WTN: The Mighty Bob's brother-in-law's new OR wine

[Jenise]

Last night at dinner, a gentleman at the next table commented on our wines, several of which he recognized and which were stationed along with his on a small table against a wall. His bottle(s) were unlabeled, and he admitted to being a winemaker. His name is Michael Etzel, though he's more famously known as Robert Parker's brother-in-law and part owner/winemaker at Beaux Freres in Oregon's Ribbon Ridge appellation.

Not sure what his first bottle was, but he invited us to taste the second bottle, which is the 2014 Sequitur. It's only third leaf from a brand new 12 acre vineyard adjacent to Beaux Frere's which, if I understood right, he owns wholly and solely. Also, best I understood, it wasn't released commercially but the '15 will be, and it's going to go for around $100 a bottle [gulp]. Couldn't take notes but it was impressively rich for a wine from such young vines, classic Oregon style with tasty, plummy black fruit, foresty notes and good tannins.

On Fri. nite of MoCool week-end I opened a 2005 Beau Freres Estate Pinot Noir at the lodge and it was quite nice and well liked. Not as full of earth/forest/mushroom as I would have liked but very sound and with some non-fruit complexity.

[Jenise]

I tasted at the winery once on their release weekend, and though I liked the wines I was surprised at how they were all so dark-fruited. I believe they brighten up with age, though; have you found that?

That wine was my only experience with Beau Freres.

I liked the wine quite a bit, but was also a bit gob stopped by the pricing!

I'll post notes on the wines we had (we took our own wines to the Willows for dinner chez Blaine Wetzel). Hopefully Jenise will post something on the many, many courses of sublime food.

[Jenise]

When you consider that the Sequitur is just out of diapers and followed your '98 Vieux Donjon WITHOUT tasting like a skinny infant, that's pretty impressive.