"Who could have imagined?"...as we slowly climbed the rough gravel road to the enchanted clearing on top of Ribbon Ridge, Mike Etzel seemed wistful and grateful as he pondered his question.
As Etzel continued, all he wanted back in 1986 when he started a winery and planted a vineyard was to make a living, maybe have a little something for his kids some day. And really, who on earth could have imagined, nearly 40 years later, that Mike would be without exaggeration one of the most famous wine growers in the world?
If the Etzel name and Ribbon Ridge sound familiar it's because Mike planted and founded the most famous winery on Ribbon Ridge and arguably (we'll argue, at least) in Oregon: Beaux Freres. The road we climbed arrived at Beaux Freres' Upper Terrace Vineyard and then, on a perch slightly higher, what follows—Sequitur Vineyard. For someone who has already established a monumental legacy, the significance of the name Sequitur is particularly meaningful. This is what follows, the continuation of a lifetime's pursuit of Pinot noir perfection, new land shared with new love.
Sequitur is protected on three sides by tall Douglas fir trees (and by the mighty Upper Terrace on one side), a mere 12 acres yet with an astounding clonal mix of Pinot noir (17 clones!) and a tiny exposed knoll of Chardonnay. Mike and his son Mikey (now winemaker at Beaux Freres) share in winemaking and in the superb 2021 vintage, they created two distinct Pinot noirs—one aged in French oak barrels and one that sees no oak, aged instead in Italian clay amphora—and a fantastic, micro-amount of Chardonnay.
Mike and his partner and wife, Carey Critchlow, created a breathtaking landscape in Sequitur and now, in the brand new Etzel Farm, which includes the Sequitur tasting room. Among a handful of the most wonderful places to taste wine in the entire Willamette Valley; its rustic elegance makes it a must for your next wine touring trip. While we can't quite deliver the ambience and the comforting heat of the wood stove, we can and will deliver a Sequitur tasting experience right to your doorstep—two or more, in fact! We assembled two Sequitur tasting packs: the 2021 "Sundog" 3-pack featuring all three Sequitur 2021s, and 6-vintage vertical of Sequitur Pinot beginning with 2015. If you've followed Beaux Freres wines, we know you'll love what follows in Sequitur. If you simply prize exceptional Willamette Valley wine, these should be a part of your collection.
Sequitur "This Is What Follows" Pinot Noir Vertical 6-Pack$479.95 — save 20%
"Twofold" 2015
"The Union" 2016
"Totality" 2017
"Jack" 2018
"Woodstock" 2019
"Sundog" 2021
The front and back labels change with each vintage, commemorating a unique element of the growing season.pictured, Mike in Sequitur Vineyard
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Sequitur "Sundog" 2021 3-pack$239.95 — save 20%
Sequitur Pinot Noir "Sundog" 2021
Sequitur Pinot Noir Amphora "Sundog" 2021
Sequitur Chardonnay "Sundog" 2021
About the vintage name from Mike and Carey: The 2021 Sequitur "Sundog" brings together the memories of a near perfect vintage that was interrupted by two unprecedented heat waves. While we stressed and waited—and searched the sky for sundogs, a sign of impending rain—the Sequitur vines showed resilience, using their dry-farmed deep roots to soak up June’s rainwater and thrive in the hot weather. It all ended with no local wildfires, a bountiful crop and really superb tasting wines.________________________________________________________________
The Sundogs!
Sequitur Pinot Noir "Sundog" 2021$79.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case order ($99.95 regular)
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Sequitur Pinot Noir Amphora "Sundog" 2021$79.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case order ($99.95 regular)
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Sequitur Chardonnay "Sundog" 2021$67.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case order ($74.95 regular)
The surprise wine of the 2021s and to date, the best Chardonnay I've tasted from either Sequitur or Beaux Freres; I love it! Combining delectable fruit—yellow and orange citrus plus summer white peach—with delicate accents of chamomile and a lingering note of my favorite culinary guilty-pleasure: French butter with seal salt (current one in the fridge, Camargue). But do not mistake this for "buttery" Chard! It's refreshing and clean in feel, a fabulous food companion as I discovered over 5 days of savoring it.