News and Acclaim

 

The new Bordeaux-blend releases from Betz Family Winery are nothing short of extraordinary, as good as anything the winery has done to date. There is a level of freshness as well as precision and separation of the different varieties in the glass that is nothing short of dazzling.....The 2010 Rhone variety releases also do not disappoint with the coolness of the vintage allowing the distinctiveness of each site to truly shine. Winemaker Bob Betz says of his three Syrahs, “Same cellar, same protocol, same barrels. What you get out of these is the uniqueness of the site and the uniqueness of the vintage.”

As much as all of the 2010 wines are pleasing to the palate, they are also pleasing to the eye with dark, gleaming hues. Written in my notes was ‘Color, color, color!’  “I do love color,” Betz says. “Color to me is an invitation to pleasure.”   ...read more 

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TOP 100 WINES IN THE WEST
by Jon Bonné

2009 Betz Family Clos de Betz Columbia Valley Red ($52, 14.6%): Bob Betz's Cabernet is an extraordinary thing, but this Merlot-dominant blend (plus Cabernet and Petit Verdot) sourced from a range of Washington regions is a reminder of his brilliant abilities with a Right Bank model. Sappy, opulent fruit, with a manzanita-like accent and toasted spice. Structured and studious, but with generous, deep flavors.
http://www.sfgate.com/wine/top100/2012/cabernetmerlot/

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David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

2010 Pere de Famille, Cabernet Sauvignon: 95pts

Diversely-sourced, and blended with 8% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the Betz 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille leads with classic aromatic expressions of its star player: cedar box, juniper berry, arbor vitae, cassis, blackberry, and dark tobacco, all of which reprise on a luscious, savory palate underlain by ultra-fine tannin and possessed of vibratory energy. The sheer abundance of primary juiciness here – like the energetic ping to its enervating, reverberative finish – strikes me as especially typical of the best marriages of cepage and terroir, which happens to be precisely what Betz is wistfully referring to as “something that happens with Cabernet in Washington.” Something indeed! I would go easy on this for a few years and look forward to at least a decade of high performance.

2010 Clos de Betz, Cabernet Sauvignon: 93pts

Diversely-sourced – its Merlot blended with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon– the Betz 2010 Clos de Betz emphasizes black pepper, pungently resinous herbs, and arbor vitae, characteristics I imagine are in part a reflection of its 7% of Petit Verdot, that grape being demonstrably (I’m tempted to say notoriously ) efficacious. Cassis, huckleberry, and walnut offer bitter-edged but sappy fruit satisfaction; a crushed stone undertone adds a sense of intrigue; and mineral salts savory saliva-inducement in a gripping, palate-staining finish. This ought to be worth following for at least the better part of a decade.  

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 2010 Betz Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille Columbia Valley - 94+ pts

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Syrah over $20
Winner: Betz Family Winery 2009 La CÔte Rousse, Red Mountain, $55
This is a big, dark Syrah made from fruit from two Red Mountain vineyards, Ciel du Cheval and Ranch at the End of the Road, in one of the warmest vintages in recent history. A very cool spring in 2009 gave way to a searing July and August, ripening fruit early, but cool nights in September slowed things down, sealing in the sugars and ensuring balancing acidity. Good thing, too, as an October 11 freeze brought the vintage to a screeching halt. Luckily, Betz had harvested three days before—with a sigh of relief and excellent results. Big black fruit, sweet spice, smoke and a mushroomy note are alluring on the nose, with a lushness on the palate that highlights how complex Washington Syrah can be when handled well, especially by a superb—and charmed—winemaker, in a dramatic vintage. 

Red Rhône-style wine, all prices
Winner: Betz Family Winery 2009 Besoleil, Columbia Valley, $45
Setting the bar high for Rhône-syle blends, winemaker Bob Betz and assistant winemaker Tyson Schiffner have made this year’s offering even more of a nod to Old World blends, with the addition of a bit of Cinsault (10 percent), as is the practice in the southern Rhône. This blend is still predominantly Grenache (66 percent), with its big blackberry and spice flavors, but the little-known French grape Cinsault brings freshness and softness to the wine; Syrah (14 percent) does its part, adding flowers, earth on the nose, and Mourvedre (10 percent) is all about color and intensity. With so many decisions to make along the way, Betz makes the right ones, and picking up this bottle to serve with a grilled lamb chop is an enlightened choice.

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 Download the 2011 Acclaim and Reviews here

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The no-family dilemma

If children aren’t interested in taking over the family farm, you need a succession plan.

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Bob 2009 Rhone Intro

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