A little while ago I wrote a couple blog posts about the amazing wine country just outside Portland called the Willamette Valley. Well I was fortunate enough to visit again and as the title states; my adventures in the Willamette continue…this time they took me to one of my bucket list wineries, Beaux Freres.

I was accompanied by some good friends/clients which made the trip that much better! We started the day off with lunch at the Jory restaurant, named for one of the most prevalent soil types in the region, at the beautiful Allison Inn and Spa. The venue and the food are impeccable as is the mostly local wine list. I had some wild locally caught salmon which was awesome and we may have had a splash or two of some local Pinot Gris. I mean, it was almost noon.

Later that afternoon we made our way to Beaux Freres. Now I had been anticipating this visit for quite some time as I had heard so many great things about the wine, winery and the team behind it all. However, I had never had the wine, which is a disgrace, I know. Well this was my chance!

Upon driving up the road to the winery it is, well, unassuming. No grandiose pillars or fountains. No tour bus parking signs and definitely no gimmicks. Needless to say, this was my kind of place. You park in the gravel lot next to the production facility/tasting room which is understated yet exactly what it needs to be. This is about the wine, nothing else.

We were able to taste through 4 of their current release wines. First of which was the 2014 Chardonnay. Beautifully balanced with some richness but not overpowering. An exceptional combination of new and old world. This was a clear winner right out the gates for the entire group. Next up was the 2014 Gran Moraine Vineyard Pinot Noir. This was a good pinot to start with as it was a bit lighter. However, none of their wines are light in the sense you may think of. Light for them is still rich with a great mouth feel.

Next up was my favorite which was the 2014 Upper Terrace Vineyard Pinot Noir. This was rich, bold and just amazingly balanced. This is a wine I would love to drink in 10 years. Big fruit up front but subtle earth on the back end. Lay it down and wait, if you can. The final wine was the 2015 The Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir. This was another nice big wine, but not as appealing to my palate as the Upper Terrace. Don’t get me wrong here. This is a fantastic wine and I would drink it any day of the week at any time(Breakfast Pinot anyone?), but I had to choose a favorite right?

As you can see this was a great experience and one not to be missed by anyone venturing out into the Willamette near Newberg. Make a reservation in advance though as they don’t take walk ins.