It is such a pleasure to share one of the jewels of the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Beaux Frères was founded by Michael Etzel more than twenty years ago. Vacationing in Oregon back in 1986, Michael came across an 88 acre pig farm. After some consideration he decided to purchase the land with his brother in law, Robert Parker — and the rest became Oregon wine history. We are all so glad that they purchased this very special land.
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 in 1990, 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.
It is such a pleasure to taste these wines with some age. The Beaux Freres wines from 2000-2010 seem to be timeless, with no slowing down. These are wines that can easily go for 20 years. Old Beaux Freres wines will stand up to any Pinot Noir made in the new world.
I have been tasting through the 2023 vintage over the last year. The wines that I have tasted from 2023 seem to be really nicely poised. This was an even growing season where wines were typically concentrated and show excellent finesse. Overall quality seems to be slightly better than ’22. While the Beaux Freres ‘UT’ and ‘Beaux Freres Vineyards’ bottlings really need another year before consuming, I am amazed how well the 2023 Beaux Freres ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97) is performing right now. It is dense, heady and loaded with salty minerality.
It is hard to find a better ‘entry level’ Oregon wine than the thrilling 2023 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is a seamless, elegant and sensational wine to enjoy now. One of the best wines I have tasted from Oregon in the past year is the 2023 Beaux Freres ‘The Upper Terrace’ Pinot Noir (OB, 98) which has otherworldly flavor range and density. Learn more about this famed winery at beauxfreres.com and here are my reviews of the new Beaux Freres 2023 vintage wines.
2023 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- The dazzling 2023 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay was sourced from mainly the Doration Vineyard as well as 35% from their estate vineyard. Golden in the glass, this shows off a dense mouthfeel on the mouth. Loaded with citrus and melon fruits, this offers nutmeg dusted shortbread and salted macadamia nut nuances on the palate. A stunning rendition of this wine, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten years. Drink 2026-2036- 95
2023 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The seamless 2023 Beaux Freres ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir comes primarily from their estate holdings in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. It is deeply colored and perfumed, offering red rose petal and cloves on the nose with shades of sandalwood, orange zest and bergamot accents. The palate is elegant but also nicely concentrated, with a glorious core of ripe red fruits that greets you alongside kumquat zest and cedar notes that caress. Light on its feet, with serious finesse, enjoy this glorious bottling now and over the next fifteen years to come. This is as good at it comes for ‘entry level’ Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink 2026-2041- 95
2023 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- A dizzying new bottling the 2023 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ was sourced from this acclaimed location planted in 2012 by Carey Critchlow and Michael Etzel. The wine is already complex and exceedingly delicious in its heady youth. A downright killer core of red and dark fruits parade with wild mushroom, green herbs, peat moss and salty/stony nuances on the palate. Lush and round on the mouth, with serious length, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2026-2046- 97
2023 Beaux Freres ‘The Beux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- One of the best Oregon Pinot Noirs that I have tasted in the past year, the 2023 Beaux Freres ‘The Beux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a knockout wine that really needs another year of bottle age before savoring. Stored in a small amount of new French oak (20%) this delivers an unbelievably good core of pure red fruits, with shades of yellow plum, exotic spices and salty soil nuances on the palate. Showing incredible tension and viscosity, this comes off fat and generous on the mouth. Finishing very long with bright pomegranate and strawberry fruits, enjoy now and over the next two decades to come. Drink 2027-2047- 98
2023 Beaux Frères ‘The Upper Terrace’ Pinot Noir- A total masterclass, the beguiling 2023 Beaux Frères ‘The Upper Terrace’ Pinot Noir was sourced from Dijon clone Pinot Noir plantings at this 9 acre location. Stored in only 23% new French oak and offering a brooding dark core, this opens with a heady melange of black and red florals on the nose, alongside pine needles, salted Mandarin orange zest and shades of soy sauce on the nose. The palate is rich and dense with serious refinement. This has lift, opulence and fabulous flavor density and range, finishing long with boysenberry notes and copious salty minerals. Flat out fabulous to enjoy in its full-throttle youth, watch this evolve over the next twenty plus years. Try to resist this head-turning beauty for at least another year. Drink 2027-2047- 98