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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 58 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by lachord on 9/18/2023 & rated 91 points: Deep ruby color. Very nice notes of plum, cherry, and spice. (322 views) | | | Tasted by JerryMasters on 5/1/2021 & rated 91 points: Still a good wine. Little past the top from a fruit perspective, but a nice wine. Drink it now if you have it. (1115 views) | | | Tasted by Ace5glassesinthesky on 4/6/2021 & rated 90 points: This was good, easy drinking. Not as much complexity as more recent vintages. (1027 views) | | | Tasted by johnnyo on 12/18/2020 & rated 91 points: Drinking beautifully right now. (1084 views) | | | Tasted by Chrisinroch on 10/22/2020: consistent with last bottle. plum. mocha. rounded. easy drinking but not a hit for my palate.
Drink up (1163 views) | | | Tasted by Chrisinroch on 9/10/2020: Passive storage, maybe a bit advanced. PnP and drank over 2 hours w roasted pork.
Nice enough, easy drinking. maybe a bit rich and flabby for my palate. The plummy notes might be the thing I don't like. (1064 views) | | | Tasted by lachord on 8/25/2020 & rated 91 points: Dark ruby color. Blackberry and apricot hints. (655 views) | | | Tasted by Brian Glas on 12/6/2019 & rated 93 points: Nice blue fruit. Spicy notes. Good balance and grip. Medium plus finish (920 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 12/17/2018 & rated 93 points: My last and perhaps best bottle of this wine. PnP and drank with left over Osso Bucco. The wine is drinking at peak with an integrated flavor profile of berry fruit, plum and earthiness. No apparent tannin, good balance. Really nice GSM wine. Drink. (1284 views) | | | Tasted by rfras on 4/2/2018 & rated 91 points: Still vibrant with ample fruit and a layered finish. (1482 views) | | | Tasted by fitchbuck on 1/12/2018 & rated 93 points: Agree with OENOPHILEMOOSE's decant comments. This came out on pop/pour somewhat obtuse, but that slowly resolved after an hour or so. This drinks more like a bordeaux blend than a GSM to me - but regardless the end result was happyness. 92-93 (1490 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 8/18/2017 & rated 90 points: Kirsch, spice, some cedar. Not a lot of structure at this point. An easy drinker, a touch too sweet unless accompanied by food, but a good steakhouse wine. (1626 views) | | | Tasted by wiscgrad on 5/7/2017 & rated 92 points: Really nice new world GSM. As previous CT notes confirm, Grenache really comes through. Very elegant. I bought this in the low 30's and think it a good QPR at that price point (1767 views) | | | Tasted by oenophilemoose on 2/3/2017 & rated 91 points: Requires a minimum of 3 hours in a decanter. Anything less and you'll miss the show. Plum and blue berries in abundance and finely balanced acidity and tannins. Outstanding effort. (1789 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 12/25/2016 & rated 88 points: Tasted blind. Could easily pull out the Grenache both on the nose and the finish. While I enjoyed the wine, it was a bit uni-dimensional and uninteresting. I actually thought it was a CDP, but was surprised it was from Washington State. If this hadn't been up against some stiff competition in the line up, I may have scored it a point or two higher. (1689 views) | | | Tasted by bklynwine on 6/3/2016: fresh new-world red grenache fruit; well-made and balanced with acidity but not a standout for the price (1947 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 2/27/2016 & rated 92 points: Full fruit forward, red cherry with floral overtones. Went perfectly with grilled garlic and rosemary lamb chops (1908 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 2/9/2015 & rated 92 points: Enjoyed this bottle of GSM with a delicious pot roast last evening. This is drinking well at the moment Nice balance with a lot of fruit, some spice and earthy notes. (2872 views) | | | Tasted by hiker_guy on 11/19/2014: Very enjoyable wine. Pretty much ready to drink on the pop and pour. Nice complexity. Lots of red fruit with spice notes. Long finish.
Would buy again. (2438 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 10/26/2014 & rated 92 points: crisp and ligfht, wit a soft sweet fruit forward, smooth on the palate, long finish. in a word, excellent (2332 views) | | | Tasted by Dale M on 6/1/2014: Ditto TN from 8/18/13, drinking well. (2815 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 3/16/2014 & rated 90 points: in let this sit in the glass for an hour before dinner. it ws light, sweet, scent of strawberry and ripe red fruit, nedium bodied with a medium to long finish. went perfectly with grilled lamb chops with rosemary and garlic. (2609 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 1/5/2014 & rated 93 points: opened well before dinner, chinese pepper steak, and the lightness and sweetness were a perfect complement to the dish. (2170 views) | | | Tasted by fredman on 12/15/2013 & rated 91 points: P & P. Medium body. Bright red fruits. Well-balanced. Drink now or hold. (1966 views) | | | Tasted by DavidDay on 10/26/2013 & rated 91 points: Strawberries, black pepper, and flowers in the nose, raspberry and cherry flavors balanced by moderate tannin. (2043 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Issue #12 (6/23/2012)
(Betz Family Bésoleil) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2011, IWC Issue #159
(Betz Family Vineyards Besoleil Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Australia and the Pacific Northwest, Issue #8 (6/25/2011)
(Betz Family Bésoleil) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, A focus on Washington State, Issue #4 (5/1/2010)
(Betz Family Bésoleil) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (9/13/2011)
(Betz Family Winery Besoleil Red Wine Columbia Valley) Leaps up from the glass with fresh raspberries and cranberries dusted with earth, chocolate, and peppery spice. The palate is silky and fruit filled with a distinct spice component and a vibrant energy. A tart, lingering finish. 66% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Mourvedre. Aged in one-year-old French oak. 14.8% alcohol. 475 cases produced. ***** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| Betz Family Producer websiteRed Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. USAAmerican 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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