Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Upper Terrace 2019
When Old World producers told me the great advantages that they have over New World producers, with their multigenerational ownership and management of their vineyards and wineries, I did not fully understand the importance at first. Now, with 34 years of farming the same landscape, and the second generation in full force, I see the many benefits they were talking about.
I believe that Beaux Frères is truly beginning to understand the strengths that exist within our organization. From the vineyards to the long-standing employees, we are able to create wines that reflect each unique growing season, from the vantage of our special place. What does Vintage 2019 offer that makes it so special?
It’s Mikey’s fourth vintage as head winemaker with Dad only looking over his shoulder, and Aaron’s continued experience with making wines in the Ribbon Ridge area. It’s Rogelio and Omar’s decades of farming our sites and maintaining our equipment, our intimate knowledge of every slope and swale, knowing which clones and areas of the vineyards ripen first. These are elements of strength gained over time.
There is nothing more satisfying than bottling a vintage like 2019 for us; a set of wines that prove the unflinching spirit of a team that whistles while they work.We are immensely proud of this triumphant offering. It represents the accumulation of everything we have learned about making cool climate Pinot Noir from our unique terrain throughout the last 30+ years.
Our vineyard and production team do everything the hard way, the long way, by hand.
These are standout wines that echo from the stories within. Even the earliest results are impressive. You can feel the 16-hour days followed by belly laughs, cold beer, and bonfires. You can hear the speakers blasting classics, Mariachi, jazz, hip hop, folk music — anything to fit the mood.
At harvest time, there were mostly familiar faces in 2019, except for Marcus, a fine young man from Germany who poured himself into the effort and broke more frequent smiles as the work got harder and the days got longer.
Chef Charlie Moon brought the flair of fine dining to our team harvest meals, an essential contribution fueling positive winery vibes.
Most importantly, as always, Mother Nature.
She weighed in with the opinion that we could use a break from such hot summers of late and instead delivered a beautiful, even-ripening and decidedly nostalgic Oregon growing season with sunny stretches punctuated by quenching rains, and more than a few jaw dropping golden afternoons followed by cool nights.
With the 2019s release just around the corner, we think you’re in for a treat. Thank you for including our wines in your collection year after year.