir - Wine Berserker off-line (Wildwood restaurant - Portland, OR): Rich nose here, cherries, chalk, caramel and vanilla. Smells delicious. The cherries and caramel play strongest on the palate along with chalky mineral, earth and stems. Grippy tannin and strong acidity present but fairly balanced to the intensity of the palate. Showing just a bit of age leading into the long finish. A very good bottle that still has many years left.
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8/5/2010 - johnwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is spectacular ala a DRC Burgundy. The flavors were intense and well knit with suggestions of plum, prune and cassis with a very earthy note throughout.
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2/18/2009 - gripNsip wrote:
On it's last legs but still alive in my opinion. Poop, mushrooms and earth on the nose, a little sweetness on the palate with some fruit left but absolutely no finish. Tart as well. Hmm.
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11/30/2008 - dastephens wrote: 90 Points
Near or at its plateau; light notes; slightly faded
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4/3/2008 - ricosuave wrote:
This bottle did not hold up and unfortunately needed to be discarded.
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9/1/2007 - Kirk Grant wrote: 90 Points
A regular at the restaurant gave me a taste of this beside the 93 and 94. This was in a very good place giving off beautiful earthy aromas, hints of mushrooms, and wild cherry. This wine still had wonderful acidity and should be good for another year or two.
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3/4/2007 - tanglenet wrote: flawed
I couldn't tell if there was seepage or just a bad cork as there was a small brown spot at the top when the capsule was removed. The cork completely fell apart to 3/4 down. I successfully removed the remaing cork intact. The wine was tannins and cardboard. Poured it down the sink.
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9/4/2006 - mitchwino wrote: 93 Points
Nice fruit and complexity. ready to drink. Aromas of dark fruit, caramel and cedar. Might fine effort.
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4/16/2006 - Brix wrote: 89 Points
Lighter in body than any other Beaux Freres we've ever tried, but nicely evolved and very enjoyable. We paired it with a very hearty wild mushroom lasagna, and it was an excellent match.
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5/14/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Shows both red and black fruit with nicely integrated tannins. Good acidity helps give this a nice finish. Seems less interesting aromatically than what I recall from the last time I opened this a few years ago. Drink up?
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12/20/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Starts with really uplifting aromatics. Powerful dark fruit with its ripeness nicely balanced with great rose petal and violet floral notes. Flavors also more dark fruit - blackberry and black cherry. Tannins completely integrated. Moderate length with some interesting layers of flavor on finish.
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