Beaux Freres 2005 Pinot noirs

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BEAUX FRERES - 2005 PINOTS RELEASED
Happy Days! Finally the 2005's from Beaux Freres!

More customers try to order Beaux Freres on our website
than any other Oregon Pinot.
Why?

A string of 93, 94, and 95 point ratings from Wine Spectator
across many vintages;

An "Estate" Pinot made from
20 year old vines;

Influential wine critic Robert Parker is a co-owner of Beaux Freres ;

A 2005 Vintage Sampler Case --
try the range of Beaux Freres' new releases.

A next generation of sons poised to start enriching the winery with 21st century youthful enthusiasm.

Beaux Freres Upper terrace 2005

Beaux Freres 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot noir

Beaux Freres Upper terrace 2005

====THE WINES====

Beaux Freres Estate Pinot noir 05 $67.50/$75.00

Wine Spectator reviewed the Beaux Frères Estate 05 in early March, 2007, and gave it 93 points.

Here's what Harvey Steiman said: "Although 2005 was a difficult vintage, Beaux Frères made a beauty out of its own vineyard. Firm at first, it then blossoms into a panorama of flavors, fanning out its raspberry cream flavors, hinting at floral, mineral, green tea and Asian spice notes as the finish picks up steam. Not a big wine, but it has many layers to explore. Best from 2009 through 2015. From Oregon." —H.S. 93 points.

Here's our (Avalon Wine) tasting notes: Tasted in January 2007, the nose of the Estate was restrained at first, then showing a perfume of violets, red and black berries, toast, and sweet earth. Hints of spice, herbs, and dried flowers mingle with the fruit scents.

The wine shows an immediate intense sweet fruit quality in the mouth. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, and lush black cherry fruit flavors prevail. Subtle notes of sweet wild mushroom, sweet earth, and forest floor are occasionally noted, but come and go, just a gentle undercurrent to the dominant fruit flavors. There's also a sense of perfume on the palate, with hints of Asian spice, dried field flowers and herbs.

The tannins are silky and present, adding structure, restraining and balancing the fruit. In January 2007, the tannins are the slightest bit drying in the mouth, although after decanting and air, that quality disappeared quickly.

The Estate is aged on its lees in 75-85% new Francois Frères oak barrels, and the wine has a creamy quality in the midpalate that comes from exposure to the lees. The lees also contribute a silkiness to the mouth feel.

Every time we put our noses in the glass, this wine was changing (January 2007). With time, red fruit, primarily red raspberry, started appearing along with the blackberry and cherry flavors. Marcus noted that this wine seems much more red fruit driven than the Upper Terrace, which has been perceived by us as a much more black and blue fruit dominant wine.

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Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot noir 05 $40.50/$45

Here's our (Avalon Wine) tasting notes: The most approachable and ready to drink of the three wines when tasted in January 2007, the Willamette Valley is succulent and juicy. The nose has a decadent creme brulee quality, with red raspberry and blackberry as well. Hints of sweet toast and pumpkin pie spice add to the mix, with a soft creaminess underlying all. Flavors reiterate the scents, with a sweet, juicy quality to the red cherry and red berry flavors. Sweet cherry hard candy is hinted at in the midpalate.

We found the wine uplifting, lithe, and refreshing. The juicy fresh blackberry and raspberry flavors are transmogrified to sweet red cherry with a touch of uplifting sour cherry in the finish. A really wonderful food wine, ready to drink and drink within five years.

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Beaux Freres "Upper Terrace" Pinot noir 05 $81/$90

Wine Spectator 92 points: "More recent plantings of Dijon clones at the top of the estate vineyard produce this Pinot with a plush feel, despite its open, velvety texture. It offers black cherry, raspberry and subtle spice flavors, finishing with a fleshiness that makes it seductive. More up-front than the Beaux Frères vineyard bottling, but it should hum well for quite a few years. Drink now through 2015." —H.S.

Here's our (Avalon Wine) tasting notes: A big bruiser of a Pinot, this is co-owner Robert Parker's favorite of the Pinots made by Beaux Frères. It was also the most closed of the three 2005 wines when tasted in January 2007. The darkest, meatiest, most intensely flavored of the Beaux Frères wines, this wine may have the longest potential life in the cellar. It's a wine for serious collectors who don't mind laying a wine down for ten years or more.

The nose of the Upper Terrace 05 is restrained, with a hint of black fruit and rich, creamy toast. Flavors begin with a gush of sweet black fruit, toast, and silky tannins with a bit of a grip. An Avalon employee said at the tasting "there's just the most there there". It's intense, and very different from the Estate, which seems more sweet red fruit driven in comparison to this massive Pinot. The Upper Terrace is aged on lees in 80-90% new Francois Frères new oak barrels, with medium to heavy toast and some toasted heads.

Marcus says: The Darth Vader of Oregon Pinot. Dark and powerful from first sight, the Upper Terrace exudes intense, black fruit aromas with barrel spice that hints at incense and black pepper. Big, juicy flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and ribbons of black and red raspberry. Great palate density. Give the Upper Terrace a year or two to fully integrate and you'll find an awesomely rich Pinot.

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====THE SAMPLER====

Beaux Freres 2005 Vintage Sampler Case

Try Them All
Beaux Frères
2005 Vintage Sampler Case $725

6 "Estate" 05 $75 each
4 "Willamette Valley" 05 $45
2 "Upper Terrace" 05 $90 each

save $85 from suggested retail ($810.00)

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