1998 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir

[dananne]

Beaux Freres Vineyard.

We've been sitting on this for some time now, waiting for it to mature and for the right time to crack it. Christmas Eve seemed as good a time as any, as it was just about 10 years old. We thought it'd be a good barometer on the ageability of top-shelf Oregon Pinot Noir. Put to rest any fears on that front, as this was drinking wonderfully, and it had the stuffing to continue for at least 3, perhaps as many as 5 more years before beginning a slow decline.

Decanted for 15 minutes before 1st pour and through evening. Dark garnet in the glass, with floral aromas of violets and fruity aromas of black cherry and plum. Pretty intense, lush, and rich red fruit flavors. Supple in the mouth, but has a ringing acidity. Silky tannins hold it together, and the finish picks up more of that sweet black cherry fruit along with some subtle oaky notes from the high percentage of new French oak they use. Big wine, but it's still light on it's feet and feels silky in the mouth. Very lovely stuff that certainly did benefit from the bottle age. 14.1% alc. We paid about $60 for it back in '01.