From our cellar. Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Took about an hour to really shine and drank extremely well. Huge nose - could smell it across the room. Full bodied, dense yet smooth, and well balanced. Love the smokey, dark cherry and chocolate covered blueberry flavors. Very impressive. Has time left, but it's pretty awesome right now. Try one if you have one.
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Decanted and followed over 3 hours. Last hour was best.
This wine is light and uplifting. Higher toned red fruit with good acids and lithe acidic undertone on the palate. Alcohol was in check only after a few hours. Dramatically improved with air to suggest more time is needed. I had high hopes based on the nose and entry. It just never followed through. 89-90 pts.
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The last of our 2005s. Excellent bottle, without the full-throttle alcohol or dense weight I feared, this had high acid and clear fruit. Perfectly composed at this age. Loved it.
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Nice. Very drinkable, but can still hold for awhile. Nice body, not too heavy, but still luscious. Good fruit but not overly sweet. Blueberry prominent, a bit meaty and smokey, hides it's alcohol well. Hoping for some secondary flavors to develop in next few years.
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Very well structured with ample red berry flavors mixed with oak. The oak is not overpowering, but it is there. The wine is complex and drinking well with some mild chocolate flavors in the finish.
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Dark purple color. Big nose of ripe, black and blue fruit with black pepper and toasted oak and vanilla notes with a touch of heat coming through. Similar flavors on the palate but a bit muddled and disjointed from what I recall. My palate was not in the best shape by the time I had this wine so I wish I could have had this again under better conditions but it was my only bottle. Would score somewhere in the mid to high 80's.
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Dark fruited. Slightly briny nose. The palate features chocolate and bitter coffee notes. The oak is more prominent than it was a few years ago. Has lost its velvety texture.
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Tasted from magnum. Also tasted next to magnums of the La Serenne from 2004 and 2006. I enjoyed the 04 the best, followed by the 06, and then then the 05. That was fun to taste 3 Betz magnums next to each other. The 05 was at a slightly warmer temperature than the 04 and 06, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with why I enjoyed it the least of the three.
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Still a stunner. Tonight's bottle (decanted 0.5 hours before first sip) is definitely more coffeed than I remember. Mouthfeel is lovely as ever, acidity is red-fruit tinged but mostly blackberry and blueberry in essence. Finishes with that bit of haunting spice.
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Very dark in color, highly extracted with a hint of purple still at the rim. On the nose quite aromatic with new French barrique notes (good mix of spice and vanilla) slightly exceeding the fruit (very dark in nature), both of which are quite intense. Certainly some earthy tar and spice aromas in there. On the palate the wine has moderate acidity, a very plush and round midpalate, a full and firm, slightly gritty, tannic finish that is of moderate + length... moderate alcohol. A balanced wine with good length, great intensity, moderate complexity... average finesse, moderately fine texture, and seems to be expressive of its origin. Within the category of Washington Syrah this is truly an outstanding wine as it manages to have flesh on its firm structure and is New World without being over the top... structurally this wine has the ability to improve over the next 2-3 years. Overall excellent wine.
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Opened and decanted for about an hour before dinner. Out of the gate this was singing...an intoxicating nose of spice, berries, and meat. Full in the mouth but balanced. This could use a bit more bottle age but is drinking well now.
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To our surprise, some friends recently gave us decidedly mediocre reports on this wine. We wanted to try it and decided to decant it for 3+ hours hoping that this would allow this syrah to open up and come together. Luckily, this worked and it turned out to be a terrific bottle of wine. We served it for dinner with a spicey Mexican chipotle chili and it was a wonderful match. All four of us loved this "monster" of a syrah, with huge, dark spicey fruit, cigar box, a bit of bacon fat, a nice mid palate and lingering finish. Could be cellared for 2 or 3 more years.
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pop&pour. nose: dense and meaty, with a layer of spice and black cherry. palate: one of the best wine I have ever had. really complete mouthful of silky, sublime dark fruits, tannins are covertly hidden, but give mouthfeel depth. Cigar and clove on the finish. I can't believe this stuff. I try to take a sip and instead it becomes a gulp. Outstanding. 1hr Nose: After an hour, sweet caramel comes through on the nose, but alcohol also appears (due to temp increase, I can only assume). some minerality is sensed as well. Cool stuff. Palate: still drinking beautifully. Tannins have emerged from slumber, but nothing out of place. Still finishes with cigar and also a sizeable amount of black tea.
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Bob Betz Rhone Tasting (Gracious Host Eric LeVine): Ruby color. Shy nose hiding Blue and red fruits. Considerably brighter and higher toned than the rest of the flight. Not as much intensity either. Pomegranate, tight fruit. Needs time and isn't as open as I recall from the release party. Hard for me to gauge tonight. Wish I could have held it longer. ?91+
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The highest toned La Serenne so far tonight with berries and wild spices on the nose. Fantastic balance and acidity. A more cherry-centric tasting La Serenne than the others.
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Dark purple color. Beef jerky/bacon aromatics, with a touch of brussel sprouts. Some pepper, bacon and blackberry on the palate. Firm but not bitter tannins. Overall very smooth and well integrated. I suspect in time the fruit will become a bit more prominent, and it should really open up to be an outstanding syrah.
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Reticent on the nose, especially after the Besoliel! Drinking great right now though. High toned ripe red fruits, acidity through out. Sweet, silky and spicy. This also could be opened for tonights dinner. Impressive stuff.
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Betz Family Release party (Woodinville, WA): Boy oh boy, Bob's Syrah drinks well on release, enough to make you want to suck them all down, although they definitely settle down and reward a few years of age. Holding back a bit aromatically right now, this is nicely proportioned, peppery and long. Another winner for what is always a nice expression of Syrah.
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12/4/2020 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
From our cellar. Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Took about an hour to really shine and drank extremely well. Huge nose - could smell it across the room. Full bodied, dense yet smooth, and well balanced. Love the smokey, dark cherry and chocolate covered blueberry flavors. Very impressive. Has time left, but it's pretty awesome right now. Try one if you have one.
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2/24/2017 - TwoDogs wrote: 93 Points
Well balanced with just the right amount of funk, drinking perfectly now. Open for 1 hour prior to tasting.
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10/7/2016 - arthrovine wrote:
Decanted and followed over 3 hours. Last hour was best.
This wine is light and uplifting. Higher toned red fruit with good acids and lithe acidic undertone on the palate. Alcohol was in check only after a few hours. Dramatically improved with air to suggest more time is needed. I had high hopes based on the nose and entry. It just never followed through. 89-90 pts.
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6/30/2016 - tarheel17 Likes this wine:
The last of our 2005s. Excellent bottle, without the full-throttle alcohol or dense weight I feared, this had high acid and clear fruit. Perfectly composed at this age. Loved it.
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5/26/2016 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice. Very drinkable, but can still hold for awhile. Nice body, not too heavy, but still luscious. Good fruit but not overly sweet. Blueberry prominent, a bit meaty and smokey, hides it's alcohol well. Hoping for some secondary flavors to develop in next few years.
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12/20/2014 - dleaf wrote: 93 Points
More fruit than structure but very impressive as is.
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11/26/2014 - rfras Likes this wine: 92 Points
similar to my last note.
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6/7/2014 - WST wrote:
Hospital Foundation Annual Charity Gala (Bellingham, WA): Young out of a magnum, a little northern rhone bacon fat and dark berries, but a bit of heat. Nice, not outstanding.
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9/8/2013 - rfras Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very well structured with ample red berry flavors mixed with oak. The oak is not overpowering, but it is there. The wine is complex and drinking well with some mild chocolate flavors in the finish.
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8/18/2013 - RPerro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Meaty wine, paired well with roasted pork and shitake risotto. Big and funky, lots of black pepper and dark berry fruit.
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6/17/2013 - Rich S wrote:
Dark purple color. Big nose of ripe, black and blue fruit with black pepper and toasted oak and vanilla notes with a touch of heat coming through. Similar flavors on the palate but a bit muddled and disjointed from what I recall. My palate was not in the best shape by the time I had this wine so I wish I could have had this again under better conditions but it was my only bottle. Would score somewhere in the mid to high 80's.
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6/18/2012 - HenryW wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruited. Slightly briny nose. The palate features chocolate and bitter coffee notes. The oak is more prominent than it was a few years ago. Has lost its velvety texture.
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4/21/2012 - petitblanc wrote: 88 Points
Very young and primary. Lovely torrefaction/oak nose, ripe fruit palate. A little too fumey and boozy for me to love, still a pleasant enough bottle.
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12/24/2011 - mnewzs wrote: 93 Points
Dark and well integrated an excellent bottle
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9/1/2011 - benny wrote: 92 Points
Concentrated and well integrated. Coffee,blueberry and raspberry. Smooth. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank over 2 hours. Maybe too long. Weak at the end.
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4/8/2011 - last chance wrote: 90 Points
Tasted from magnum. Also tasted next to magnums of the La Serenne from 2004 and 2006. I enjoyed the 04 the best, followed by the 06, and then then the 05. That was fun to taste 3 Betz magnums next to each other. The 05 was at a slightly warmer temperature than the 04 and 06, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with why I enjoyed it the least of the three.
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11/10/2010 - KC Bloodlines wrote: 93 Points
Very well made. Clean, crisp, focused. Excellent example of Washington Syrah. Blood orange aromatics and tar. Good length and nice acidity.
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10/10/2010 - offtwofish wrote: 92 Points
deep purple, full body. excellent wine
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7/28/2010 - JohnBlueLabel wrote: 92 Points
Very similar to what I described previously. I do get a bit of coffee/burnt toffee on the midpalate this time. Complex and evolving: nice!
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5/9/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
Huge, thick, extracted, dark, brooding. This was awesome.
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4/9/2010 - tarheel17 wrote:
Still a stunner. Tonight's bottle (decanted 0.5 hours before first sip) is definitely more coffeed than I remember. Mouthfeel is lovely as ever, acidity is red-fruit tinged but mostly blackberry and blueberry in essence. Finishes with that bit of haunting spice.
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11/7/2009 - bajayngo wrote:
09 cayuse dinner quick notes - I just don't get these wines. Sssoo much fruit and really over the top for me
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10/26/2009 - markjanes wrote: 88 Points
Very dark in color, highly extracted with a hint of purple still at the rim. On the nose quite aromatic with new French barrique notes (good mix of spice and vanilla) slightly exceeding the fruit (very dark in nature), both of which are quite intense. Certainly some earthy tar and spice aromas in there. On the palate the wine has moderate acidity, a very plush and round midpalate, a full and firm, slightly gritty, tannic finish that is of moderate + length... moderate alcohol. A balanced wine with good length, great intensity, moderate complexity... average finesse, moderately fine texture, and seems to be expressive of its origin. Within the category of Washington Syrah this is truly an outstanding wine as it manages to have flesh on its firm structure and is New World without being over the top... structurally this wine has the ability to improve over the next 2-3 years. Overall excellent wine.
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9/19/2009 - winenewb068 wrote: 92 Points
Opened and decanted for about an hour before dinner. Out of the gate this was singing...an intoxicating nose of spice, berries, and meat. Full in the mouth but balanced. This could use a bit more bottle age but is drinking well now.
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3/15/2009 - bwilfond wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for an houir. Pepper and spice. Ate wtih pre St Paddy's corned beef.
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1/26/2009 - Nuit Taster wrote: 92 Points
To our surprise, some friends recently gave us decidedly mediocre reports on this wine. We wanted to try it and decided to decant it for 3+ hours hoping that this would allow this syrah to open up and come together. Luckily, this worked and it turned out to be a terrific bottle of wine. We served it for dinner with a spicey Mexican chipotle chili and it was a wonderful match. All four of us loved this "monster" of a syrah, with huge, dark spicey fruit, cigar box, a bit of bacon fat, a nice mid palate and lingering finish. Could be cellared for 2 or 3 more years.
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7/2/2008 - tarheel17 wrote: 95 Points
pop&pour. nose: dense and meaty, with a layer of spice and black cherry.
palate: one of the best wine I have ever had. really complete mouthful of silky, sublime dark fruits, tannins are covertly hidden, but give mouthfeel depth. Cigar and clove on the finish. I can't believe this stuff. I try to take a sip and instead it becomes a gulp. Outstanding.
1hr
Nose: After an hour, sweet caramel comes through on the nose, but alcohol also appears (due to temp increase, I can only assume). some minerality is sensed as well. Cool stuff.
Palate: still drinking beautifully. Tannins have emerged from slumber, but nothing out of place. Still finishes with cigar and also a sizeable amount of black tea.
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6/24/2008 - lorenzo wrote: 91 Points
Bob Betz Rhone Tasting (Gracious Host Eric LeVine): Ruby color. Shy nose hiding Blue and red fruits. Considerably brighter and higher toned than the rest of the flight. Not as much intensity either. Pomegranate, tight fruit. Needs time and isn't as open as I recall from the release party. Hard for me to gauge tonight. Wish I could have held it longer.
?91+
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6/24/2008 - Red Mountain Man wrote:
The highest toned La Serenne so far tonight with berries and wild spices on the nose. Fantastic balance and acidity. A more cherry-centric tasting La Serenne than the others.
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1/27/2008 - JohnBlueLabel wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color. Beef jerky/bacon aromatics, with a touch of brussel sprouts. Some pepper, bacon and blackberry on the palate. Firm but not bitter tannins. Overall very smooth and well integrated. I suspect in time the fruit will become a bit more prominent, and it should really open up to be an outstanding syrah.
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9/8/2007 - lorenzo wrote: 93 Points
Reticent on the nose, especially after the Besoliel! Drinking great right now though. High toned ripe red fruits, acidity through out. Sweet, silky and spicy. This also could be opened for tonights dinner. Impressive stuff.
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9/8/2007 - Eric wrote:
Betz Family Release party (Woodinville, WA): Boy oh boy, Bob's Syrah drinks well on release, enough to make you want to suck them all down, although they definitely settle down and reward a few years of age. Holding back a bit aromatically right now, this is nicely proportioned, peppery and long. Another winner for what is always a nice expression of Syrah.
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