2017 Beaux Frères "The Upper Terrace" Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir
SKU #1432672
96 points
Wine Spectator
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)
94-95 points
Vinous
Bright red. High-pitched red berry, cherry cola and incense scents show outstanding clarity and spicy lift. Palate-staining red berry preserve, spicecake and floral pastille flavors slowly deepen on the back half. Manages to come off graceful as well as lithe, with no rough edges. Finishes smooth, spicy and extremely long, featuring sneaky tannins and lingering red fruit and candied rose notes. (JR)
(6/2019)
93 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir The Upper Terrace offers inviting scents of crushed cranberries, red currants, orange oil, black tea leaves, earth, brown sugar and sweet spices with hints of dried flowers, autumn leaves and amaro, a very pretty interplay of sweet fruits and bitter notes. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with spicy fruits, finely grained and very fresh, finishing very long. (EB) 93+
(4/2020)