1997 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir The Beaux Frères Vineyard

Very good ruby-tinged red. Dark berries (cassis, black raspberry), dark chocolate, mocha and expansive oak on the nose. Intensely flavored, dense and rather powerful, with nicely integrated acidity. Sweeter than the Belles Soeurs, but not as confectionary as some past vintages of this bottling. Also finishes with slightly edgy, drying oak tannins, but this has more supporting structure, depth of fruit and length than the above. I suspect that few '97 Oregon pinots will have this much flavor intensity.