Mike Etzel Winemaker for Beaux Freres Winery will be here!

"To make a great wine one needs a madman to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make the wine, and a lover to drink it." - Salvador Dali, Spanish Painter 1904 – 1989

I remember my first trip to Oregon in the summer of 1994 for the IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration) this is one of the best wine parties that I have ever attended. The festival is limited to 500 attendees as it is hosted by McMinnville College and that is all they can accommodate in their lecture facilities. I remember not only were the quality of the wines at the highest level but the people in attendance were some of the most passionate Pinot Noir lovers that I had ever come across. And although winemaking began in the 19th century in this state it is only recently that its potential has been recognized by the rest of the world.

It was in 1979 when serious wine producers started to look at the potential of this area as Eyrie Vineyards' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 of Burgundy-style wines at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades and was rated the top Pinot Noir. This news went around the wine world and shortly after Robert Drouhin, head of Burgundy's legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin, was visiting America's west coast promoting the Drouhin Burgundies. The California wine industry was just starting to receive its first recognition back then, but there was little if anything going on in Oregon.  This was Robert's first visit to the Northwest and its earliest vineyards left him with the impression that it quite possibly would be Oregon, not California, that would ultimately prove to be the best place to grow the great grape of Burgundy - Pinot noir.

Inspired by his trip to Oregon and the results of 1979 tasting that was held in Paris, where, for the first time, the best new Oregon Pinot noirs were tasted in competition with the finest Burgundies. Robert decided to hold his own blind tasting in 1980 at the Drouhin cellars in France, with several of the best Oregon Pinot noirs going up against the finest Drouhin Grand Crus. It was a Drouhin Grand Cru that took first place this time, but an Oregon wine (the now legendary 1975 Eyrie Vineyards South Block) placed 2nd by a very narrow margin with the French experts. News of this tasting brought the first widespread international attention to Oregon Pinot noir.

After a few years’ time Robert's daughter Véronique just graduated with an advanced degree in enology from the University of Dijon and wanted to expand her experience by working in Oregon. Véronique interned with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights, and Eyrie for the 1986 vintage. Later on, Robert mentioned to David Adelsheim that it might be interesting to buy a piece of land in Oregon, to see what it might produce. What started as a passing thought began its transformation into reality when Adelsheim phoned the Drouhins in Beaune not long thereafter to tell them of a property that was for sale that they might be interested in. The rest is history and with one of Burgundies foremost wine producing families moving to Oregon the writing was on the wall that this wine producing region would soon get its much-deserved recognition as one of the world's premier Pinot Noir growing regions.

Today, the state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.

American Viticultural Areas entirely within the state include the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley, and Rogue Valley AVAs. Parts of the Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, and Snake River Valley AVAs lie within Oregon. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are the top two grapes grown, with over 16,000 tons (14,515 metric tons) harvested in 2005. As of 2005, Oregon wine makers produced over 1.5 million cases combined.

Currently there are over 700 wineries in Oregon and a bustling tourism industry has developed around wine tasting. Much of the tourism focuses on the wineries and tasting rooms in and around the Yamhill Valley southwest of Portland.

You don’t have to travel to Oregon to taste some of the top wines being made here as we have one of the top winemakers from Oregon in town on Thursday, February 27th.  Join us as we welcome Mike Etzel from Beaux Freres winery for a tasting of new releases.  Chef Toni Lampasone will be making a special menu to accompany the tasting wines, the fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $150 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Beaux Freres Oregon Wine Tasting

with Special Guest Founder and Winemaker Mike Etzel

Thursday, February 27, 2020

7:30 PM

NV Henriot Souverain Brut Champagne

Price: $45.00       Your Price: $39.60



2017 Beaux Frères Chardonnay Willamette Valley

Price : $87.00      Sale $76.56

Sleek and seamless, with orange blossom aromatics and freshly steeped jasmine tea leading to electric verve on the palate. This, combined with a long, flinty finish creates a precisely radiant frame for this supple yet brightly balanced Chardonnay.

From the project to the program — the release of our 2017 Willamette Valley Chardonnay ushers in an elevated era for our portfolio moving forward. Where previous vintages of this wine varied in quantity and vineyard sourcing, this release reflects our deeper commitment to the varietal, a greater confidence in our house style, and an overall willingness to give this beam of light its time to shine. Increasingly sourced from family estate vineyards (Sequitur & Star Mooring), at just 287 cases produced, we’ve left some room to grow in the vintages to come.Belle Seours

Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2017

Price: $66             Sale $58.08



Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Belles Soeur 2017

Price: $102          Sale $89.76

In a reprise performance, this radiant gem displays the cherished essence of our family farmed sites. Impressions of pomegranate, pie cherry, tropical flowers and sage play stealthily amid electric acidity and spring-loaded tannins. From its brilliant hue, and onward toward a shining symphonic bouquet and mesmerizing, ethereal texture; this is the purity of Pinot Noir we treasure.

Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Beaux Freres 2017

Price:     $102       Sale        $89.76

Fresh and complex, pure and polished with high-note acidity elongating a mouthwatering finish: Here in its 27th iteration, The Beaux Frères Vineyard is wearing its heart on its sleeve. Awe-striking in its characteristic juicy cane berry and plum preserves, this classic rendition also shows dried violets and a crispness hearkening to loamy terrain. The quintessential poise, sophistication, and structure of this terroir-driven wine once again show promise for successful cellaring.



Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Zena Crown Willamette Valley 2017

Price:  $81.00                      Sale $71.28

Vibrantly faceted, this wine from a spectacular Eola-Amity Hills site is a rarity in their lineup thanks to a volcanic red clay Jory soil foundation. Candied red cherries and whispering floral notes precede a palate of blue fruit, finishing with a burst of fresh citrus zest.

Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Upper Terrace 2017

Price: $117.75    Sale $103.62

Our cherished, enigmatic 10-acre site continues to inspire and surprise us. Its sweet earth and spice aromas always prevail, yet in this vintage we discovered a new bouquet of wildflower blooms — a welcome evolution, or perhaps a signature of the vintage. The palate shows hallmark depth and balance, with candied berry, granite, and a waft of expertly roasted coffee. Long, lithe tannins carry the composition to an electric finish. We noted several moments passed before full expression in the glass, promoting our strong suspicion of timeless cellar potential.

1994 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Beaux Freres Vineyard

Price: $149.00    Sale Price: $110.00           Quantity in Stock: 6

This 16 year old Oregon Pinot  Noir will give a little perspective on how the top wines of Oregon age as this wine is still drinking beautifully. 

Menu

Cheese and Charcuterie Selection

Macadamia Nut Crusted Yellowtail Snapper with Green Apple and Lemon Chardonnay Veloute

Orecchiette Pasta with Sundried Cherry and Mint Browned Butter

Prosciutto Wrapped Berkshire Pork Loin with Strawberry BBQ and Sweet Potato Flan

The fee for this tasting is $150 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions and chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you.

Beaux Freres Winery from Oregon



While on vacation in 1986, Michael Etzel came upon an 88-acre pig farm for sale located on Ribbon Ridge in the Northern Willamette Valley, Yamhill County, Oregon. After some deliberation, Michael purchased the farm with his brother-in-law (the French idiom is "beaux frères"), Robert Parker, Jr.

Michael uprooted his young family from Colorado and moved to the farm the following summer. He began his focused pursuit as a vineyard manager by planting only Pinot Noir and slowly transforming the old pig and dairy farm into his jewel. While planting his own vineyard, Michael worked four harvests at Ponzi Winery. In 1990, Michael harvested his first crop and sold the grapes, except enough to make one barrel, to winemakers Ken Wright and Dick Ponzi.

In 1991, a renovation of one of the barns led to the creation of Beaux Frères Winery. With each new vintage, Michael's efforts further unveil his pursuit of Pinot Noir that is the purest expression of the vineyard.

In the spring of 2017, our second-generation winery began a new partnership with eighth-generation French family-owned Maisons & Domaines Henriot.

Our new partners' have been inspired by the authenticity, integrity, and character of our vineyard and winery. In addition to his partial-ownership, Michael's role in guiding vineyard, winery, and administrative operations continues, as does the role of his son, Mike D. Etzel, as Winemaker. We believe we are in a better position than ever to create world-class wines of truly unique character and complexity