10/8/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

From a 375. Green and astringent. No fruit. Bottle variation?

7/11/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Decanted 2 hr, drank over 2 hr. Ruby garnet, and throwing a bit of sediment. The nose is a complete knockout with exotic incense, cedar, bramble, soy, plumb and cherry, the bouquet just wouldn't quit. And the fruit is just singing. This drank very young and can probably go at least another decade, but glad to have enjoyed our (singular) bottle last evening.The finish was at least 30 sec, but what does it say when you can still recall that profile well into the following day? It has left a huge impression on my wine memory. The best cab I have had to date.

6/30/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Color of rhubarb. Beautiful floral aromas of honeysuckle and passion flower. Tart cherry, candied apple, plumb and fig round out the palate. Carmel comes through from the oak treatment.
This is a very clear expression of Washington syrah. I think it is very well done. Not a fruit bomb. I recall being very excited about the funkiness that in the rocks possesses (always love that funk in WA syrah), this bottling falls just the slightest bit short of that. Amazing accompaniment with filet mignon 93+

6/8/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

What a treat! Betz is always a pleasure once it has had some time to come together. This one is just starting...
Aromatics of blossoms (rose?), spice and deep cabernet fruit. Waves of cassis, and a slightly herbal streak (but not overtly green-tasting). Moderate finish. Delicious now, this has more aging potential.
The wine improved noticeably when chilled a bit below room temperature.

6/8/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Consistent and delicious, always a treat. Nice glycerin mouthfeel, fruit and spice. Moderate tannins.

3/23/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Decanted half the bottle for day 1. Re-corked and kept the remainder at RT for day 2.
Day 1 knockout nose of cassis, blueberry, and candied fruits, impressive. Aromas really carry this wine. The palate was moderately rich with black and red fruit and wood spice (distinctly cinnamon).
Day 2 less pronounced aromas, but fatter on the palate with more of a dusty red or black cherry profile and a 30+ sec finish. Roasted herbs complement the fruit, alcohol kept in balance. Great pairing with crabcakes and a caesar kale salad (I know, unconventional).
I preferred the calmer and more sophisticated wine that emerged after a day of being open. Initially I thought was going to be an early drinker, but it held up impressively.

1/30/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Meh. Thin, woody, and over-oaked. There was a little bit of promise with the first sniff, but there's certainly no density of fruit, no nuance. Purchased directly from winery and cellared at 55F, so storage not an issue. Don't hold on to these, they won't be getting any better.

1/2/2012 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

I love the uniqueness of Betz syrahs. Massive briar, earth, herbs, saline (olives?) and blood. With a little air, purple and black fruits come forward. Finish is a little shy. Very well done! Still possesses drying tannins. Glad to have a few more of these.

12/31/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Served through vinturi, which helped soften the wine and bring out the fruit. Score from memory, no note.

11/21/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

My first MB. Not impressed. Not inspiring. Nothing to note.

9/12/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

I was struck by the similarity in the nose between this and the 07 HA kayli morgan- a very full cabernet profile with dusty cassis and blackberry liqueur. The big difference was the massive heat on this bottle that never quite went away. I really wanted to disregard the faults in favor of the beautiful carbernet qualities, but while the aromatics were mesmerizing, in the end the searing sensation and the thinness of fruit on the midpalate detracted from the experience. The finish was quite nice, 15-30 sec. I will not open another for a very long time, and I am afraid this wine may not integrate correctly.

7/9/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Ruby red. Nose is red fruit and smoky incense. On the palate this has massive red fruit, rainier cherries, marionberry, slightly tart, with a mild tannic bite that gives the wine a dry feel. This doesn't have much in the way of secondary qualities I appreciate in a pinot, but the buckets of fruit in this bottle is impressive. After three days sitting out, this was still singing its tune. Very good quality.

7/4/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Holly smokes! What's wrong with this $12 chardonnay? Clear golden-yellow hue. It's full of toffee, spice, molasses. Not at all lacking on the finish. And to think this was bought for cooking wine...?

6/3/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Received as a gift. Nice daily-drinker kind of wine. Bartlett pear and lemon, with bright acidity.

4/2/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Funky! Colored like ocean spray cranberry cocktail, but deeper. Black olive, sandalwood, a streak of bramble, sweet cherry, wood spice. A whopping syrah of complexity and nuance. Now one of my favs. Fantastic! What keeps this just shy of a few more points is the length. Can't wait to try others from this producer.

3/10/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

With a little air, nice strawberry-rhubarb nose (with something akin to butterscotch) and a strong spice presence. The palate is reminiscent of bright red fruit (strawberries, mostly). Good acidity carries the fruit but not much of a finish. Very good for $18.

2/13/2011 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Bright red fruit, but sweet like the candy necklaces you had when you were young. Thin palate, but there's a very nice spicy/peppery presence. Very good beaujolais.

11/27/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Loved this syrah. Opened 4 hours before a splash decant, and then served. Wonderful mixture of plum, raisin, soy, blackberry and anise, and salami? Sailing finish. YUM!

11/27/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Similar to last bottle. Opened 5 hrs prior to a splash decant before serving. A touch of gummi bear fruit. Moderate finish. Great QPR.

11/13/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Not sure I enjoyed this as much as the '06 at the same time last year. Not allowed much time for aeration, but decanted prior to serving. Very thick glycerin mouth-feel, nice fruit. Little tobacco. This will need more time to integrate, but I think all the components are there for a great wine. 93+

11/13/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Ok- this was quite delicious. Very viscous, major petroleum, sea weed, lemon rind. Big, fat and wonderfully long finish. Will look forward to how this progresses over time, but performing well now.

10/18/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Killed one on arrival. Fruit was jammy cherry and red currant. Sweet tannin. A decent red wine with a large oak component.

10/15/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Opened for 6 hrs, then decanted for 1. Dark garnet and purple, with some age showing as amber around the rim. Incredible nose of sweet vanilla/caramel tinged spice and dusty cherry. Some more complex nuances of cedar and pine and a little anise- but the wood is pronounced. Still primary in the midpalate presenting with a fully loaded fruit profile. The finish didn't hold up to expectations, but that's not saying this isn't a great wine. A great example of Stag's Leap fruit. Amazing balance of fruit, acid, alcohol and tannin.

9/21/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

On top of a very typical WA cabernet fruit profile one can find a little ash and stalk, maybe some white pepper? Not overly impressed, because the price has gone up dramatically. Moderate tannins and finish. Ready for immediate consumption.

8/11/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Consumed by the bookclub gals. I had only a teensy share, which was good. No score.

8/9/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Consistent with previous bottles. Not allowed much time to breathe, which did this bottle a slight disfavor.

7/22/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Big wine. Tasted at the winery with a 10 hour decant- was very good. Tonight, splash decanted and served right away. After popping the cork, major immediate note of shoe polish that went away with swirling, but not distasteful. Then massive licorice, and oodles of fruit behind some seriously hefty tannins. Worth the admission price, this wine outperforms. Will not touch for another 5 years, or give lots of time for this thing to resolve in the decanter. 94+

7/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Buckets of cabernet fruit- quintessential Napa. This '07 is slightly overripe for my palate. I think Harrypotter nailed the flavor profile below- this is good now and meant for the short term drinking. Good length on the fruit, for sure, but lacks any floral characteristics or secondary nuances, other than spicy oak.

7/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Very nice golden straw color. Nose is overly lemon with slight pineapple and pear. Nice acidity, with pine and preserved lemon on the palate. With time this gained a slight nutty complexity, but not much evolution. Very long - 30 sec finish.

4/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

My bottle, number four for the night. Should not have opened this one, as I was too far gone to even appreciate what was in front of me. Decanted through a vinturi and poured for tasting. Definitely nowhere near ready, this needs at least another 10 years to even get a glimpse at the greatness here. Very heady and rich cassis and licorice, mint and tobacco. Do yourself a favor and wait before nose diving into this wine. No score.

4/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

My bottle, number three for the night. Ok, my memory is failing me a little at this point, but I remember being very pleased with the wine inside. Probably some red fruit and cassis in there... I'll give it an unofficial 93+ points. Like many of the other bottles which were consumed this night, not decanted, which it certainly requires at this stage, but I'll hold on to my remaining bottles for a while. Also drank a little cold directly from the cellar. Reminds me of the 06 corra.

4/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Second bottle of mine for the night. This offering from Betz is simply one of the best syrahs (or wines for that matter) that I have ever tasted. The most luscious red berry fruits, passionfruit even, and floral aromas from some exotic tropical island smack you in the face. This was tasted next to some Cayuse and while the Cayuse was good in its own right, this bottle was much more integrated, pure, elegant. Superb. And it's not anywhere near its peak. Sit on remaining bottles for 5-15 yrs.

4/10/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

First bottle of the crazy evening. Popped and immediately poured (no time for decanting). This is very rich, concentrated juice with dark cherry and cassis. Some menthol and licorice. Rich and long on the palate with silky tannins. Moderate finish. Very good, needs much more time.

3/21/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Upon pulling the cork this had a wonderful bouquet of sweet dark blackberry, tobacco, clover honey and cedar. Splash decanted and served. The sweet blackberry note predominated on the palate with currants, and a little leftover tannin to add structure. Very nice w/ 20 sec finish. Over two hours the fruit turned quite tart and the wine fell apart.Overall very good. Drink now.

3/6/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

I loved this wine- have to give an extra point to the WS review. Deep primary red raspberry and blueberry fruit and sweet floral aromas. Not very complex or nuanced, but bold and pure without being cloyingly sweet or syrupy. Moderate finish with sneaky tannins at the end. Pleasantly surprised.

2/12/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Brought to restaurant, so this only saw a short decant before we began tasting. Compared to other TNs indicating this is approachable, our bottle was way too tannic and monolithic to judge fairly. There is enough good ole' QC fruit in this wine to last eons, but it was totally shrouded in untamed tannins. IMO the palengat bottling is playing much more friendlier in its youthful days. Will wait to revisit in 5 years, if I can resist.

1/24/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Fantastic wine and qpr. Bright strawberry and cola were the first impressions, flavors of cherry licorice and rhubarb. Big tannin and structure here. Moderate pleasant length.

1/9/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Pop and pour, this is ready for business. Sweet blue and red fruits aromatically. Cherry cordials. Nice glycerin texture. Not a lot of complexity to this cab, but a very easy pleaser nonetheless. Definitely worth checking out for $25, making this a great qpr.

1/7/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

With mold under the capsule, and the cork coming out in two, we were off to a poor start. My oh my, the wine inside was utterly amazing. Color was translucent garnet, thinning toward the edge, no sign of premature aging. HUGE incense and smoke and liquid graphite and new rubber and straw on the nose with red raspberry. The wine fills your mouth with layers of red raspberry, stony cherry and capers and herbs. Very barnyard-y. I'm new to CdP, but I can only imagine that what is referred to as "old world" is eloquently expressed through this vino. Finishes with choruses of similar nuances in the aromatics, albeit abbreviated. Overall, incredible. And this is the second label? Can't wait to try my 07s.

1/2/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Why spend $35-40 on NV Veuve? I got this for $7 at safeway, and it's totally right there. Would love to do a side-by-side comparison, but there is nothing wrong at all with this bubbly. Lots of dough/toast and yeast on the nose. Pear and a little citrus zing finish off the palate. Will not hesitate to purchase again.

1/1/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Not the best showing for the Betz Cab, but I got to give my review based on the tasting. Decanted 1hr, drank over the next 8. This was really mute cherry and herbs for the first taste, later some licorice. I was hoping the seams would come together for a nice wine, but this just remained fairly disjointed, and finished quite short. All the parts were good/very good, but we actually got tired of waiting for it to come together- didn't finish the bottle. Have one more that I will hold on to for some time, but going to wait to spend my money on the 07 offering.

12/30/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

First impression of sour cherry, then plum and blackberry with just a tiny bit of incense. This wine is just too much for my tastes, with a syrupy sweetness and no apparent acidity to speak of. Over a short time of getting air the fruit quality vanished- leaving just a candied sugar mess of a wine behind. Not recommended.

12/16/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Had this by the glass at the Brooklyn. While the lamb sausage was horribly charred and dried out, the polenta mushy, and the olives adding way too much to this dish, the wine paired fantastically with wonderful company on mom's 60th b-day.

12/14/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Crimson red. Dusty cedar and spice on the nose. Pleasant currant and subtle dried cranberry-like fruit. This wine has a nice rounded texture as it goes down, with tannins that don't get in the way. This is ready for drinking now. Very outstanding given the price ($38).

11/22/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

This Cotes du Rhone is very very good. Wet stone/herbal aromatic characteristics are in spades. Dusty cherry and blackberry fruit is followed by a lot of smoke as the wine finishes. Nothing to complain about here for the price.

10/18/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Ridiculous that we opened this after three other bottles. It was laying around, so what the hell, and we were on a roll. I can't comment sensibly about what I drank last night. Suffice it to say this was good. Yum. SWEET BERRY WINE! Come here Jan...

10/18/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

I was very impressed with this one. This bottle came third in the line up for the night- after the qc so maybe that played in its favor. Nice merlot with blackberry and cherry fruit. A weighty palate with moderate finish. This 2001 is by no means tired.

10/18/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

This was our first bottle of the night, and what a start. This hits hard with black and bell pepper then leads into decent sampling of red berry fruit. With time in the glass this remained special. It lacks serious depth, but it was purchased for less than ten dollars, so who's gonna complain? Impressive QPR.

10/18/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

Bottle was in the decanter about 1hr before being served. A very fragrant powerhouse of a wine- delivers the goods in typical QC fashion. Obviously young but structured and integrated at this stage- will reward a long cellaring as well. Layers and gobs of red fruit with a huge floral component. Nice finish. Outstanding wine.

10/10/2009 - chimpanzee29 wrote:

My first 05 bordeaux, and what a start! At first this was closed, with scents of dusty gravel and flowers. After 4+ hrs much more red berry fruit with a strong element of cedar-like spice notes comes to the front. $20, and definately a bargain.