Ah So freed a cork imprisoned for 20 years and only a worm of cork found its way in to the balloon. When poured appears ruby red with a sheen but wait- hold it up to the light and the red magically turns lighter. Hold glass to sunlight, clear uncolored liquid.
Nose is spice, alcohol, is it well fermented fruit, oxidation or smoke? The taste follows the nose; tasters will find what they find. A fresh spicy Pinot that cannot possibly be 1998. A warm fruit medley of well matured wine with a lingering exotic spice aftertaste. Or, a delicate alcohol fumed ripe Madeira like wine.
One of the most complex, unique, enjoyable Beaux Freres wine I've tasted over the last 30 years. Upon release, given high scored as a formidable Pinot to be aged. Some years later one publication set the drinking window to 2010, this bottle may have out lived that reviewer.
Still hold a 1994 which was labelled a blockbuster.
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The Last Supper (Before the Covid-19 Shutdown) (El Ideas): Magnum. Black and red cherry aromas with some autumnal character. Palate is still fresh with good attractive fruit, but not showing much depth or nuance. Not as compelling as a bottle of 2005 drank two nights prior.
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I had 6 bottles in the wine cellar since relese; last one here. Tasting the evolution has been thrilling. I think we are four or five years past peak here. On opening, this was tight and tart, and I was pessismistic. After working the wine for 20 minutes, aromas of wet cedar, cigar wrapper, magic marker, black cherry skins, and shiso leaf came through. There was a 20 minute window of almost balanced complexity, leaning toward too much acid: fine black plum skin and pits, and a hint of chocolate mint. But, 30 minutes after opening, the finish was flat cola with a squeeze of lemon, and the wine was basically gone. This is a common timeline with great old burgundies, ten or fifteen minutes of bliss, then gone. I still loved this bottle, the last chapter of a memorable novel.
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Lamy Sundays (Chicago, IL): This bottle didn't strike me as alcoholic and blowsy as the last time I had it. In fact, it seems as if this had come into itself quite a bit, although it did feel just a slight touch advanced. The nose had a nice mix of red and black fruit, as well as a good amount of earth (without too many funky aromas either!). The palate is a bit heavy and shows a bit of flashy fruit in front of some more interesting earthy elements.
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(Mostly) Oregon Dinner at Cherry Circle Room (Chicago, IL): In all fairness, I think this bottle suffered greatly in being tasted after the 89 Domaine Drouhin Oregon. This is obviously a massive bruiser of a pinot, with lots of sweet and ripe black fruit. The alcohol obviously shows a bit here, and there's still quite a lot of tannin and heft. I really didn't like this wine as much as I remember liking it about a year ago.
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Holding up very, very well! I would not have guessed this bottle was hitting the 18 year mark as we enjoyed it while ushering in 2016. I wish I had more of this in the cellar to enjoy!
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Motley crew of wines at Spoon Thai (Spoon Thai, Chicago): Found this just a bit big and ripe for my taste. Lots of bright black cherry and dark berried fruit at the core accented by some herbal and earthy notes, though not showing much in the way of development. The 14% alcohol is quite noticeable on the finish though, and I found this rather underwhelming.
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Salil does Chicago; 4/16/2015-4/19/2015 (Chicago, IL): This had a very interesting dichotomy between stems (though I've long since concluded I have no idea what stems smell/taste like) and sweet black fruit. The palate is surprisingly dense, with lots of black fruit again, and to be honest, this is not showing anywhere near 17 years. A very rich and big pinot noir, but lovely just the same.
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We had two bottles one of which was already quite advanced and over the hill, so the notes apply to the second one which was very fine and fully mature. Fruit, chocolate, spices, malt. Quite good.
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Medium-dark red color. Pretty aroma of red and black berry fruit with some violets lurking. Palate has ripe, but not cooked, cherry, blueberry, and blackberry notes with some vanilla and barrel-based flavors coming in a medium to medium-long finish. This has better balance for my tastes than the 2000 at this point and is an interesting broad-shouldered Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink or hold.
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This bottle was not as good as the last. It fell apart more quickly than the bottle I drank 9 months ago. Still a really great wine, but need to drink soon.
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Consistent with past notes except this one didn't need time to open up. Might be time to drink up. Had it with the 2002 Upper Terrace and a 2009 Dehlinger Alt.
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Either a "slightly" off bottle, or this has changed over the last 4 months. Fruit has started to fade, becoming a little leathery. However, this still has an amazing nose and long persistent finish. Still very good and quite a bit better than the 05 Archery Arcus we drank next to it. If you have a bottle left I'd drink within the next 6 months.
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Drank along with the 1999 both bottles were excellent the 1998 had a light nose bright taste of blackberry and dark fruits. Very light tannins pleasant fruit but not a fruit forward as the 1999.
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I found this wine hot, out of balance and lacking acidity. There were no obvious signs of flaws so this is confusing that my bottle was so different than previous notes.
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Legit. Decanted for an hour before drinking with a duck breast. Full bodied pinot with great fruit, structure, and finish all while exuding great balance from start to finish. I could drink this any day. Drinking great now, but has many years ahead if desired.
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Excellent Pinot! Did blind tasting with '06 Archery Estate, '03 Archery Amis Cuvee, and '05 Liz Spencer. This and the '06 Archery Estate were head and shoulders above the other 2. Medium to full bodied, soft tannins, full mouthfeel, great structure, long finish. Overall an outstanding wine that is drinking great right now
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Up tonight were the 98 Beaux Freres and the St. Innocent Shea. The BF was soft and smooth with the Shea was deep and ripe with gads of character. Both were excellent but the Shea stole the show.
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Wow. Really, really good. At first I thought the spritz was gone but it wasn't. This time though it blew off with some swirling in the glass and didn't need the time to open that previous bottles have. These have been good for a few years but this may have been the best bottle I've had. It is at peak but there seems to be plenty of life left.
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Not as impressive as the last bottle, but still enjoyable. The last glass was the best - still, this was missing so much of the freshness that I enjoyed in the bottle just a few months ago. 14,1% abv.
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These continue to amaze me. Tasted with the 2008 and the color was deeper with no bricking at all. Opened in the morning with a few glasses poured off and back into the bottle to get the spritz to dissipate. While I think the 08 might edge this out in a few years right now there is more complexity and interest in the 98. Both are really great wines. I see no signs of these aging much and they should be good for many years to come.
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Typical BF spritz on open that dissipates over a couple of hours....then ready to go.... I like big wines, and BF is one of my favorite Oregon Pinots....strawberry and silky tannins .... nice bottle of wine.
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This was aired for several hours and then was consumed over 2 nights. Got better and better with air. Classic Oregon plum,smoke,herbs,pond, and red florals on the nose. Plums and dried cherries along with smoked meats,loamy minerality,and a nice soft resolved finish. Fruit on this may have been a touch out done by the smokey/Oaky notes on this but the wine has a nice complexity to it. I double blinded this to a few that had it pegged as a aged Nebbiolo. I think that this is right there or slightly fading.
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slave2thevine nailed it. Vinturi decanted for 2 hours. Impressive balance with acids and tannins still performing quite admirably. The fruit clearly has several solid years ahead of it, but I don't see this beauty getting any better. Medium-bodied with a 30 second finish. Slight sediment. Drink thru 2013, 14,1% abv.
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I continue to open these and not give them enough time to show their best. Opened an hour and a half before dinner and it was very good but the after burners kicked in at the three hour mark. These are ready to drink but really need time to open up.
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This wine has great structure with lots of fruit, spice...Tannins well integrated. Long life ahead. A little more chunky than the '98 Archery Summit Estate, but great wine. I continually am impressed how well the BF ages
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Showing a deep plum at the core of the glass. Scents of earth, funk, blue & black fruits, and herbs roll around in the glass. In the mouth the acidity is medium-high with a bright core of sour cherry, cran berry, and wild strawberry. This really took about two hours to open up fully...still a baby. Give it 1-2 hours in a decanter for the best results.
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Goodbye and good luck dinner in Nector for Brice in Moscow. Started drinking after decantng for 30 min. Sweet, sugar, cotton candy, and a hint of herb. Smells damn good. But unfortunately taste did not follow the smell. I though this Oregonian would beat the French (1980 Latour) since it was mediocre vintage and 1998 is relative good vintage for Beaux Freres. Guess what! Everyone prefered the French. In conclusion, I think Red Burgundy is still far better than Oregon Pinot.
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A nice showing here. Seems to have shed most of the less pleasant structural aspects (the tannin, the bitter, thin finish, the drying) and now, there's a nice, well balanced, pinot here with good fruit. There are some aspects of "old" that are a bit distracting (a bit of oxidation in the mouth and the length) but the nose is deep but light-footed and immensely fruity, and the mouth is full of blue and red fruit, with good structure that's still, after 10 years, quite full. The length tastes a tiny bit old, but the fruit is quite present and tasty.
Has a sort of je-ne-sais-quoi about it that is quite charming, most of which comes from the nose.
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Best of the nine '98 Oregon Pinots in a tasting 35+ '98's. Deeper fruit and more backbone. A bit of earth/minerals. Not a lot of time left. 87 pts day 2.
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This was the first bottle that wasn't undrinkable and it didn't have a significant amount of spritz when opened. While good upon opening it developed and was better with a couple hours of air. This is a great wine.
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garnet with orange at the rim. Nose-I swear- was of a 1960s era Bordeaux. No forest floor here. Licorice thrown in here and there. I would never guess Pinot here. Gotta presume this is flawed.
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Something was amiss here. Aromatics were solely of rotting leaves. Clearly this bottle had been damaged in some way as other bottles have shown quite nicely. Bummer.
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Decanted at least five hours prior to tasting. Dark purple color. Nose was big fruit, somewhere between pinot and syrah. Noticeable heat. Oak didn't really sitck out. Still comes across as quite young. Fullish weight on the palate, with an odd sort of semi-pinot, semi-shoe polish fruit aspect. Has acidity, but is definitely a high alcohol, largely fruit driven wine. Paired very well with the lamb chops in dried cherries and port sauce. Not to my taste however.
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Pretty much the same as the last notes. I'm amazed at how bad this wine is when first opened yet how good it is after a couple of hours. It is a big pinot and should continue to improve for a long time.
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Pinot Wine Dinner (Edina Country Club, MN): This was mystery bottle #2 of the tasting. I correctly guessed it as an Oregon Pinot. Nose: Mineral, slatey quality with highly aromatic floral notes. Palate: Good acid, slight bitterness, but very elegant. Clean finish. This wine has aged very well and is quite fresh for 10 years from vintage.
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Can't repeat it enough - this needs at least an hour and probably two hours to open up to show it's stuff. Absolutely wonderful again tonight but again spritsy and blah when opened.
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Pretty big stuff here. Tough to pick as pinot. Still pretty primary with tannin holding firm. Needs time. Not sure if it will develop into something more interesting but I wouldnt try another for a couple of years. B+
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Nice, bright fruit, but this wine shows awkward and chalky this evening. It has redeeming features (decent nose, decent length) but I'd still have expected more.
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For new world pinot this is pretty good. Not too over the top on the fruit, and some structure, with the slightest bit of secondaries. I'm not sure how this will hold, but it has a chance to get more interesting. B+
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A hard bottle to judge. Didn't tast like a Pinot Noir on opening--just too big an concentrated, more like a Syrah. While it did open up over an hour or so, it didn't seem to have the finesse that one expects from a Pinot Noir.
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Opens bright and fruity, but turns inward for some time. After an hour, the wine was back in its element, though I still found the nose a bit muted. Good notes of coffee (a bit unusual in a pinot...), earth, and cherrries with a lively, bright underpinning. Still a bit simple. This was a nice drink after slogging through the '97 a couple of nights ago. I have to admit, though, that I was hoping for a bit better. I can't tell whether I should hold this wine or drink this wine, though since it seems all put together and not on the decline, there doesn't seem to be any reason to be in a rush.
Here's a note from the BF website: "There are loads of things going on, but whether it will ever achieve the aromatic complexity of the 1999 or 2000 remains to be seen. The wine's flavor, texture, and intensity are exciting, but it still needs more time. (Tasted August 2002)". That was 3+ years ago, and if it's not yet aromatically complex, it's hard think that it might become so. I'll probably try the '99 soon, so we'll see.
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Thankful for wine on Thanksgiving (Leslie Sbrocco's home): This was a fantastic domestic Pinot Noir with nice subtlety’s and some wonderful earth notes. Sprigs and leaves with clean fruit including tart cherries, raspberries and a hint of herbs & smoked meat. The palate is both rich and velvety. This was a nice wine.
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Again spritsy and blah when opened but after an hour this really begins to taste good. The pros taste blackberries but to me it tastes more like rasberries. Long finish.
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Very dark for pinot. Do not drink with out at least an hour of air. Taste upon opening was spritsy and blah.. At a 1/2 hour still nothing (why did I buy so much of this wine). At 1 hour now we're talking (why didn't I buy more of this wine).
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Dinner at Crow (Seattle, WA): Here we go! This wine was unreal. Aromatics were always pleasing and very intriguing with mineral, floral notes, sour cherry and pine. The palate is dark, broad shouldered, tannic and long. I don't have a lot of words here, but this was a deeply impressive and admirable young wine; muscular, powerful, drinking very young yet beautifully. Well done!
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Translucent ruby. Nose was the best thing about this wine; very effusive and full of blackberry with a bit of tea leaf and violets. With lots of air, and lots of time (3 hours) it opened up slightly to reveal a sharp attack of blueberry notes in a linear beam of fruit. Medium-bodied and initially very short finish. Later a longer finish accented by some alcoholic notes. Tannins not hard-edged. Interesting wine.
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Starting to come around. Earth and funk with good fruit and good balance. Very nice with many years of great drinking ahead. Still lots of tannin lurking in the background. Decant for at least an hour.
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Deep and dark for an 6 year old Oregon pinot. Primary nose and consistent on the palate with dark cherry to red plum fruit flavors. Nicely balanced a pleasant to drink but not offering up any complexity or grace to capture one's attention. Certainly much more full and round than the Belle Soures from the same vintage drunk a few night prior. Reminds me more of a Cali central coast pinot (Pisoni Santa Lucia comes to mind) than an Oregon pinot. Maybe due to the warm Oregon El Ninjo vintage in 1998.
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4/2/2021 - xyc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Ah So freed a cork imprisoned for 20 years and only a worm of cork found its way in to the balloon. When poured appears ruby red with a sheen but wait- hold it up to the light and the red magically turns lighter. Hold glass to sunlight, clear uncolored liquid.
Nose is spice, alcohol, is it well fermented fruit, oxidation or smoke?
The taste follows the nose; tasters will find what they find. A fresh spicy Pinot that cannot possibly be 1998. A warm fruit medley of well matured wine with a lingering exotic spice aftertaste. Or, a delicate alcohol fumed ripe Madeira like wine.
One of the most complex, unique, enjoyable Beaux Freres wine I've
tasted over the last 30 years. Upon release, given high scored as a formidable Pinot to be aged. Some years later one publication set the drinking window to 2010, this bottle may have out lived that reviewer.
Still hold a 1994 which was labelled a blockbuster.
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3/15/2020 - Nanda wrote: 89 Points
The Last Supper (Before the Covid-19 Shutdown) (El Ideas): Magnum. Black and red cherry aromas with some autumnal character. Palate is still fresh with good attractive fruit, but not showing much depth or nuance. Not as compelling as a bottle of 2005 drank two nights prior.
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3/15/2020 - jlgnml wrote: 90 Points
Dark color, extracted berries for me no distinction that this was a Pinot. Glad to share for the last supper.
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3/15/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Last Wine Dinner Before the Coronavirus Shutdown (EL Ideas - Chicago IL): From magnum. Black and red cherry with Baking spice and good depth, even if still showing a hint+ of new oak that never fully integrated. Still, this is very pretty and still nicely fresh.
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7/29/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lighter color, decanted for 30 minutes, developed complexity in the glass over another 30 min. Very enjoyable after 20 years.
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5/28/2018 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 91 Points
I had 6 bottles in the wine cellar since relese; last one here. Tasting the evolution has been thrilling. I think we are four or five years past peak here. On opening, this was tight and tart, and I was pessismistic. After working the wine for 20 minutes, aromas of wet cedar, cigar wrapper, magic marker, black cherry skins, and shiso leaf came through. There was a 20 minute window of almost balanced complexity, leaning toward too much acid: fine black plum skin and pits, and a hint of chocolate mint. But, 30 minutes after opening, the finish was flat cola with a squeeze of lemon, and the wine was basically gone. This is a common timeline with great old burgundies, ten or fifteen minutes of bliss, then gone. I still loved this bottle, the last chapter of a memorable novel.
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12/4/2017 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 89 Points
Floral and cooked fruit on the nose. More of the same on the palate with spice cake. Hot.
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8/27/2017 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Lamy Sundays (Chicago, IL): This bottle didn't strike me as alcoholic and blowsy as the last time I had it. In fact, it seems as if this had come into itself quite a bit, although it did feel just a slight touch advanced. The nose had a nice mix of red and black fruit, as well as a good amount of earth (without too many funky aromas either!). The palate is a bit heavy and shows a bit of flashy fruit in front of some more interesting earthy elements.
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2/25/2017 - MC wrote: flawed
DOA. Nothing but alcohol and some tannin. Fruit was gone.
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10/8/2016 - seattlecook Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this bottle. Took about 30 min to open up but went well with our Canadian Thanksgiving meal!
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2/1/2016 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
(Mostly) Oregon Dinner at Cherry Circle Room (Chicago, IL): In all fairness, I think this bottle suffered greatly in being tasted after the 89 Domaine Drouhin Oregon. This is obviously a massive bruiser of a pinot, with lots of sweet and ripe black fruit. The alcohol obviously shows a bit here, and there's still quite a lot of tannin and heft. I really didn't like this wine as much as I remember liking it about a year ago.
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1/1/2016 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Holding up very, very well! I would not have guessed this bottle was hitting the 18 year mark as we enjoyed it while ushering in 2016. I wish I had more of this in the cellar to enjoy!
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5/10/2015 - bamawine Likes this wine: 93 Points
93-mature, extracted blackcurrant-great with grilled salmon/ tarragon/chive butter
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4/17/2015 - salil wrote: 86 Points
Motley crew of wines at Spoon Thai (Spoon Thai, Chicago): Found this just a bit big and ripe for my taste. Lots of bright black cherry and dark berried fruit at the core accented by some herbal and earthy notes, though not showing much in the way of development. The 14% alcohol is quite noticeable on the finish though, and I found this rather underwhelming.
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4/17/2015 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Salil does Chicago; 4/16/2015-4/19/2015 (Chicago, IL): This had a very interesting dichotomy between stems (though I've long since concluded I have no idea what stems smell/taste like) and sweet black fruit. The palate is surprisingly dense, with lots of black fruit again, and to be honest, this is not showing anywhere near 17 years. A very rich and big pinot noir, but lovely just the same.
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5/21/2014 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
We had two bottles one of which was already quite advanced and over the hill, so the notes apply to the second one which was very fine and fully mature. Fruit, chocolate, spices, malt. Quite good.
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4/16/2014 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium-dark red color. Pretty aroma of red and black berry fruit with some violets lurking. Palate has ripe, but not cooked, cherry, blueberry, and blackberry notes with some vanilla and barrel-based flavors coming in a medium to medium-long finish. This has better balance for my tastes than the 2000 at this point and is an interesting broad-shouldered Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink or hold.
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11/18/2013 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was not as good as the last. It fell apart more quickly than the bottle I drank 9 months ago. Still a really great wine, but need to drink soon.
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5/26/2013 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with past notes except this one didn't need time to open up. Might be time to drink up. Had it with the 2002 Upper Terrace and a 2009 Dehlinger Alt.
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5/25/2013 - Emvip wrote: 92 Points
Either a "slightly" off bottle, or this has changed over the last 4 months. Fruit has started to fade, becoming a little leathery. However, this still has an amazing nose and long persistent finish. Still very good and quite a bit better than the 05 Archery Arcus we drank next to it. If you have a bottle left I'd drink within the next 6 months.
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5/12/2013 - jww Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank along with the 1999 both bottles were excellent the 1998 had a light nose bright taste of blackberry and dark fruits. Very light tannins pleasant fruit but not a fruit forward as the 1999.
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3/10/2013 - pwillen1 wrote:
I found this wine hot, out of balance and lacking acidity. There were no obvious signs of flaws so this is confusing that my bottle was so different than previous notes.
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2/24/2013 - Emvip wrote: 96 Points
Same notes as last month. Was too conservative with the last score, this is an excellent Pinot. Probably the best I've tasted
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2/9/2013 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 95 Points
Legit. Decanted for an hour before drinking with a duck breast. Full bodied pinot with great fruit, structure, and finish all while exuding great balance from start to finish. I could drink this any day. Drinking great now, but has many years ahead if desired.
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1/6/2013 - Emvip wrote: 94 Points
Excellent Pinot! Did blind tasting with '06 Archery Estate, '03 Archery Amis Cuvee, and '05 Liz Spencer. This and the '06 Archery Estate were head and shoulders above the other 2. Medium to full bodied, soft tannins, full mouthfeel, great structure, long finish. Overall an outstanding wine that is drinking great right now
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11/23/2012 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful as always. Still needs a fair amount of time to blow the spritz off and open up.
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5/19/2012 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Up tonight were the 98 Beaux Freres and the St. Innocent Shea. The BF was soft and smooth with the Shea was deep and ripe with gads of character. Both were excellent but the Shea stole the show.
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4/19/2012 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Really, really good. At first I thought the spritz was gone but it wasn't. This time though it blew off with some swirling in the glass and didn't need the time to open that previous bottles have. These have been good for a few years but this may have been the best bottle I've had. It is at peak but there seems to be plenty of life left.
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12/17/2011 - M DU VIN wrote: 92 Points
Nice fruit and soft tannins. Decanted for an hour before dining and was vfery pleased with this wine.
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12/5/2011 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
First one out of 2 cases that seems a little tired. I'm guessing that the bottle was just a little off but drink another one soon to make sure.
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11/21/2011 - Clarkmeister wrote: 94 Points
Lovely. Great acidity, elegant. Good fruit but not fruity. Loved it.
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11/20/2010 - Clarkmeister wrote: 95 Points
Just exploded out of the glass. Incredible, almost cab-like nose and incredible, nuanced feel in the mouth.
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11/17/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Not as impressive as the last bottle, but still enjoyable. The last glass was the best - still, this was missing so much of the freshness that I enjoyed in the bottle just a few months ago. 14,1% abv.
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11/11/2010 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
These continue to amaze me. Tasted with the 2008 and the color was deeper with no bricking at all. Opened in the morning with a few glasses poured off and back into the bottle to get the spritz to dissipate. While I think the 08 might edge this out in a few years right now there is more complexity and interest in the 98. Both are really great wines. I see no signs of these aging much and they should be good for many years to come.
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7/4/2010 - novicedave wrote: 92 Points
Typical BF spritz on open that dissipates over a couple of hours....then ready to go.... I like big wines, and BF is one of my favorite Oregon Pinots....strawberry and silky tannins .... nice bottle of wine.
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6/28/2010 - LeatherPalate wrote: 91 Points
This was aired for several hours and then was consumed over 2 nights. Got better and better with air.
Classic Oregon plum,smoke,herbs,pond, and red florals on the nose. Plums and dried cherries along with
smoked meats,loamy minerality,and a nice soft resolved finish. Fruit on this may have been a touch out done
by the smokey/Oaky notes on this but the wine has a nice complexity to it. I double blinded this to a few that had
it pegged as a aged Nebbiolo. I think that this is right there or slightly fading.
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6/15/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
slave2thevine nailed it. Vinturi decanted for 2 hours. Impressive balance with acids and tannins still performing quite admirably. The fruit clearly has several solid years ahead of it, but I don't see this beauty getting any better. Medium-bodied with a 30 second finish. Slight sediment. Drink thru 2013, 14,1% abv.
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5/31/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
PACIFIC TIME Oregon Pinot Noir BYO Dinner; 5/31/2010-6/1/2010 (Pacific Time, 40 th St(Design District), Miami): Mark's wine(Me).
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5/28/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Good color and good nose for its age and drankwith "Copper River"
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9/9/2009 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
I continue to open these and not give them enough time to show their best. Opened an hour and a half before dinner and it was very good but the after burners kicked in at the three hour mark. These are ready to drink but really need time to open up.
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8/13/2009 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours. Not quite as rich as previous bottles. Open another one soon to see if the drinking window needs to be shortened.
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7/5/2009 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
This wine has great structure with lots of fruit, spice...Tannins well integrated. Long life ahead. A little more chunky than the '98 Archery Summit Estate, but great wine. I continually am impressed how well the BF ages
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4/29/2009 - Kirk Grant wrote: 90 Points
Showing a deep plum at the core of the glass. Scents of earth, funk, blue & black fruits, and herbs roll around in the glass. In the mouth the acidity is medium-high with a bright core of sour cherry, cran berry, and wild strawberry. This really took about two hours to open up fully...still a baby. Give it 1-2 hours in a decanter for the best results.
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3/14/2009 - Clarkmeister wrote: 93 Points
Slightly muted aromatics, but a deliciously balanced wine with great acidity and good bright fruit still.
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2/9/2009 - hrhee wrote: 90 Points
Goodbye and good luck dinner in Nector for Brice in Moscow. Started drinking after decantng for 30 min. Sweet, sugar, cotton candy, and a hint of herb. Smells damn good. But unfortunately taste did not follow the smell. I though this Oregonian would beat the French (1980 Latour) since it was mediocre vintage and 1998 is relative good vintage for Beaux Freres. Guess what! Everyone prefered the French. In conclusion, I think Red Burgundy is still far better than Oregon Pinot.
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1/18/2009 - depdoc wrote: 90 Points
Big pinot. Strawberries still predominate. Spectacular, as usual.
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1/9/2009 - jbaron wrote: 93 Points
A nice showing here. Seems to have shed most of the less pleasant structural aspects (the tannin, the bitter, thin finish, the drying) and now, there's a nice, well balanced, pinot here with good fruit. There are some aspects of "old" that are a bit distracting (a bit of oxidation in the mouth and the length) but the nose is deep but light-footed and immensely fruity, and the mouth is full of blue and red fruit, with good structure that's still, after 10 years, quite full. The length tastes a tiny bit old, but the fruit is quite present and tasty.
Has a sort of je-ne-sais-quoi about it that is quite charming, most of which comes from the nose.
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1/1/2009 - cfe wrote: flawed
this bottle wasn't corked, but something was not right with it. A very odd aroma and flavor. Drain food.
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11/28/2008 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Opened two for T-day and they were very enjoyable. Night 2 maybe even better. With an hour or two decant these are really drinking well.
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11/23/2008 - depdoc wrote: 93 Points
Strawberriles on the nose. No tannins. Beautifully balanced. Absolutely wonderful.
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11/9/2008 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
Best of the nine '98 Oregon Pinots in a tasting 35+ '98's. Deeper fruit and more backbone. A bit of earth/minerals. Not a lot of time left. 87 pts day 2.
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9/29/2008 - depdoc wrote: 89 Points
Strawberries on the nose. Still a very big and tannic wine. Tart cherries with a long finish. Needs more time, even after 10 years.
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9/1/2008 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
This was the first bottle that wasn't undrinkable and it didn't have a significant amount of spritz when opened. While good upon opening it developed and was better with a couple hours of air. This is a great wine.
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6/21/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: flawed
garnet with orange at the rim. Nose-I swear- was of a 1960s era Bordeaux. No forest floor here. Licorice thrown in here and there. I would never guess Pinot here. Gotta presume this is flawed.
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6/15/2008 - markmontgo wrote: 93 Points
As always, an excellent bottle. Much bigger than the average pinot so it went well with escargot in wine and garlic butter. My favorite pinot.
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5/25/2008 - jimbomatic wrote: flawed
Something was amiss here. Aromatics were solely of rotting leaves. Clearly this bottle had been damaged in some way as other bottles have shown quite nicely. Bummer.
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3/23/2008 - cfe wrote:
Decanted at least five hours prior to tasting. Dark purple color. Nose was big fruit, somewhere between pinot and syrah. Noticeable heat. Oak didn't really sitck out. Still comes across as quite young. Fullish weight on the palate, with an odd sort of semi-pinot, semi-shoe polish fruit aspect. Has acidity, but is definitely a high alcohol, largely fruit driven wine. Paired very well with the lamb chops in dried cherries and port sauce. Not to my taste however.
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2/25/2008 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Pretty much the same as the last notes. I'm amazed at how bad this wine is when first opened yet how good it is after a couple of hours. It is a big pinot and should continue to improve for a long time.
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2/17/2008 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Pinot Wine Dinner (Edina Country Club, MN): This was mystery bottle #2 of the tasting. I correctly guessed it as an Oregon Pinot. Nose: Mineral, slatey quality with highly aromatic floral notes. Palate: Good acid, slight bitterness, but very elegant. Clean finish. This wine has aged very well and is quite fresh for 10 years from vintage.
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9/29/2007 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Can't repeat it enough - this needs at least an hour and probably two hours to open up to show it's stuff. Absolutely wonderful again tonight but again spritsy and blah when opened.
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8/27/2007 - MC wrote:
Pretty big stuff here. Tough to pick as pinot. Still pretty primary with tannin holding firm. Needs time. Not sure if it will develop into something more interesting but I wouldnt try another for a couple of years. B+
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7/1/2007 - jbaron wrote: 89 Points
Nice, bright fruit, but this wine shows awkward and chalky this evening. It has redeeming features (decent nose, decent length) but I'd still have expected more.
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4/8/2007 - 259 wrote: 90 Points
We drank this with Easter Dinner and enjoyed every drop.
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1/6/2007 - MC wrote:
For new world pinot this is pretty good. Not too over the top on the fruit, and some structure, with the slightest bit of secondaries. I'm not sure how this will hold, but it has a chance to get more interesting. B+
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8/20/2006 - M DU VIN wrote: 88 Points
A hard bottle to judge. Didn't tast like a Pinot Noir on opening--just too big an concentrated, more like a Syrah. While it did open up over an hour or so, it didn't seem to have the finesse that one expects from a Pinot Noir.
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2/27/2006 - PinoyNoir wrote: 92 Points
Great notes of earth and leaves on the nose, rich and deep on the palate.
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1/15/2006 - jbaron wrote: 89 Points
Opens bright and fruity, but turns inward for some time. After an hour, the wine was back in its element, though I still found the nose a bit muted. Good notes of coffee (a bit unusual in a pinot...), earth, and cherrries with a lively, bright underpinning. Still a bit simple. This was a nice drink after slogging through the '97 a couple of nights ago. I have to admit, though, that I was hoping for a bit better. I can't tell whether I should hold this wine or drink this wine, though since it seems all put together and not on the decline, there doesn't seem to be any reason to be in a rush.
Here's a note from the BF website: "There are loads of things going on, but whether it will ever achieve the aromatic complexity of the 1999 or 2000 remains to be seen. The wine's flavor, texture, and intensity are exciting, but it still needs more time. (Tasted August 2002)". That was 3+ years ago, and if it's not yet aromatically complex, it's hard think that it might become so. I'll probably try the '99 soon, so we'll see.
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11/25/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 93 Points
Thankful for wine on Thanksgiving (Leslie Sbrocco's home): This was a fantastic domestic Pinot Noir with nice subtlety’s and some wonderful earth notes. Sprigs and leaves with clean fruit including tart cherries, raspberries and a hint of herbs & smoked meat. The palate is both rich and velvety. This was a nice wine.
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9/26/2005 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
2nd night - richer and sweeter fruit
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9/2/2005 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Again spritsy and blah when opened but after an hour this really begins to taste good. The pros taste blackberries but to me it tastes more like rasberries. Long finish.
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7/18/2005 - Jack wrote:
Very dark for pinot. Do not drink with out at least an hour of air. Taste upon opening was spritsy and blah.. At a 1/2 hour still nothing (why did I buy so much of this wine). At 1 hour now we're talking (why didn't I buy more of this wine).
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6/4/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Crow (Seattle, WA): Here we go! This wine was unreal. Aromatics were always pleasing and very intriguing with mineral, floral notes, sour cherry and pine. The palate is dark, broad shouldered, tannic and long. I don't have a lot of words here, but this was a deeply impressive and admirable young wine; muscular, powerful, drinking very young yet beautifully. Well done!
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5/24/2005 - DougLee wrote: 88 Points
Translucent ruby. Nose was the best thing about this wine; very effusive and full of blackberry with a bit of tea leaf and violets. With lots of air, and lots of time (3 hours) it opened up slightly to reveal a sharp attack of blueberry notes in a linear beam of fruit. Medium-bodied and initially very short finish. Later a longer finish accented by some alcoholic notes. Tannins not hard-edged. Interesting wine.
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3/29/2005 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Starting to come around. Earth and funk with good fruit and good balance. Very nice with many years of great drinking ahead. Still lots of tannin lurking in the background. Decant for at least an hour.
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12/21/2004 - Chateaunewf wrote: 91 Points
Deep and dark for an 6 year old Oregon pinot. Primary nose and consistent on the palate with dark cherry to red plum fruit flavors. Nicely balanced a pleasant to drink but not offering up any complexity or grace to capture one's attention. Certainly much more full and round than the Belle Soures from the same vintage drunk a few night prior. Reminds me more of a Cali central coast pinot (Pisoni Santa Lucia comes to mind) than an Oregon pinot. Maybe due to the warm Oregon El Ninjo vintage in 1998.
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