Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

2002 Beaux Freres Belles Soeur’s Shea Pinot Noir. This is one of the last wines I bought from PC. It was after I became aware of the possibility that they were going down. This wine was in stock and I had my daughter, who lives four blocks from the store, pick up 9 bottles for me in September, 2015. Since then we have drunk 7 bottles in various venues, most recently at home tonight with grilled gulf red snapper and (Pacific, I think) salmon. The Shea character comes through loud and clear—-good up front fruit, strong black streak down the center—-but the finish is short and the taste is hot. The label says 15.3% alcohol, but the actual percentage might be even higher. 2002 was a fantastic vintage for Shea and certainly the Beaux Freres version shows that, but Mark Vlossak’s venting of 2002 Shea is much, much superior. To me, the 2002 Beaux Freres Shea is Parkerization at its worst (The Bob has part ownership of Beaux Freres). The wine is true but way too intense because of the alcohol, which throws the wine out of balance and makes it hard for me to appreciate the quality of the raw materials.

I have only tasted one BF, probably a late 90's release when young.

15.3% is very disappointing from an 02. I have enjoyed the 02 SI Shea.

I've had a couple of BF over the years. I thought they were expensive for what they were.

Speaking of Mark Vlossak, I just had the St. Innocent 2014 regular cuvee. It was very nice. If that bottle is an indication, 2014 should be a good year for St. Innocent.

Bill

I had the Beaux Frères Vineyard in January (from a long stored bottle in my dad's cellar), and I liked. But I drink very little Pinot Noir, from Oregon or otherwise, so I have little frame of reference. In retrospect, if I was looking for something, I would say that it was fruiter than I might expect for a PN. I don't recall anything about the alcohol being high. Vineyard differences mayhap?

2002 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard 1/3/2016
This is delicious. Classic pinot noir profile of spicy fruits, cinnamon, some menthol, a little stem. The style is bright and restrained, could be old world except it lacks the earthiness of France. There's a sneaky length and persistence that it's compelling. Terrific Oregon PN.

P.S. FWIW, the best Oregon pinot I've had has probably been various St. Innocent bottlings.

Could be, Patrick. I do not have much experience with Beaux Freres. Right now I have too much of it in comparison to the SI I have (2 BF and hundreds of SI; in fact, I have far more from SI than from any other producer anywhere).

stefan wrote: I have far more from SI than from any other producer anywhere.

Cool. We haven't played the "sum your totals by producer" in a while.

Here are my top 25 (out of 417 individual producers):
1 Ridge
2 Produttori del Barbaresco
3 Sociando Mallet
4 Christoffel
5 Grand Puy Lacoste
6 Cantemerle
7 JJ Prum
8 Edmunds St. John
9 Selbach Oster
10 Chateau Musar
11 Magdelaine
12 Beychevelle
13 Carbonnieux (blanc and rouge)
14 Domaine de Chevalier (blanc and rouge)
15 d’Issan
16 Lagrange
17 Canon
18 Felsina
19 Dönnhoff
20 Lanessan
21 Tour St. Bonnet
22 Calon Segur
23 Pichon Lalande
24 Branaire Ducru
25 Roagna (Barolo and Barbaresco)

Somehow I own almost 100 bottles of various Ridge wines...

That's an odd list.

Perhaps the more interesting list would be what estates have been consumed most - life to date.

AKR wrote:That's an odd list.

Perhaps the more interesting list would be what estates have been consumed most - life to date.

It is dominated by my favorite red wine (Bordeaux) and my favorite white (Germany, though this has faded in last few years), along with a few individual estates high on the list that I love from other regions (Ridge, Produttori, Musar, ESJ, etc.).

I personally don't keep info on consumed wines, but Ridge would definitely be quite high as would Meyney.

That's a very interesting list indeed Patrick.
I'm pleased to see Sociando, Cantemerle, d'Issan, Lagrange, etc., so prominent.
You are indeed a true Bordeaux Wine Enthusiast.

I guess it might be fun/instructive to know how one's cellar is comprised. I wonder if I'll have time to do that before I move.

Patricia Green is rapidly becoming a favorite Oregon pinot of mine. The Berserker cuvee was a terrific deal and I'm in for the 2014. I have various other bottlings as well.

I have also enjoyed Patricia Green's pinots going back to the 2002 vintage, thanks to my local wine shop owner recommending it. He also had her in his shop one Saturday pouring her wines. Interesting woman.

I have two mixed cases of the 2012 vintage stored away. This is a reminder that perhaps I should sample them.