Beaux Freres

Archive - older articles and tasting notes

2000 Vintage

The harvest team was cautiously optimistic as we had never witnessed this type of vintage momentum and enjoyed the fruits of three great consecutive vintages.

A late spring frost and drier than normal growing season reduced yields in certain blocks. The growing season was moderate with sufficient rains and mild conditions. The weather remained dry through harvest yielding healthy fruit with ample ripeness and nice levels of natural acidity.

A long hang-time allowed for supple development on the vine resulting in thick skins and providing beautiful color to the wines.

We are pleased with the flavor profile of the 2000 vintage. Clean and fruity aromatics give way to crisp wines with good nerve and Burgundian characteristics.

Harvest 2000 was the third very successful harvest in succession for us here at Beaux Frères. Some young vines fruit was harvested on the 28th of September prior to some light rains. As we had hoped, dry and windy weather followed and we harvested the remainder of The Beaux Frères Vineyard under excellent conditions in the cool of the early mornings of October 5th through the 8th.

10/01 - The 2000 vintage is in barrel now, slow-dancing (as if to a rondo) gingerly yet gracefully through its malolactic fermentation. Our cellars have been cool this Winter and early Spring (at around 57 degrees Fahrenheit) lending to a relaxed paced 'malo' that, we feel, may eventually yield a greater complexity of flavor in the wine.

Michael has thus far described the vintage in terms of its crisp acidity, its vibrancy and snap. And then the recurring theme of cool, brisk aromatics in combination with a succulence and subtle sweetness reminiscent of freshly harvested Pinot Noir fruit on the palate. The press is having fun with Oregon's hat trick. We are just plain grateful to have had three brilliant vintages in a row with which to work 2000 Vintage Wines

Wine Spectator says:

Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

The Beaux Freres Vineyard 2000
92 points 2,450 cases made

"The winery's flagship wine is richer and fleshier than most 2000s, if not quite as ethereal as the 1999 or 1998. This one is beautifully balanced to focus its currant, blueberry and blackberry fruit on superfine tannins, finishing generous, round and spicy, with a delicate hint of oak. Drink now through 2007. - H.S."

Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Belles Soeurs

The Wild Thing 2000
90 points 625 cases made

"Originally, Belles Soeurs was made from those portions of its vineyard that produce a more red fruit character, as opposed to the black fruit notes typical of the flagship wine. In 2000, some wine from Muirfield Vineyard found its way into this, Beaux Frères' first Willamette Valley blend. It has a nice core of blackberry and dark plum, layered with white pepper and toasty notes as the flavors linger on the finish. Drink now through 2005. - H.S."

Beaux Freres

Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Belles Soeurs
Shea Vineyard 2000
90 points 460 cases made

"Shea Vineyard lies a few miles west of the winery, on an extension of the same ridge, and it makes open-textured, easy-drinking Pinots. This one is supple and flavorful, offering spiced red raspberry and currant flavors that ride smoothly and elegantly on the fine-grained tannins through a long finish. Drink now through 2006. - H.S."

Beaux Freres

Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Belles Soeurs
Temperance Hill 2000
89 points 120 cases made

"Temperance Hill is in the Eola Hills, near Salem, and it typically makes lighter wines. This lean example is still nicely focused to show currant and raspberry fruit, shaded with hints of spice and toast as the flavors linger on the refined finish. Drink now through 2005. - H.S."

Beaux Freres Belles Soeurs

Shea Vineyard 2000
$55.99 sold out

Wine Spectator says: "90 points 460 cases made" - "Shea Vineyard lies a few miles west of the winery, on an extension of the same ridge, and it makes open-textured, easy-drinking Pinots. This one is supple and flavorful, offering spiced red raspberry and currant flavors that ride smoothly and elegantly on the fine-grained tannins through a long finish. Drink now through 2006. - H.S."

Our finest Shea Vineyard offering to date. It displays a healthy saturated dark ruby color with purple nuances. Shea tends to be a seductive, open-knit effort, even in a more tannic year such as 2000. Copious sweet, creamy, black cherry and berry fruit intermixed with toasty wood emerge from the wine's aromas. Medium to full-bodied and fleshy, with more structure than previous vintages, the 2000 offers the vineyard's hallmark black fruit and a silky, lusty, hedonistic personality. It should drink well young , and evolve nicely for a decade.

Vineyard Manager: Dick Shea

Steve Tanzer says: Bright ruby-red. Aromatic nose of raspberry, black cherry, mint and Valrbona chocolate. Thick and suave, with raspberry and cola flavors enlivened by harmonious acidity. Finishes long, sappy and spicy, with dusty tannins and an impression of youthful tautness. 89 points

Beaux Freres Belles Soeurs

Temperance Hills Pinot Noir 2000
$49.59 sold out

Wine Spectator says: "89 points 120 cases made" - "Temperance Hill is in the Eola Hills, near Salem, and it typically makes lighter wines. This lean example is still nicely focused to show currant and raspberry fruit, shaded with hints of spice and toast as the flavors linger on the refined finish. Drink now through 2005. - H.S."

Our first offering from Temperance Hill Vineyard, located in the Eola Hills of the Willamette Valley. This dynamic wine possesses a saturated dark ruby color and a sweet nose of cranberry, strawberry and black cherry fruit. An impressive attack is followed by moderate yet ripe tannin. The wine reveals seductive aromatics, fine density, medium to full body, and plenty of material, but it will require a year or two of cellaring in order to shed its tannin. At its best between 2004-2012. Manager: Dai Crisp

Steve Tanzer says: Bright red-ruby. Musky slightly reduced aromas of bitter cherry, roast coffee and herbs; the shallowest nose of these 2000s. Reasonably concentrated red fruit flavors show only modest ripeness and sweetness, as well as a slight flatness. Finishes with a faint greenness and a dry edge. This has the lowest alcohol of this set of 2000s (13.1%) and offers the least flavor interest. 85 points

Beaux Freres Estate Pinot Noir 2000

Avalon retaste- 2/2003

This wine, like all Beaux Freres' Estate wines, is made for cellaring and will greatly benefit the patient wine affectionado- however, it's always nice to know what is going on with the vintage- Here are Mike's notes for the 2000 Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard as of this fall:

"Dense ruby-colored with plenty of purple hues. The nose offers aromas of white flowers intermixed with sweet black cherries and a hint of Oregon huckleberries. Medium to full-bodied, fat, and fleshy, with good acidity and ripe tannin, it is just beginning to shrug off its early bottling slumber and strut its stuff. We thought it was as good as the 1999, but from bottle it has seemed muted. As of mid-summer, 2002, it appears to be putting on weight and developing beautifully. It is a very successful vintage for the Beaux Frères Vineyard, and should be at its best between 2003-2013."-Mike Etzel

We continue to recommend this wine as one of the 2000 vintage's best, and suggest it as a cellar selection for collectors serious about aging the best Oregon pinot noirs. We still have good supply of this wine and will continue to issue updates on the vintage as it matures. - JY

The 1999 Vintage

A miraculous spell of great weather in October provided excellent conditions for ripening Pinot Noir in most of Oregon and turned a would-be tardy and difficult vintage into something truly special. A grapegrower's and a winemaker's vintage all in one? Well, yes, as it turns out. And with a good quantity of very fine wine, to be sure, it's a winelover's vintage as well.

In the vineyard it was clear from the start that we were behind by comparison with a "normal" growing season. In retrospect, though, we can now characterize this as less an ominous sign, and more just Nature's calm deliberation. We enjoyed a good fruit set with a protracted but successful flowering extending from about middle of June through the latter part of the month in coolish weather. We thinned fruit to one cluster per shoot in early to mid-August by means of a green harvest to adjust the yield downward in hopes of achieving a more even ripening and greater concentration of flavor. Color change began in the latter part of August and completed by mid-September.

Growing conditions remained mostly clement, with moderate temperatures and no excessive moisture, allowing the fruit to ripen evenly with a respectable, yet modest, yield of about two tons to the acre. The long, dry early Fall season allowed harvest to occur under excellent conditions. The vineyard gave us fine, fresh, ripe fruit with soft, supple tannins, allowing for clean fermentations and new wines that almost begged to be drunk right out of the fermenters.

If possessing less of the sheer density of 1998, vintage 1999 in The Beaux Frères Vineyard has yielded a complete and expressive wine that is graceful yet ample, delicate yet possessing a tensile strength, a wine with both sinew and sensuousness, a wine that will reward careful cellaring for years to come.

1999 Beaux Freres

Our 1999 vintage Beaux Frères has a saturated dark ruby/purple color to the rim. A surprisingly sweet, almost jammy nose of cola, black cherry liqueur, raspberries and blackberries. Despite aging in 80% new François Frères oak, the wood is beautifully integrated and subtle (particularly impressive for such a young wine). Fat, succulent, fleshy and full-bodied, with an intense richness and seamless texture, this wine has the potential to be the most seductive and complex wine we have produced. Think of it as a hypothetical blend of our velvety 1993 with the power and muscle of our 1998, but with softer tannin and lower acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2012.

Beaux Freres Belles Soeurs Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvee 99

$49.99 sold out

Produced under the "Belle Souer" label, this Beaux Freres wine is a blend of Pinot Noir from Archery Summit, Shea Vineyard and The Beaux Frères Vineyard. Although it possesses the vintage's ripe, forward, soft fruit, it exhibits more earthy, spicy, abundant plum and black cherry notes. The wine is slightly less silky, and more tannic and muscular than that of the Shea Vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2008. 429 cases produced.

Beaux Freres Pinot Noir 99

Beaux Freres Vineyard
$59.99 sold out

Wine Spectator 94 points

Wine Spectator says: "Bright, supple and open-textured, offering disarmingly pure currant and blackberry flavors that linger elegantly on the extra-long finish. Not a blockbuster; it's just yummy and refined. Tannins aren't intrusive, making this tempting to drink already. Drink now through 2009. 3,100 cases made.

1999 Beaux Freres

Winemaker Notes: Our 1999 vintage Beaux Frères has a saturated dark ruby/purple color to the rim. A surprisingly sweet, almost jammy nose of cola, black cherry liqueur, raspberries and blackberries. Despite aging in 80% new François Frères oak, the wood is beautifully integrated and subtle (particularly impressive for such a young wine). Fat, succulent, fleshy and full-bodied, with an intense richness and seamless texture, this wine has the potential to be the most seductive and complex wine we have produced. Think of it as a hypothetical blend of our velvety 1993 with the power and muscle of our 1998, but with softer tannin and lower acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2012.