Beaux Freres Pinot noir Estate 07 MAGNUM
Collectible-sized bottle of one the finest Pinots made. Dark ruby-colored, the 2007 Estate offers an intense, sweet scent of black raspberry and cherry, wild strawberry, herb, earth, and dried flowers. Tasting the wine, a silky cream texture introduces flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, and black cherry. Rich, plump fruit is accented by subtle notes of sweet earth, truffle, Asian spice, and dried field herbs.
The 2007 Estate is utterly charming - its medium body gains weight and depth with decanting. Good acidity and balance means it is well proportioned for cellaring. The winery suggests that the 2007 Estate will evolve for 10-12 years.
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Tasting Notes 2004 Vintage
Immediately upon popping the cork and pouring, the nose is intense, with a complex perfume of forest floor, white flowers, blackberry fruit, fresh turned earth, cocoa, cassis, red plum, sweet cherries, and hints of underlying dark spice. Flavors reiterate the scents, and the texture, while lush, is pure essence of Pinot, as the flavors echo over and over in the mouth.
Wine Spectator rating 95 points: "Another great Pinot from Michael Etzel, one of Oregon's most celebrated winegrowers. This one has subtlety, with a deceptively easy entry, offering cherry and plum on a lithe texture with a distinct stony note. It picks up steam and hangs on beautifully as the finish sails on and on, hinting late at sassafras. Tannins are well-integrated, but further cellaring will pull it together even more. Best from 2007 through 2015. From Oregon." -H.S.
Wow! Even young and just opened, this is just extraordinary Pinot. Mind boggling, sophisticated, nuanced, restrained opulence, seamless, reminiscent of a top flight Cote de Nuit. Should get at least as good scores as the 2003, this wine shows all the characteristics of a long lasting cellar selection, to be brought out for the grandest occasions and best cuisine.
I am hard pressed to find words to get across the pleasure this wine offers, albeit within a true-to-the varietal, pure Pinot noir flavor profile. You'll just have to try this one and send me some of your words -- it's really indescribably beautiful. -jy 3/15/06
Here's what Mike Etzel says about the 2004 Estate:
This wine is made from fruit grown on the original Beaux Freres estate vineyard. It primarily consists of Pommard & Wadenswil clones on their own roots planted between 1988 and 1995. Mike farms organically, does not irrigate, and is beginning to follow the path of Biodynamic farming. Made from the smallest yields since 1994, it is not surprising that this is an extremely concentrated effort.
The sweet tannins and velvety texture in this wine have been obvious from the first barrel tasting. The deep ruby color is accompanied by an emerging bouquet of sweet black currants, raspberries, plums, and forest floor scents. This opulent, concentrated Pinot is well proportioned with perfect acidity, and a long finish displaying seamless integration of fruit, acid, tannin, alcohol, and wood. It is rare to produce a wine of such richness and intensity that also possesses such smooth tannin and sexy up-front appeal.
