2013 Beaux Freres, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon.
After the blockbuster 2012’s it was going to be difficult to make a follow up, then bring rain close to harvest and you make it even more challenging, but somehow Mike Etzel and his team have done it, and in fact this new 2013 Willamette Valley is a beauty, and delivers the goods with remarkable class and character making the drop off from vintage to vintage almost unseen! The Willamette Valley cuvee, an unfined/unfiltered Pinot from top site in the region, including a bunch of estate fruit along with Zena Crown, Hyland, Gran Moraine and others, makes for an incredible basic entry level wine, but it does come at a price, which has gone up in recent years, luckily so has the quality, pretty much equalizing the cost out and makes it worth the extra cash, remembering too this is one of America’s finest wineries, though it does makes the likes of St. Innocent stand out for value, though on the other hand there are many newer wineries charging much more in Oregon for for lesser wines, no shaming here, but they know who they are. So yes you should be sure to book the sexy new 2013 Beaux Freres, while the top BFV and Upper Terrace need cellar time to lose the reductive nose and show their depth this Willamette Valley is drinking great almost instantly and will prove a reliable pleasure over the next 3 to 5 years and maybe a few more, while the 2012’s can be put away, the 2013 should be enjoyed and drunk sooner. The 2013 Beaux Freres Willamette starts with a mix of aromas and a solid deep hue in the glass with rose petals, wild herbs, flinty red spice, red currants and mineral along with vanilla and cinnamon sticks leading to a medium weighted and silky palate of blackberry, bramble, briar, cherry and tart plum as well as smoke, gravelly stones, anise, tea spices and loamy earth along with forrest chanterelles. The finish brings hints of strawberry, cedar and mocha and while on the lighter side of Pinot there is always an impressive presence in the mouth, an underlying grip, energy and vitality, this is lovely wine and there is no reason not to indulge on this brilliant and well crafted offering, drink from 2015 to 2020.
($60 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive