BEAUX FRERES WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2019 CHARDONNAY

Beaux Frères is one of the earliest and now leading wineries in Oregon, founded by Michael G. Etzel, and brother-in-law (“Beaux Frères” in French) wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr in 1986. The Beaux Frères Vineyard is located on an 88-acre farm atop Ribbon Ridge near Newberg (Yamhill County, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA). Tall and stately Douglas fir trees cover nearly 50 acres of the farm, with homestead and winery buildings occupying another 8 acres. The vineyard is situated on 30 acres (24 of which are planted) of steep, contiguous southeast, south and southwest facing hillsides of Willakenzie soils at elevations of around 400 feet. Planting began in 1988 with tightly planted Pinot Noir vines spaced at a density of about 2200 plants to the acre. The oldest vines in the vineyard are now a seasoned 31 years of age, and the vineyard as a whole is a mixture of own-rooted Pommard and Wädenswil clones and younger Dijon clones on phylloxera-resistant rootstocks.

The Upper Terrace Vineyard, just north and a bit higher elevation from Beaux Frères Vineyard, was first planted in 2000. It is comprised of Dijon clones of Pinot Noir covering about 9 acres of the 40 acre site – the rest densely forested and lush with flora and fauna.. Since their first vintage in 1991, the Beaux Frères philosophy remains the same; to produce a world-class Pinot Noir from small, well-balanced yields and ripe, healthy fruit that represent the essence of the vineyard. Beaux Frères has had biodynamic and organic practices since 2002.