2017 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Upper Terrace

(96 points) Seduces you immediately, with expressive violet and dark raspberry aromas that open to polished and brilliantly structured blueberry, savory anise and tea flavors that take on richness on a long finish. Drink now through 2026. Beaux Frères has set the gold standard for Oregon Pinot Noir since Michael Etzel planted his first vines in 1988 in an old pig farm, in what is now the Ribbon Ridge AVA of Willamette Valley. The Upper Terrace vineyard is his most recent planting, which is situated just north of and at a higher elevation than the original estate vines. The 9-acre vineyard was planted in 2000 to Dijon clones of Pinot Noir only, and the 2017 is a brilliant expression of the Beaux Frères style: dynamic, seductive and impeccably structured. It was fermented with native yeast and aged in French oak for a year. (TF)   (8/2019)Wine Spectator