Today we share the world class wines of the Ribbon Ridge AVA, Beaux Frères was founded by Michael Etzel more than twenty years ago. While on vacation in 1986 Michael came across an 88 acre pig farm and after some consideration he decided to purchase the land with his brother in law, Robert Parker — and the rest became Oregon wine history. Michael focused on his job as vineyard manager by planting Pinot Noir in the Ribbon Ridge AVA and while planting his vineyard he interned at Ponzi Winery. It was all the way back in1990, that Michael harvested his first estate fruit and sold the grapes winemakers Ken Wright and Dick Ponzi. Michael came to see that there was something exceptional about fruit from his vineyard and began making focused, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs from this special site. The wines were subsequently reviewed with incredible acclaim. I love these wines as they embody such beautiful purity of fruit. The wines cellar incredibly well as I have had the chance to taste these back 20 years and it is just remarkable how well they perform with some cellaring.
The 2021 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) is a total knockout wine that made its way on my 2023 Top 100. This is elegant, concentrated Pinot noir that has a long life ahead of it. Even better is the thrilling 2021 Beaux Freres ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 98) which is one of the finest Oregon wines I have tasted in this last year. Quite literally a slumbering giant, this has world-class richness, verve and texture. Learn more about this famed winery at beauxfreres.com and here is my review of the new Beaux Freres wines.
2021 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- The stunning 2021 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay comes from two early ripening sites on Parrett Mountain, Star Mooring and Doration. Showing a rich, golden hue in the glass, toasted hazelnuts with ripe cantaloupe, Japanese pear and salty soils with ripe peach all mark the nose. The palate is silky smooth and inviting with a seamless sense of texture. The richness here is really stunning, as the underlying finesse and structure melds well with the rich orchard and citrus fruit flavors. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2035- 95
2021 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The elegant, seamless and captivating 2021 ‘Willmette Valley’ Pinot Noir is another stunning edition of this wine by Beaux Freres. Once on the nose the class red rose petal character shines through alongside cigar box, red currants and shades of orange peel. Lithe and polished, with a silky mouthfeel, this shows a great combination of nerve and weight. This is quite primary on the palate right now but will gain considerably complexity while this ages gracefully over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2038- 95
2021 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ comes from this site that was planted back in 2012 by Carey Critchlow and Michael Etzel. This 12 acre location is planted to 17 separate Pinot Noir clones. Very dark in the glass, this offers potpourri and red rose petal notes on the nose alongside freshly tilled loamy soils, tobacco leaf, and boysenberry puree. Pillowy and soft with tremendous concentration and verve, this is a dazzling, rich wine that is already drinking beautifully at the three year mark. This will easily be a 20 year wine. Drink 2024-2044- 97
2021 Beaux Frères ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Another wine with serious aging potential, the fabulous and flamboyant 2021 Beaux Frères ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a totally stunning wine from this warm vintage. Also very dark in the glass, this reveals rich wild blackberry and black cherry notes on the nose with stony soils, cigar box and shades of milk chocolate. The palate is plush as silky tannins frame this gorgeous core of black fruit flavors alongside crushed mint, cardamom dusted red raspberry and rich fig notes. Big and bold, this has incredible richness yet comes across weightless on the mid-palate. Give this an hour of air if enjoying now, as this beauty will live on for easily another twenty years to come. This is one of the great wines of Oregon that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in the past year. Drink 2025-2045- 98