Lovely aged Syrah. Black fruits, smoked meats on the nose with hints of lavender and dried herbs. Medium weight with slightly creamy mouthfeel which opens up lovely spectrum of classic Syrah flavors, sweet plum and cherry, with undertones of bacon fat and hints of chocolate. The whole profile is framed with a persistent savory finish. Really well done !
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Purchased direct from winery & cellared since. Decanted upon opening & consumed over 2 hours. Tannins are silky smooth & fully integrated. Dense, dark, sweet fruit with some spice but surprised at how primary this still is with little secondary characteristic developmen, which makes the wine somewhat one dimensional. Still very well made with great fruit.
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This one surprised us by seeming younger, fruitier and more primary than the ones we had in '15 & '16. Color very youthful, as well. All said, still yummy, stilled balanced (for a big wine), and still lots of life ahead, if stored properly. Betz is always solid.
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Still beautiful. Ripe fruit, herb, blood, and some mineral steeliness were there in all phases, still some tannins lurking on the finish. There is plenty of life left in this.
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Nice, fruity, rich, ripe, tasty medium finish. Ready to drink. Well done, typical. Just not excited by these so much nowadays. Somehow worked with post-close Safeway snacks at Cle-Elum.
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Fruit forward, ripe, still relatively primary. Berries, cherries, solid nose. On the palate very ripe. Medium finish. Second day, more of the same. Wait a few years.
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The whole group of four enjoyed it greatly. I thought it was way to young but it is just starting to show it's stuff. These are going to be monumental.
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Deep & brooding. Still has a bit of sweet fruit on the nose that intermingles with the toasty, dark roast mocha coffee that was so enticing last time. The mouth is rich & dry (without drying). Add some briny, meaty elements & a touch of gaminess to round out the package.
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This wine was exceptional from the first aromas from the glass. I went - woah - what is that - after some swirling and tasting, I picked up green olive mélange with a saline finish, and underlying sweet fruits. The aromas, palate, and finish blended together beautifully. On the second night, the flavors were muted (so dropped score by a point). I would not decant - P&P was beautiful. I have had this wine in my cellar since release - very happy that I have more with the same provenance.
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Deep & dark. Had a distinct note of dark roast espresso beans & cocoa. Also some smokey meat, briny olive and fruit, although didn't pay much attention to the fruit because the other elements were so enticing. Rich, mouth coating, long finish. IMO, better pairing with desert course than savory courses.
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Notes on second half of a bottle that was opened yesterday. Very dark purple ink color, fine and abundant sediment. Unfortunately, this really turned poorly overnight and the bouquet went stewy and borderline port-ish. The energy and snap it had yesterday is gone and the flavors come across as muddled and flat. If scoring, 91-92 range on day 1, 86-87 range on day 2. Really a dramatic decline with the slow-O, so I would recommend just getting this in your glass within a few hours of opening.
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Found the last one - worth the effort! Wow, this wine is yummy. Super smooth and excellent on the mid-palate and the finish lasts forever. Black cherry, chocolate and pencil lead come to mind. If you have some, enjoy. It still has a lot of life.
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Excellent wine, Great nose with Spices, blue and black fruits. Great spine of acid followed by spices, a touch of tar and pure blue and black fruit. still a bit young , very good 91+ points
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Bob Betz makes a great wine - yum. Opened and then decided to decant. Smokey, earthy, full body and a nice smooth finish. Drinking very nicely. Glad we still have one left, that is if I can find it.
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Yup!!! This is very nice. Popped and poured, needed about 30 minutes to really up. Dark garnet, almost black, medium bodied wine; blue fruit, some tar notes with swirling; meaty, blue/black fruits, and some spice fill your mouth; nice acidity, sweet tannins, long finish. Basically this was beautiful - great now and IMO will be better with more sideways time. Enjoy!!
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Delicious. Still young in colour, only a slight bricking to the dark plum colour. Nose is still young as well, ripe blackberry, raspberry, maybe a hint of blood, meat. Palate is well integrated and very tasty, delicious ripe dark cherry and blackberry fruit. Long ripe finish, This is an excellent, interesting and well balanced wine, but for me lacks a little "verve" to merit a really good score. Needs a bit more Rhone gamey, meaty, smokey note to be truly great - it's almost too "clean".
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Very dark purple. Mineral,limestone and black- blueberry on the nose. Very concentrated...almost heavy but very fruit driven. The wine is well balanced and a long and glorious finish.
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Nice WA syrah. Fat but balanced. Bacon, blackberries, black pepper, a little earthy, but not much tertiary development yet. I've started opening some of my mid-2000's Betz Syrahs, but they seem to be aging at a glacial pace. I'm starting to think these would be better to leave sleeping for a decade from release.
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Opened up and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours. poured in glasses that sat for about an hour. For a Syrah, the nose is fairly subdued. Very smooth and on the dry side. Earthy and yummy.
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Decanted 3 hrs. Nothing really climbed out of the nose, subtle tones of black cherry and wood. The palate though had plenty to offer, not to mention a good counter point the more masculine and tannic Cote Rousse bottling. I wouldn’t so much call this a feminine wine, but it carries a very smooth and polished mouth feel and tannic structure. In addition, the forward nature of the dark cherry fruit carries a good deal of complexity and richness, all the while staying in the red end of the fruit spectrum, which easily avoids over ripeness and never overstays its welcome. I suppose this could go another 5 years or so, but my take on its virtues incline me to offer a drink now recommendation. Very nice wine
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Drank in a pop and pour scenario. This wine was very nice. it has held up well and had less of the Betz Sarah funk than many of the others I've tasted. I think this vintage may last a few more years, but it is good now.
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Opaque purple in color. Huge black cherry component with iodine, game, blood, licorice and white pepper. Long finish. I suspect this will drink well for another 2-4 years.
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couldn't wait any longer to open this signed bottle, but I should've at least waited for day with glassware rather than plastic! Lovely anyway, but too much plastic and distraction to give this wine its due.
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Had with the 05 Pax Obsidian… very dark color, highly extracted rim. Time in the decanter helps this wine quite a bit aromatically as it is a bit reduced, didn't get much VA though… at 30 minutes lots of dark fruits, baking spice, meat and tar. On the palate high acidity, a chunky and full midpalate, tannins are quite firm and of moderate ripeness, moderate to high amount, moderate alcohol. Well balanced wine, great intensity, good complexity at this stage, average persistence on the finish. Average finesse, a fine chunky/chewy texture, good expression of place. Obviously a well made wine that sits in the dark, meaty fruit and chunky tannins camp of New World syrah. Way better than the Pax on the palate. Has the depth of flavor and unresolved structural elements to improve over the next 2-4 though I think it will always be a bit chunky. QPR is suspect here unless you dig the style of this wine.
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Very meaty on the nose with some reduction. Big body, lots of red fruit, not much acidity. Definitely a classy wine. Smooth tannins, seems well made, but comes across as a bit flabby.
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Very classy overall and elegant. Fruit shines forward in this wine. A little bacon and pepper on the nose with lavender, and blue black fruit on the mid palate. Drank next to a 05 Pax Lauterbach Hill and a 07 Copain Bakers Ranch.
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Pop & pour. bramble and berry fruit nose. Initial flavors of leather, slight brett, earth and mineral with some red and dark fruit. Over time the leather barnyard flavors fell to the back and some pure juicy fruit of raspberry & blackberry were prominent with some cocoa, white pepper. Quite balanced with good acidity and nice finish.
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I opened 3rd bottle after dinner on 11/24/11. It had an elegant, poised and intriguing bouquet of blueberry, blackberry, anise, white pepper, mocha, coffee and mineral aromas. The palate was very elegant & harmonious with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum, anise, pepper, spice, mocha, coffee and minerals. 92+
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No decant. Restrained nose of limestone, blackberry bramble and just a hint of brett. Really lovely elegant palate with blackberry fruit, chalky earth, leather and a significant hit of velvety tannins on the finish. Drinking well now, but still several good years ahead of it.
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Second bottle of the night with friends...no formal notes. However, some memories remain....Given previos tasting notes and regional rep, I was expecting a denser wine...something more compact. That is not the case. Nice just over mid-weight wine that was nicely balanced. While I don't remember the nose as particularly effusive, there was some typicity to the blend of fruit and gaminess on the nose. Nice mid and reasonable length. Overall, it struck me as a wine between two worlds...Very well made (not sure about the diatribe below as none of those particular flaws were evident), but not my game for $50. I wonder if a cooler vintage would have been more my speed.
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Drank at dinner at Whitehouse Crawford in Walla Walla after the Cayuse tasting. This wine is starting to run on all cylinders. Beautiful. Do not remember specific notes.
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Tasted from magnum. Also tasted next to magnums of the La Serenne from 2004 and 2005. 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.
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Very similar in styling to the other Syrah bottling (Cote Rousse). Smokey and meaty with just a tad less precision and depth - but that's being super critical. This has bushels of dark berries and stone fruit. Massive structure but still comes across supple and displays an elegant mouth feel. Rich coffee, chocolate and dark charred oak. Great bottling. SUPER highly recommended as are all of Betz's wines in my eyes.
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Nice nose but the body of the wine didn't quite follow. The wine was good, not great. I felt it actually fell somewhat flat when in comparison to the nose. Overall however, a pleasant wine.
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Wrote and lost a long critique but needed to say what some others seem to be implying but not saying out right. I'm going to be much shorter this time.
Apparent flaws (and I mean apparent): H2S (more than should be forgiven, even in Syrah); vinegar from acetobactor infection; too much sulfite (ostensibly to control the previous flaw)
issues: alcohol out of balance to level that will never fade before the fruit does; aroma/flavor profile dominated strongly by coffee and grape/wood tannins (too much French oak and on the skins too long). These components do not balance one another but rather push each other more out of balance; the fruit is cooked, stewed and muddled. A fresh component might have saved this wine.
On the plus side: nice anise and brush tones well-integrated.
Day 2: flattened out, but then was totally unremarkable and ordinary if big.
I opened my second bottle at my 5/15/10 Syrah tasting. It had blueberry, blackberry, mineral, spice and tarragon aromas on the nose. The palate was very smooth and balanced with flavors that followed the nose exactly. Overall it was very elegant and delicious. 91+
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Dark purple, nose of dark, dried fruit, cooked prunes and black fresh fruits. Burnt toast and pepper is readily apparent. The taste is dark fruit, and it's a medium bodied Syrah. From the Columbia Valley in Washington, it's from a producer, Betz, who is doing great things with Washington wine. About $59, it's a good value compared to Hermitage, though I like a few other Washington state Syrah wines as well or better at similar prices. Worth a try.
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Another winner from Bob Betz. Tasted right out of the bottle, was tight and let it sit out for about an hour....delicious. Strong fruit flavor (black cherry & blueberry) with a great integrated, classic syrah spice.
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Consensus among wine buddies was this was a very good WA syrah. Lots of forward black fruit and very balanced without the overcooked fruit you often get with CA syrah.
Great effort.
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2006 WA is not agreeing with me. Chris and I both found this to be too alcoholic. We've encountered this in another Betz from this vintage (2006 Besoleil) and attributed it to a flaw or a severe dislike for WA Grenache. Now I'm not so sure.... Will tasted in 24 hours to make a final call. Notes upon Pop &Pour: nose: coffee, chocolate, red fruits palate: the seamless texture is why I keep buying from betz. The coffee undertones are delicious. Raspberry and rhubarb on the palate. Some pepper, but not a lot. The alcohol mars the experience, though. Long finish of mocha-coffee swirled with red fruit. But also severe ETOH.
EDIT: thank god. On day 2, the alcohol has much calmed (I was getting worried there - we have a case of 206 Betz syrah!) Tonight the nose is oozing chocolate/coffee though. The palate almost drinks like chocolate, but with hidden berries underneath. The finish is long and thick. I just dont' know about this. I guess the solution is to let it sit for a while and see what turns up. Certainly drinkable tonight, but I feel like this wine is having serious adolescent issues. I will not touch this for 3 more years. Tonight it is an 88.
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Bouquet and finish are in the Rhone winemaking tradition. Great structure and a finish that lasts a very long time. Let this one cellar until 2013 and you'll be rewarded.
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Decanted three hours. This opens with a blast of pure blueberry fruit, and complements it nicely with classic Syrah meatiness and pepper. Also some menthol here. Thick and concentrated, carrying a lot of smooth tannin that reveals itself on the back end. This is powerful stuff. Still quite a bit of baby fat, and I have no doubt this will drink better a year from now, and a year from then, too, for that matter. Terrific example of the great Syrah coming from Washington state these days, from one of the state's top names. 93-95.
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More restrained than I was expecting which is a good thing. Not overly jammy or in your face. Haven't decanted yet and it's a little closed in the nose. I'll decant for an hour and check back.
After an Hour decant. This has opened up quite a bit more, getting minerals, stones, tar, smoked meat, and some white pepper on the nose. Definitely in the savory range. Smells like a Northern Rhone Syrah. Very juicy with Blackberry and blueberry flavors. Very supple with fairly low acidity and tannins. My only complaint would be some flabbiness. Needs a little more structure. Overall: Very nice nose, supple and juicy. Ripe but restrained. Verging on a little flabby for my taste which can be a little fatiguing. But a welcome alternative to Califonian Syrah from one of my favorite American producers.
OK this keeps getting better with decant time so I'm going to comment again after a few hours. this got markedly better with extended airtime. Less flat, Juicy, rich but extremely elegant. 92-93 Pts
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Decanted for 4 hours; deep opaque purple; a ton of blue fruit with a little tar on the nose; a little hot at first, this blew off to show blueberries, bacon fat, and a little pepper on the palate; nice acidity and a LONG, lingering finish - it keeps sailing on. Definitely a great bottle! Sarah and I agree, currently our wine of the year so far.
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After a 2005 J.L. Chave St. Joseph this is undeniably bigger and a bit ponderous, although it is blasphemy for me to criticize one of Bob's wines. This is a tough comparison of two wines from dramatically different terroirs. Loads of menthol, licorice, smoke, tar and sweet black fruit. This is packed and concentrated but without going far over the edge. Rather, this is just what Washington gives, a LOT of ripeness. Bob does manage to bring a lot of complexity to the table with a meaty wine that screams of Syrah. This is much more expressive than when I tasted it last Spring, and it could really use 5-10 to settle down. No gangly elbows here, just a big, young wine that needs time to settle.
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Decanted 8 hours prior to dinner event and served with pomegranate glazed lamb chops. More Northern Rhone in style (Cornas) with distinct notes of blue and black fruits, pork and licorice. If you're like me and not a fan of the big peppery style syrahs, you will enjoy this immensely.
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We drank our first bottle of this with a pot roast dinner on 2/2/09. When first opened, it had a strong aroma of smoked meat. After an hour in the decanter, that became much more subdued and I discovered wonderful blueberry, blackberry and pepper aromas. The palate followed exactly. It was very smooth, but moderately tannic with a long, 45 second, finish...thoroughly enjoyable now, but will certainly improve with time. 91+
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Nice - Pop and poured because I didn't have time to wait. Got better in the glass. Slight heat but nothing overpowering. Good fruit, very Betz like. I'm happy to have several more to watch this change. Enjoy!!!
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This is Syrah. The nose was as clear as anything that I have ever smelled, and just got more expressive over the course of the evening. If you took a meat pie (think minced meat pie) and smashed it together with a fresh blueberry pie, that is what this smelled like. The nose was intense and brooding with dark, blueberry/meat smells, which, while maybe not sounding too good, was very intriguing. There was a bit of stoney/smoke to the nose as well, but overall, meat and blueberry pie.
The tannins are definitely there, as would be expected, but now, for the first time, I understand what "sweet tannins" means. This is silky smooth and rich mouthfilling and just a wonderful wine to taste. While I plan on holding my la cote rousse's for years, and probably should with this as well, I will be hard pressed to keep my hands off my other two bottles.
Betz recently closed the list and is now on a waitlist, and I am very glad to be on it. I think that this was RP 95 and I would say that this definitely deserves it. This is an excellent wine.
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Style is understated rather than big and extracted. Nose of dark fruit, with some charcoal notes. Satiny mouthfeel. Palate is more expressive than the nose, with dark fruit, vanilla, pepper and coffee flavors. Long smooth finish. Acidity makes this one a good food wine.
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I wanted a chance to spend some more time with this wine after I didn't get a good sense of it during the release tasting. I had thought maybe because it was too cold at the release party. I still am not sure I have a good read on it, despite a reasonable decant and letting it warm up a bit. I do know that this is the biggest la Serenne I have tasted. Quite dark, extracted, and tannic. There is sitll a bit of malo creaminess to it, but overall I don't think this is well integrated at all. The wood is a bit much right now (lots of coffee notes) and it seems a bit volatile and more extracted. This was like a surly and difficult adolescent. I hope this will mellow out with some time in bottle. Rating withheld for now, but I didn't love this on release like I normally do La Serenne.
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This is my second try at this one prior to its release in September. Tied with the 2005 Chapitre 3 for wine of the night. All I can say is that I will be buying this one early. Huge, and I mean HUGE nose on this one. Very expressive raspberries with a smooth, super plush and round mouthfeel. A very complete wine with beautiful balance. You could see the amazement of all the tasters at the table. This is a knockout wine coming from Betz later this year!
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Whoa! This was poured at Taste Washington today as a preview for the September release. 100% Boushey fruit, this has an amazing nose and the purity of the fruit really shined on the palate. The wine already has beautiful balance at this stage and was very approachable. Plumbs and dark raspberries with a very silky mouthfeel. Out of all the wines I tasted today, this and the 2006 Va Piano Syrah to be released next month stole the show.
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1/28/2024 - guchl wrote: 95 Points
Awesome, still a lot of primary characteristics, feels like it could easily go another 10 to 15. drank after a one hour decant.
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1/2/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote: 91 Points
Lovely aged Syrah. Black fruits, smoked meats on the nose with hints of lavender and dried herbs. Medium weight with slightly creamy mouthfeel which opens up lovely spectrum of classic Syrah flavors, sweet plum and
cherry, with undertones of bacon fat and hints of chocolate. The whole profile is framed with a persistent savory finish. Really well done !
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12/31/2022 - gbbwino wrote: 90 Points
Purchased direct from winery & cellared since. Decanted upon opening & consumed over 2 hours. Tannins are silky smooth & fully integrated. Dense, dark, sweet fruit with some spice but surprised at how primary this still is with little secondary characteristic developmen, which makes the wine somewhat one dimensional. Still very well made with great fruit.
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6/14/2020 - aces219 Likes this wine:
Drinking beautifully right now! Very elegant.
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3/13/2020 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
Lots of blue fruit and roasted meat, this time noticed an herbal component on finish along with the mineral notes I have tasted previously. Solid.
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7/19/2019 - andtheodor wrote: 89 Points
Dense and showing its 14.5% but good Syrah savoriness.
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5/13/2019 - millerarner wrote: 92 Points
This one surprised us by seeming younger, fruitier and more primary than the ones we had in '15 & '16. Color very youthful, as well. All said, still yummy, stilled balanced (for a big wine), and still lots of life ahead, if stored properly. Betz is always solid.
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2/6/2019 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Still beautiful. Ripe fruit, herb, blood, and some mineral steeliness were there in all phases, still some tannins lurking on the finish. There is plenty of life left in this.
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11/20/2017 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Sorry... this was my last bottle.
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5/26/2017 - johnnyo wrote: 92 Points
A touch of bret but not offensive, drinking very nicely right now.
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3/23/2017 - ron m wrote:
Nice, fruity, rich, ripe, tasty medium finish. Ready to drink. Well done, typical. Just not excited by these so much nowadays. Somehow worked with post-close Safeway snacks at Cle-Elum.
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12/10/2016 - ron m wrote:
Fruit forward, ripe, still relatively primary. Berries, cherries, solid nose. On the palate very ripe. Medium finish. Second day, more of the same. Wait a few years.
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10/8/2016 - michaelgor wrote:
poured right from the bottle. silky smooth still with plenty of fruit. well integrated soft tannins delicious!
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5/29/2016 - Mark Larson Likes this wine: 95 Points
The whole group of four enjoyed it greatly. I thought it was way to young but it is just starting to show it's stuff. These are going to be monumental.
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1/18/2016 - millerarner wrote: 92 Points
Deep & brooding. Still has a bit of sweet fruit on the nose that intermingles with the toasty, dark roast mocha coffee that was so enticing last time. The mouth is rich & dry (without drying). Add some briny, meaty elements & a touch of gaminess to round out the package.
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9/10/2015 - skifree Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was exceptional from the first aromas from the glass. I went - woah - what is that - after some swirling and tasting, I picked up green olive mélange with a saline finish, and underlying sweet fruits. The aromas, palate, and finish blended together beautifully. On the second night, the flavors were muted (so dropped score by a point). I would not decant - P&P was beautiful. I have had this wine in my cellar since release - very happy that I have more with the same provenance.
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6/21/2015 - ljl203 wrote:
Tannins are completely integrated. Delicious with chocolate notes. Less mint and tar, more olives on Day 2.
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5/25/2015 - millerarner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep & dark. Had a distinct note of dark roast espresso beans & cocoa. Also some smokey meat, briny olive and fruit, although didn't pay much attention to the fruit because the other elements were so enticing. Rich, mouth coating, long finish. IMO, better pairing with desert course than savory courses.
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5/24/2015 - fingers wrote:
Notes on second half of a bottle that was opened yesterday.
Very dark purple ink color, fine and abundant sediment. Unfortunately, this really turned poorly overnight and the bouquet went stewy and borderline port-ish.
The energy and snap it had yesterday is gone and the flavors come across as muddled and flat. If scoring, 91-92 range on day 1, 86-87 range on day 2. Really a dramatic decline with the slow-O, so I would recommend just getting this in your glass within a few hours of opening.
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5/8/2015 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 93 Points
Found the last one - worth the effort! Wow, this wine is yummy. Super smooth and excellent on the mid-palate and the finish lasts forever. Black cherry, chocolate and pencil lead come to mind. If you have some, enjoy. It still has a lot of life.
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4/14/2015 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine, Great nose with Spices, blue and black fruits. Great spine of acid followed by spices, a touch of tar and pure blue and black fruit. still a bit young , very good 91+ points
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3/20/2015 - ljl203 wrote: 92 Points
Red berry, spicy, tar and licorice, mint completely integrated.
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6/25/2014 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet, medium body
Cassis, blueberry, some floral notes
Medium (+) finish, soft, nicely balanced, very approachable
Some smokiness, dark fruit
A few more years in the cellar should do this bottle right.
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3/22/2014 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 92 Points
Bob Betz makes a great wine - yum. Opened and then decided to decant. Smokey, earthy, full body and a nice smooth finish. Drinking very nicely. Glad we still have one left, that is if I can find it.
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11/1/2013 - dchisholm Likes this wine:
A very subtle fruit froward syrah. Vary gentle tannins. Great balance. 91
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10/15/2013 - green-steve wrote: 93 Points
Yup!!! This is very nice. Popped and poured, needed about 30 minutes to really up. Dark garnet, almost black, medium bodied wine; blue fruit, some tar notes with swirling; meaty, blue/black fruits, and some spice fill your mouth; nice acidity, sweet tannins, long finish. Basically this was beautiful - great now and IMO will be better with more sideways time. Enjoy!!
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9/14/2013 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Delicious. Still young in colour, only a slight bricking to the dark plum colour. Nose is still young as well, ripe blackberry, raspberry, maybe a hint of blood, meat. Palate is well integrated and very tasty, delicious ripe dark cherry and blackberry fruit. Long ripe finish, This is an excellent, interesting and well balanced wine, but for me lacks a little "verve" to merit a really good score. Needs a bit more Rhone gamey, meaty, smokey note to be truly great - it's almost too "clean".
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9/1/2013 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Very dark purple. Mineral,limestone and black- blueberry on the nose. Very concentrated...almost heavy but very fruit driven. The wine is well balanced and a long and glorious finish.
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2/10/2013 - Gfritzh wrote: 88 Points
Big time fruit bomb. I'll wait several more years before opening the next bottle.
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1/6/2013 - WST wrote: 91 Points
Nice WA syrah. Fat but balanced. Bacon, blackberries, black pepper, a little earthy, but not much tertiary development yet. I've started opening some of my mid-2000's Betz Syrahs, but they seem to be aging at a glacial pace. I'm starting to think these would be better to leave sleeping for a decade from release.
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12/24/2012 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 92 Points
Opened up and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours. poured in glasses that sat for about an hour. For a Syrah, the nose is fairly subdued. Very smooth and on the dry side. Earthy and yummy.
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11/16/2012 - saxual wrote: 91 Points
Past its prime-- La Fontana bottle
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11/14/2012 - tomandlu wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes. Nose of bacon, black fruit and clay. Very rich and powerful on the palate.
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9/16/2012 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. Nothing really climbed out of the nose, subtle tones of black cherry and wood. The palate though had plenty to offer, not to mention a good counter point the more masculine and tannic Cote Rousse bottling. I wouldn’t so much call this a feminine wine, but it carries a very smooth and polished mouth feel and tannic structure. In addition, the forward nature of the dark cherry fruit carries a good deal of complexity and richness, all the while staying in the red end of the fruit spectrum, which easily avoids over ripeness and never overstays its welcome. I suppose this could go another 5 years or so, but my take on its virtues incline me to offer a drink now recommendation. Very nice wine
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8/15/2012 - Redteeth wrote:
Drank in a pop and pour scenario. This wine was very nice. it has held up well and had less of the Betz Sarah funk than many of the others I've tasted. I think this vintage may last a few more years, but it is good now.
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6/25/2012 - tomlee wrote: 93 Points
Opaque purple in color. Huge black cherry component with iodine, game, blood, licorice and white pepper. Long finish. I suspect this will drink well for another 2-4 years.
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6/13/2012 - blackcat38 wrote: 88 Points
A lot of fruit for Syrah. A little sweet. Good for easy drinking
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6/11/2012 - RPerro wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 30 min. Gorgeous wine, with that delicious Boushey funk. Rich, mouthcoating, lots of fruit and earth, pepper, just delicious.
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6/5/2012 - linserge wrote:
couldn't wait any longer to open this signed bottle, but I should've at least waited for day with glassware rather than plastic! Lovely anyway, but too much plastic and distraction to give this wine its due.
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5/2/2012 - markjanes wrote: 87 Points
Had with the 05 Pax Obsidian… very dark color, highly extracted rim. Time in the decanter helps this wine quite a bit aromatically as it is a bit reduced, didn't get much VA though… at 30 minutes lots of dark fruits, baking spice, meat and tar. On the palate high acidity, a chunky and full midpalate, tannins are quite firm and of moderate ripeness, moderate to high amount, moderate alcohol. Well balanced wine, great intensity, good complexity at this stage, average persistence on the finish. Average finesse, a fine chunky/chewy texture, good expression of place. Obviously a well made wine that sits in the dark, meaty fruit and chunky tannins camp of New World syrah. Way better than the Pax on the palate. Has the depth of flavor and unresolved structural elements to improve over the next 2-4 though I think it will always be a bit chunky. QPR is suspect here unless you dig the style of this wine.
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4/23/2012 - Michael Davidson wrote:
Very meaty on the nose with some reduction. Big body, lots of red fruit, not much acidity. Definitely a classy wine. Smooth tannins, seems well made, but comes across as a bit flabby.
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3/17/2012 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 92 Points
Wow....nice wine. Beautiful nose and very smooth finish. Gotta luv Bob's wine
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3/11/2012 - emdub wrote: 91 Points
Very classy overall and elegant. Fruit shines forward in this wine. A little bacon and pepper on the nose with lavender, and blue black fruit on the mid palate. Drank next to a 05 Pax Lauterbach Hill and a 07 Copain Bakers Ranch.
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2/10/2012 - calnative Likes this wine:
Pop & pour. bramble and berry fruit nose. Initial flavors of leather, slight brett, earth and mineral with some red and dark fruit. Over time the leather barnyard flavors fell to the back and some pure juicy fruit of raspberry & blackberry were prominent with some cocoa, white pepper. Quite balanced with good acidity and nice finish.
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11/24/2011 - garambler wrote: 93 Points
I opened 3rd bottle after dinner on 11/24/11. It had an elegant, poised and intriguing bouquet of blueberry, blackberry, anise, white pepper, mocha, coffee and mineral aromas. The palate was very elegant & harmonious with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum, anise, pepper, spice, mocha, coffee and minerals. 92+
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11/9/2011 - jreis wrote:
No decant. Restrained nose of limestone, blackberry bramble and just a hint of brett. Really lovely elegant palate with blackberry fruit, chalky earth, leather and a significant hit of velvety tannins on the finish. Drinking well now, but still several good years ahead of it.
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10/30/2011 - bcc725 wrote: 91 Points
Second bottle of the night with friends...no formal notes. However, some memories remain....Given previos tasting notes and regional rep, I was expecting a denser wine...something more compact. That is not the case. Nice just over mid-weight wine that was nicely balanced. While I don't remember the nose as particularly effusive, there was some typicity to the blend of fruit and gaminess on the nose. Nice mid and reasonable length. Overall, it struck me as a wine between two worlds...Very well made (not sure about the diatribe below as none of those particular flaws were evident), but not my game for $50. I wonder if a cooler vintage would have been more my speed.
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10/23/2011 - tarheel17 wrote:
THe coffee was borderline overpowering, though the fruit behind it was juicy and firm. Supple mouthfeel. Alcohol, while present, did not overwhelm.
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4/17/2011 - emdub wrote: 93 Points
Drank at dinner at Whitehouse Crawford in Walla Walla after the Cayuse tasting. This wine is starting to run on all cylinders. Beautiful. Do not remember specific notes.
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4/8/2011 - last chance wrote: 91 Points
Tasted from magnum. Also tasted next to magnums of the La Serenne from 2004 and 2005. 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.
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2/14/2011 - Eros Coniglio wrote: 93 Points
Very meaty and smokey on the nose. Developing nicely.
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12/26/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Very similar in styling to the other Syrah bottling (Cote Rousse). Smokey and meaty with just a tad less precision and depth - but that's being super critical. This has bushels of dark berries and stone fruit. Massive structure but still comes across supple and displays an elegant mouth feel. Rich coffee, chocolate and dark charred oak. Great bottling. SUPER highly recommended as are all of Betz's wines in my eyes.
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12/20/2010 - SORC wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose but the body of the wine didn't quite follow. The wine was good, not great. I felt it actually fell somewhat flat when in comparison to the nose. Overall however, a pleasant wine.
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8/23/2010 - linserge wrote:
this was a disappointing betz week for me. Wine was big, unbalanced, heavy, and cloying.
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6/12/2010 - hankj Does not like this wine:
Wrote and lost a long critique but needed to say what some others seem to be implying but not saying out right. I'm going to be much shorter this time.
Apparent flaws (and I mean apparent): H2S (more than should be forgiven, even in Syrah); vinegar from acetobactor infection; too much sulfite (ostensibly to control the previous flaw)
issues: alcohol out of balance to level that will never fade before the fruit does; aroma/flavor profile dominated strongly by coffee and grape/wood tannins (too much French oak and on the skins too long). These components do not balance one another but rather push each other more out of balance; the fruit is cooked, stewed and muddled. A fresh component might have saved this wine.
On the plus side: nice anise and brush tones well-integrated.
Day 2: flattened out, but then was totally unremarkable and ordinary if big.
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5/15/2010 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
I opened my second bottle at my 5/15/10 Syrah tasting. It had blueberry, blackberry, mineral, spice and tarragon aromas on the nose. The palate was very smooth and balanced with flavors that followed the nose exactly. Overall it was very elegant and delicious. 91+
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2/28/2010 - jschmeling wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, nose of dark, dried fruit, cooked prunes and black fresh fruits. Burnt toast and pepper is readily apparent. The taste is dark fruit, and it's a medium bodied Syrah. From the Columbia Valley in Washington, it's from a producer, Betz, who is doing great things with Washington wine. About $59, it's a good value compared to Hermitage, though I like a few other Washington state Syrah wines as well or better at similar prices. Worth a try.
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2/28/2010 - Saul wrote: 89 Points
Another winner from Bob Betz. Tasted right out of the bottle, was tight and let it sit out for about an hour....delicious. Strong fruit flavor (black cherry & blueberry) with a great integrated, classic syrah spice.
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2/19/2010 - Eros Coniglio wrote: 94 Points
Consensus among wine buddies was this was a very good WA syrah. Lots of forward black fruit and very balanced without the overcooked fruit you often get with CA syrah.
Great effort.
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1/24/2010 - tarheel17 wrote:
2006 WA is not agreeing with me. Chris and I both found this to be too alcoholic. We've encountered this in another Betz from this vintage (2006 Besoleil) and attributed it to a flaw or a severe dislike for WA Grenache. Now I'm not so sure.... Will tasted in 24 hours to make a final call.
Notes upon Pop &Pour:
nose: coffee, chocolate, red fruits
palate: the seamless texture is why I keep buying from betz. The coffee undertones are delicious. Raspberry and rhubarb on the palate. Some pepper, but not a lot. The alcohol mars the experience, though. Long finish of mocha-coffee swirled with red fruit. But also severe ETOH.
EDIT: thank god. On day 2, the alcohol has much calmed (I was getting worried there - we have a case of 206 Betz syrah!) Tonight the nose is oozing chocolate/coffee though. The palate almost drinks like chocolate, but with hidden berries underneath. The finish is long and thick. I just dont' know about this. I guess the solution is to let it sit for a while and see what turns up. Certainly drinkable tonight, but I feel like this wine is having serious adolescent issues. I will not touch this for 3 more years. Tonight it is an 88.
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11/6/2009 - bwaverley wrote: 92 Points
Bouquet and finish are in the Rhone winemaking tradition. Great structure and a finish that lasts a very long time. Let this one cellar until 2013 and you'll be rewarded.
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10/10/2009 - jmull wrote: 93 Points
Decanted three hours. This opens with a blast of pure blueberry fruit, and complements it nicely with classic Syrah meatiness and pepper. Also some menthol here. Thick and concentrated, carrying a lot of smooth tannin that reveals itself on the back end. This is powerful stuff. Still quite a bit of baby fat, and I have no doubt this will drink better a year from now, and a year from then, too, for that matter. Terrific example of the great Syrah coming from Washington state these days, from one of the state's top names. 93-95.
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9/15/2009 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Big, big, ripe wine mellows in the glass; Cocoa; Compressed flavors; Develops from hot to cold (a positive development)
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8/24/2009 - Gene_Mo wrote: 90 Points
Benefited from a 2 hour decant.
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7/9/2009 - beachnic wrote: 91 Points
Big and young this time. Roasted aromas on the nose. Still a little tight on the nose. Needs more bottle time. I'd wait on this one.
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7/3/2009 - Overton wrote:
Smooth, silky - medium. Good with food and alone
Betz Winemakers Dinner - Daniel's Broiler
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4/25/2009 - beachnic wrote: 92 Points
More restrained than I was expecting which is a good thing. Not overly jammy or in your face. Haven't decanted yet and it's a little closed in the nose. I'll decant for an hour and check back.
After an Hour decant. This has opened up quite a bit more, getting minerals, stones, tar, smoked meat, and some white pepper on the nose. Definitely in the savory range. Smells like a Northern Rhone Syrah. Very juicy with Blackberry and blueberry flavors. Very supple with fairly low acidity and tannins. My only complaint would be some flabbiness. Needs a little more structure. Overall: Very nice nose, supple and juicy. Ripe but restrained. Verging on a little flabby for my taste which can be a little fatiguing. But a welcome alternative to Califonian Syrah from one of my favorite American producers.
OK this keeps getting better with decant time so I'm going to comment again after a few hours. this got markedly better with extended airtime. Less flat, Juicy, rich but extremely elegant. 92-93 Pts
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4/19/2009 - green-steve wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 4 hours; deep opaque purple; a ton of blue fruit with a little tar on the nose; a little hot at first, this blew off to show blueberries, bacon fat, and a little pepper on the palate; nice acidity and a LONG, lingering finish - it keeps sailing on. Definitely a great bottle! Sarah and I agree, currently our wine of the year so far.
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3/7/2009 - Eric wrote:
After a 2005 J.L. Chave St. Joseph this is undeniably bigger and a bit ponderous, although it is blasphemy for me to criticize one of Bob's wines. This is a tough comparison of two wines from dramatically different terroirs. Loads of menthol, licorice, smoke, tar and sweet black fruit. This is packed and concentrated but without going far over the edge. Rather, this is just what Washington gives, a LOT of ripeness. Bob does manage to bring a lot of complexity to the table with a meaty wine that screams of Syrah. This is much more expressive than when I tasted it last Spring, and it could really use 5-10 to settle down. No gangly elbows here, just a big, young wine that needs time to settle.
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2/25/2009 - kanab ram wrote:
Decanted 8 hours prior to dinner event and served with pomegranate glazed lamb chops. More Northern Rhone in style (Cornas) with distinct notes of blue and black fruits, pork and licorice. If you're like me and not a fan of the big peppery style syrahs, you will enjoy this immensely.
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2/6/2009 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
We drank our first bottle of this with a pot roast dinner on 2/2/09. When first opened, it had a strong aroma of smoked meat. After an hour in the decanter, that became much more subdued and I discovered wonderful blueberry, blackberry and pepper aromas. The palate followed exactly. It was very smooth, but moderately tannic with a long, 45 second, finish...thoroughly enjoyable now, but will certainly improve with time. 91+
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1/11/2009 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
Nice - Pop and poured because I didn't have time to wait. Got better in the glass. Slight heat but nothing overpowering. Good fruit, very Betz like. I'm happy to have several more to watch this change.
Enjoy!!!
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11/28/2008 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
very different. decanted two hours. kept growing on me. looking forward to trying another in a few months.
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11/20/2008 - Dale451 wrote: 95 Points
This is Syrah. The nose was as clear as anything that I have ever smelled, and just got more expressive over the course of the evening. If you took a meat pie (think minced meat pie) and smashed it together with a fresh blueberry pie, that is what this smelled like. The nose was intense and brooding with dark, blueberry/meat smells, which, while maybe not sounding too good, was very intriguing. There was a bit of stoney/smoke to the nose as well, but overall, meat and blueberry pie.
The tannins are definitely there, as would be expected, but now, for the first time, I understand what "sweet tannins" means. This is silky smooth and rich mouthfilling and just a wonderful wine to taste. While I plan on holding my la cote rousse's for years, and probably should with this as well, I will be hard pressed to keep my hands off my other two bottles.
Betz recently closed the list and is now on a waitlist, and I am very glad to be on it. I think that this was RP 95 and I would say that this definitely deserves it. This is an excellent wine.
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11/18/2008 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Style is understated rather than big and extracted. Nose of dark fruit, with some charcoal notes. Satiny mouthfeel. Palate is more expressive than the nose, with dark fruit, vanilla, pepper and coffee flavors. Long smooth finish. Acidity makes this one a good food wine.
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9/12/2008 - ScottG wrote:
I wanted a chance to spend some more time with this wine after I didn't get a good sense of it during the release tasting. I had thought maybe because it was too cold at the release party. I still am not sure I have a good read on it, despite a reasonable decant and letting it warm up a bit. I do know that this is the biggest la Serenne I have tasted. Quite dark, extracted, and tannic. There is sitll a bit of malo creaminess to it, but overall I don't think this is well integrated at all. The wood is a bit much right now (lots of coffee notes) and it seems a bit volatile and more extracted. This was like a surly and difficult adolescent. I hope this will mellow out with some time in bottle. Rating withheld for now, but I didn't love this on release like I normally do La Serenne.
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6/24/2008 - lorenzo wrote:
Bob Betz Rhone Tasting (Gracious Host Eric LeVine): My Notes are starting to fade at this point
"Incredibly complete. Power, balance, elegance and persistance. Really impressive stuff"
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6/24/2008 - Red Mountain Man wrote:
This is my second try at this one prior to its release in September. Tied with the 2005 Chapitre 3 for wine of the night. All I can say is that I will be buying this one early. Huge, and I mean HUGE nose on this one. Very expressive raspberries with a smooth, super plush and round mouthfeel. A very complete wine with beautiful balance. You could see the amazement of all the tasters at the table. This is a knockout wine coming from Betz later this year!
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4/6/2008 - Red Mountain Man wrote:
Whoa! This was poured at Taste Washington today as a preview for the September release. 100% Boushey fruit, this has an amazing nose and the purity of the fruit really shined on the palate. The wine already has beautiful balance at this stage and was very approachable. Plumbs and dark raspberries with a very silky mouthfeel. Out of all the wines I tasted today, this and the 2006 Va Piano Syrah to be released next month stole the show.
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