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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 110 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Rich S on 1/6/2024 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured from magnum. Black cherry and black plum. Some spice notes and a bit of wet leaf and forest floor coming through as well. Similar flavors on the palate. Not as complex as expected but very nice. In terms of structure, good acidity but tannins are pretty soft and sweet at this point. Smooth mouthfeel and finish. I would definitely drink this in the near term if still holding any while there is still some dark fruit to enjoy. (1085 views) | | | Tasted by abelicious on 11/25/2023: Singing! Still with a lot of stuffing left. Surprisingly still showing primary oak notes with the beautiful black currant. (1171 views) | | | Tasted by dankrems on 9/17/2023 & rated 92 points: 2 he decant. Cassis, dusty rustic spice, dark berry, hint of tannin. Nice loooong finish. Similar to a top notch Rutherford cab, but not a Napa knock off. turning out nicely!! (1196 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 7/22/2023 & rated 92 points: 3rd bottle from a 6 pack, last tasted about 2.5+ yrs ago.
Gorgeous Cabernet from Washington State...black cherry, plum, graphite and moist soli.
The tannins are rounding out nicely, with beautifully supportive acidity, and a long and sexy finish.
Drink through 2030+. (1237 views) | | | Tasted by hiker_guy on 10/8/2022: Nose shows vanilla and dark fruit
Palate is smooth and nicely integrated with secondary notes just starting to develop.
Rich, dark and complex I enjoyed it with a nice sirloin .
Would buy again . (1445 views) | | | Tasted by signotim on 11/24/2021 & rated 95 points: Ripe blackberry, cassis, and anise with fine, dusty tannins and a lasting finish. Beautiful wine. 94 - 95 (1754 views) | | | Tasted by benny on 8/3/2021 & rated 95 points: Great wine making. Best after open 2 hours. (2156 views) | | | Tasted by johnnyo on 5/30/2021 & rated 94 points: Still drinking beautifully (1996 views) | | | Tasted by RPerro on 12/25/2020 & rated 91 points: Opened for Christmas. Seems like this one is edging over the peak. Starting to take on some brick coloring and stewey flavors. Still enjoyable to drink, and packed full of fruit, but I'd look at drinking these in the near term. Drink now - 2023. (2136 views) | | | Tasted by dankrems on 12/25/2020 & rated 92 points: 5 hour decant. Blackberry, red currant, graphite, cedar, black tea. Long finish, 30 seconds+. Very good, but not standout. (1849 views) | | | Tasted by PDXWineO on 12/19/2020 & rated 92 points: The last few notes are on point. A lighter style cab that is ready to drink now. I don’t see this bottle improving. (1559 views) | | | Tasted by goodvitis.com on 12/17/2020 & rated 93 points: No formal notes. Improved slightly with some bottle decanting, but this is ready to go. Medium bodied with integrated but still slightly gritty tannin. The acid is on point, and the balance is solid. Subtle all-around, it’s mostly black and blue fruit with some tobacco and cassis. Quite good, my only complaint is the mid palate is a bit of a let down in terms of weight and depth; the wine goes down a bit too easy. Drink now, this can’t be getting better. (1585 views) | | | Tasted by rpenn77 on 11/29/2020 & rated 92 points: Cedar notes of mature Cabernet with soft tannins but fruit is thinning out (1534 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 11/15/2020 & rated 90 points: 2nd of 6 bottles, last tasted 2 yrs ago.
No formal TN, but showed finely integrated tannins, black fruits, cassis, wet soil.
Drink now through 2027+ (1351 views) | | | Tasted by rfras on 11/7/2020 & rated 92 points: Well structured Cab that seems to be built to last. There is plenty of time left to enjoy if holding. Dark ruby color and mature cherry fruit with some vanilla notes. (1262 views) | | | Tasted by gamlingman on 10/29/2020 & rated 92 points: Really big bold Cabernet that is coming into its own right now. With intense Espresso, Violets & Blackberry on the palate with a big round tannic finish. My Type of wine. Even the nose had a flowery almost volcanic smell up front. Nice wine very enjoyable. (1378 views) | | | Tasted by Nbkat8 on 9/13/2020 & rated 92 points: Original nose was a little funky and i was a little concerned at first, but this blew off. Overall juice was nice with the tannins still prominent but not overwhelming, i think it could easily last a few more years. Not as dynamic as the 07, which is awesome, but overall a good solid cab. (1357 views) | | | Tasted by SICILIAN-SOLE on 9/8/2020 & rated 90 points: Seems well built with very structured tannin and sturdy acidity, but not giving a lot otherwise. You get some black fruit and a little bit of herb but the structure is still holding everything down. I don't have enough experience with Betz to say if this needs more time or this is just what you get but I can say that at 12 years old it is in tip top condition but just not extremely exciting at the moment. (1351 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 8/31/2020 & rated 90 points: Nose: B++/A- Palate: B+/B++ Tasted blind (1371 views) | | | Tasted by thebonnydooner on 6/5/2020 & rated 94 points: Lovely wine. Nicely balanced between fruit and complexity, I would say this is at peak. Nice pure black berrry and black currant fruit. Slight herbal hints. Palate is medium to full bodied, juicy with good acidity, dark cherry and currant fruit. Lovely pure mature expression of WA cab, slightly dusty but complex and long. (1347 views) | | | Tasted by johnnyo on 4/17/2020 & rated 94 points: Drinking beautifully right now (1508 views) | | | Tasted by johnnyo on 3/28/2020 & rated 94 points: Fantastic wine. Plenty of rich black fruit with spice and smoke. Tannin well integrated, balanced with a clean, long mouthwatering finish. (1476 views) | | | Tasted by vincemcd61 on 3/22/2020 & rated 93 points: Fantastic wine. Had with eggplant parmigiana (1416 views) | | | Tasted by skifree on 2/23/2020 & rated 93 points: In a very good place right now. Lots of black fruit, cassis, and black tea on the palate and the finish. Nose is alluring. Tannins and oak well-integrated. Reminded me of a classified growth St. Julien. (1530 views) | | | Tasted by dankrems on 2/7/2020 & rated 91 points: Decanted four hours. At 12 years old, still quite masculine and youthful. Powerful Cabernet frame driven by black berries and a remaining hint of oak. A bar-b-que smoke note lingers in the background along with a faint peppery element. The finish is longer than expected, with the smoke and fruit present. A pleasing wine, but straight forward and less intriguing than a great old world Bordeaux. It lacked the evolution in the glass hour by hour that make the great wines so fun to drink and discuss. (1411 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Betz Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (3/23/2011)
(Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Columbia Valley) Seductive aromatics of graphite, blackberries, char, spice, and high-toned fruit. Considerably more brooding and aromatically closed up than the Clos at present. On the palate, dark and chewy with exceptionally well integrated, fine grained tannins. As with the Clos, a beautiful demonstration of grace and power, with this wine in particular showing an incredible amount of grace. A lay-me-downer. Give three plus years. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot. Red Mountain (70%), Horse Heaven Hills (23%), and Yakima Valley (7%). 14.6% alcohol. About 900 cases produced. ***** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| Betz Family Producer website2008 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot; 70% Red Mountain, 23% Horse Heaven Hills, 7% Yakima Valley.
There’s little doubt about this wine’s varietal heritage; Cabernet Sauvignon’s typical black currant, mulberry and black cherry dominate the nose. Petit Verdot plays a strong supporting role, at a full 10% of the blend, bringing a classic, Bordeaux-esque complexity, with anise, Asian spice, mineral and cigar box aromas. A toasty vanilla sweetness hints at the 16 months in 100% French oak barrels aging.
The 2008 shines on the palate, with a silken entry and mid-palate, a texture that’s more like the 2006 vintage with its approachability and suppleness. Don’t get the wrong impression as there’s an immense amount of Red Mountain tannin that will carry this a decade or two in the cellar. It finishes complete, lively and compelling.
16 months in 100% French oak barrels aging, 65% new, 35% one fillCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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