Beaux Freres Pinot noir Beaux Freres Vineyard 08

A tremendous perfumed nose blossoms in the glass. Co-mingling of rose petal, lavender, crushed raspberry, forest floor, fresh turned earth, incense, roasted meat, cedar, and barely there peppery spice.

The 08 Estate has purity, perfect structure, and balance. Fascinating to try in 10, 15, 20 years. In retrospective tastings of Oregon Pinot held in a decade or more from now, this will be a main attraction. - Avalon

Tanzer 94 Points!

Bright red. Highly perfumed, seductive bouquet of black raspberry, cherry-cola, incense and dried rose, with a slow-mounting mineral element. Lively but strikingly concentrated as well, offering incisive red fruit and floral pastille flavors underscored by intense spice and mineral qualities. Really stains the palate and finishes with superb clarity and juicy, spicy raspberry and cherry notes. Etzel told me that a tiny bit of stems were used in this year's wine. - Josh Raynolds

Wine Spectator 93 points

Light in color and body, this is deftly balanced to let the gorgeous raspberry, cherry and espresso flavors emerge easily and waft through the long, expressive finish, remarkably without much weight. Impressive for its style and refinement. Drink now through 2018. - HS

What do you get when you mix an old pig farm with the wine expertise of Robert Parker, Jr.? Exceptional Oregon Pinot Noir, of course. Parker, along with his brother-in-law Michael Etzel and third partner Robert Roy realized their goal of creating premium Pinot with their first vintage in 1991. Their estate property, the old pig farm, is 24 acres of tightly-spaced, low-yielding vines on the steep slopes of Ribbon Ridge in Northern Willamette Valley.

Winemaking philosophy and technique follow a commitment to minimal intervention, with native yeast fermentations and only one racking prior to bottling. All the wines are unfined and unfiltered. The wine remains in French oak for a period of 10-12 months, in varying proportions of new wood depending on the strength of the vintage. Because of the "reductive" winemaking style, which keeps the wine away from oxygen as much as possible, Beaux Freres Pinots are made for bottle age. The end result is a true expression of prime Willamette terroir.