No detailed notes. Recall a nicely mature, balanced, syrah with a lovely nose and smooth palate. I also recall appreciating that it had, to my palate, a classic North American syrah profile of ripe fruit accompanied by good acidity and ripe tannins with enough of secondary development to make having stored it since release worthwhile.
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Heavy sediment. Black currant and blackberry fruit. Not particularly complex- lacking in some of the savory flavors we enjoy in a syrah. Fully integrated at this point with some fine tannins on the finish. Drink up.
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A bit of an enigma at the moment. Decanted for 90+ minutes but it was still closed up, with strong dark fruit flavors that bordered on bitterness, not particularly enjoyable. Took a full 3 hours to open up to something approachable—not what I expected from a WA Syrah 12 years past harvest. Flavors evolved over this time to include pepper, smoke, a bit of game, intriguingly complex but not really harmonious. Maybe I’m underestimating this? Give it a good long decant for now.
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Well layered Syrah with notes of berries, spice and leather. There is a deep red almost purple color with a thick consistency. Smooth finish that leaves me wanting more.
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Good bottle. Very well balanced, fruit dominated with cherries and reddish berries. Medium finish, tannins resolved. Not very complex but quite harmonious.
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Vr note - nose: warm, berries, light spice, cinnamon, red koolaid taste: tobacco, berries, juicy? Mashed potatoes and beef. Colder. More somber. Twigs. Jr note - round, sensation in top of mouth and throat. Brighter sensation. Not as dark, muddy or smoky as the 2006. Rotting berries, earthy berries. Doesn't linger, not after taste - you drink it then it disappears Ms note -
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First sip reminded me of why I buy La Cote Rousse. Lots of deep fruit, silky mouth feel, and a long finish with that distinct espresso and cured tobacco note. This wine seemed at its peak.
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Compared to my notes on the 2006 La Cote Rousse and the 2007 Serenne and Patriarche this was a little lacking. Still showed great dark fruit on both the nose and palate with great balancing acidity and fine but soft, dry tannins, but was lacking the extra edge of complexity. Maybe a hint of black olive, meat on the nose, and some garrigue on the palate but needs more. There is great concentration and depth of flavour which accounts for the 91 pt score, but this needs some more character. Was going to decant, but the notes describing how this wine fell off a cliff after a few days did not encourage that. From a Riedel Syrah glass.
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Nose of paraffin, italian plum, dried sage, a bit of alcohol. Super savory; Kalamata olive, dark plummy fruit, black tea on the finish. Tannins are well integrated.
Day 2: still that same interesting nose, but maybe the alcohol is more of an issue. The fruit is a tad dark for my taste, but it's a good wine.
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tight at opening but after about 30 minutes of decanting it was a treat. the tightest cork I can remember of 3,000+ bottles opened. great job on keeping the wine contained
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FYI: I did not taste this on night one, but it seemed to go over well with company. Unfinished, with original cork inserted, it sat in the fridge for 48 hours. Upon re-opening it was a dead, nasty, alcoholic mess.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, chocolate and plums. Rich flavors of plums, berries and dried cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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The color is deep and opaque garnet and magenta at the rim. The smells are bret, tar, pepper, smoke, dark fruits, and earth. The tastes are hoison, stone, blueberry, blackberry, pepper and smoke. The acidity is zingy and the fine and velvety with a long smoky and fruity finish.
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No formal note. Tasty, big dark fruited syrah. I thought i'd get more cool climate notes, but no. Nice acidity saves the day but this is quite fruity. Nice, tasty wine that paired nicely with ribeyes.
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Violet in color. 14.8% ABV. 100% Syrah from Ciel du Cheval and Ranch at the End of the Road Vineyards. Cherries, smoke, game and flowers on the nose. Very Northern Rhone like. The palate is all about black cherries, stones, saline and olives. Elegant and restrained. Drink over the next 1-3 years.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, currants, spices and dark chocolate. Flavors of berries, currants, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Saturday Aged Syrah (Blind) (My Place): Blind wine #3. Given 2.5 hours of air before consuming. Coffee grounds and butter on the nose. Noticeable alcohol. Thin with a short finish. Others mentioned an overwhelming menthol or spearmint note. When revealed to be Betz (my wine) I almost died. Really bad showing.
My 86 points. Group's #6 (tied) of 8 wines. Not worth the $$$ (and I love other wines I've had from Betz).
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More than a year after my last so-so review and this wine has matured, but not improved much IMHO. It's lost its largely impenetrable structure, but the underlying fruit has also lost its spunk. It's a pleasant wine, but there is no complexity or remarkable character to this wine, I wanted to love it, but the character is not there.
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Double decanted an hour before drinking. First impression was burnt black fruit, olive, and overly resinous in a raw lavender/rosemary sort of way. The palate was smoky, intense, and spicy without a core of fruit to back it up. By the end of the bottle this began to resolve and show better balance without the awkward funkiness but it was too late. My first experience with Betz, but I'll withhold judgement and age my other bottles further.
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One hour decant. Pure red fruit and red licorice on the nose, with a matching experience on the palate. Full-bodied, sexy syrah. So different from the 07 Cote Patriarche I had last night, which was full of mineral/saline notes. Terrific wine. Still very young.
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An incredibly big and somewhat impenetrable wine with stout structure and solid potential. Starts to open up after several hours of air time, but even three years after release and five from harvest, it still remains tightly wound and not really showing it's underlying potential, which could be great (but, will it get there?). It has the potential for a 92+ wine, but also for a lot lower score if it doesn't eventually smooth out and open up somewhat. Hold for at least a year +, if you're maintaining at cellar temperature (as I am).
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I highly recommend opening this wine a day before serving. My first glass after a few hours it was open through a Venturi was good but had a very tight nose and the wine needed to open up. This is a magnificent wine on the second day; the nose is textbook black/red fruit, leather, spice. Being from California, I'm used to more fruit forward wines, I'm not to sure how many people could taste this wine blind and guess it is from Washington, most people would guess some rather pricier areas of France. The finish on this wine is amazing, it just keeps on going.
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New World Wines - Blind (Jace's House - Bethesda, MD): Dark, meaty nose...something I'm coming to appreciate with Betz's syrahs. Blackberries, plums, cloves, and bacon are jammed packed into the bombastic aromatics. Velvety texture with pronounced pepperoni, blackberry jam, and sour cherries. This is a very sexy wine and it's easy for me to see why it's so well liked. At the same time, this isn't exactly in my taste wheelhouse. Thought the finish was a bit hot (most likely due to age) and lacked some balance. No question that Bob Betz is a standout wine maker, but I think drinking these young doesn't translate well to my current tastes.
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Tight, full-bodied blackberry fruit with toasty, smokey, and plum flavors, excellent structure, ample tannins, was much better and more expansive one day after openning, seemed to lack the clearly distinctive Walla Walla terroir flavors of other Washington wines, i.e. Cayuse
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!
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Terrific wine with ample structure & good back bone. Won't drink remaining vino for another 2+ years. Great fruit, velvety texture, minerality, lush, sweet plum hints, well structured and nice long finish. A great effort by Mr Betz that will gain from gathering cool dust!
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Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. This is one great wine. Funky, earthy, dank, dark, rich, spicy, complex. This was fully open and expressive, with the balance and acidity to age beautifully. Such a lovely treat.
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5/29/2023 - tomandlu wrote:
No detailed notes. Recall a nicely mature, balanced, syrah with a lovely nose and smooth palate. I also recall appreciating that it had, to my palate, a classic North American syrah profile of ripe fruit accompanied by good acidity and ripe tannins with enough of secondary development to make having stored it since release worthwhile.
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11/10/2022 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Elegant, silky, great syrah fruit.
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10/10/2020 - osagher wrote: 88 Points
Purple ink in color, dried fruit on the nose, notes of blackberry and black currant. Well balanced acidity, not overly fruity, muted earthiness.
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4/29/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Heavy sediment. Black currant and blackberry fruit. Not particularly complex- lacking in some of the savory flavors we enjoy in a syrah. Fully integrated at this point with some fine tannins on the finish. Drink up.
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11/23/2019 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit of an enigma at the moment. Decanted for 90+ minutes but it was still closed up, with strong dark fruit flavors that bordered on bitterness, not particularly enjoyable. Took a full 3 hours to open up to something approachable—not what I expected from a WA Syrah 12 years past harvest. Flavors evolved over this time to include pepper, smoke, a bit of game, intriguingly complex but not really harmonious. Maybe I’m underestimating this? Give it a good long decant for now.
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6/9/2019 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
In a beautiful place right now.
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5/26/2019 - mebarry Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent example of Red Mountain Syrah! Balance flavors of dark stone fruits with cassis. Long lasting on the palett.
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8/1/2018 - rfras Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well layered Syrah with notes of berries, spice and leather. There is a deep red almost purple color with a thick consistency. Smooth finish that leaves me wanting more.
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5/28/2018 - ron m wrote:
Good bottle. Very well balanced, fruit dominated with cherries and reddish berries. Medium finish, tannins resolved. Not very complex but quite harmonious.
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11/27/2016 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Not showing well at all. Hot, monolithic, dark, peppery bomb. I don't get people tasting this as northern Rhone.
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11/2/2016 - Shuggielee wrote:
Vr note - nose: warm, berries, light spice, cinnamon, red koolaid taste: tobacco, berries, juicy? Mashed potatoes and beef. Colder. More somber. Twigs.
Jr note - round, sensation in top of mouth and throat. Brighter sensation. Not as dark, muddy or smoky as the 2006. Rotting berries, earthy berries. Doesn't linger, not after taste - you drink it then it disappears
Ms note -
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10/10/2015 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
This was excellent again, very similar to my last bottle.
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7/12/2015 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
First sip reminded me of why I buy La Cote Rousse. Lots of deep fruit, silky mouth feel, and a long finish with that distinct espresso and cured tobacco note. This wine seemed at its peak.
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5/25/2015 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Compared to my notes on the 2006 La Cote Rousse and the 2007 Serenne and Patriarche this was a little lacking. Still showed great dark fruit on both the nose and palate with great balancing acidity and fine but soft, dry tannins, but was lacking the extra edge of complexity. Maybe a hint of black olive, meat on the nose, and some garrigue on the palate but needs more. There is great concentration and depth of flavour which accounts for the 91 pt score, but this needs some more character. Was going to decant, but the notes describing how this wine fell off a cliff after a few days did not encourage that. From a Riedel Syrah glass.
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5/18/2015 - tarheel17 wrote:
As before, this performed admirably on day one with coffe and dark fruit, but after 2 days it was barely drinkable.
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1/27/2015 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Nose of paraffin, italian plum, dried sage, a bit of alcohol. Super savory; Kalamata olive, dark plummy fruit, black tea on the finish. Tannins are well integrated.
Day 2: still that same interesting nose, but maybe the alcohol is more of an issue. The fruit is a tad dark for my taste, but it's a good wine.
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1/16/2015 - Don and Pam Likes this wine: 92 Points
tight at opening but after about 30 minutes of decanting it was a treat. the tightest cork I can remember of 3,000+ bottles opened. great job on keeping the wine contained
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10/22/2014 - tarheel17 wrote:
FYI: I did not taste this on night one, but it seemed to go over well with company. Unfinished, with original cork inserted, it sat in the fridge for 48 hours. Upon re-opening it was a dead, nasty, alcoholic mess.
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10/5/2014 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, chocolate and plums. Rich flavors of plums, berries and dried cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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9/3/2014 - hackey37 wrote: 93 Points
The color is deep and opaque garnet and magenta at the rim. The smells are bret, tar, pepper, smoke, dark fruits, and earth. The tastes are hoison, stone, blueberry, blackberry, pepper and smoke. The acidity is zingy and the fine and velvety with a long smoky and fruity finish.
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8/24/2014 - Chrisinroch Likes this wine:
No formal note. Tasty, big dark fruited syrah. I thought i'd get more cool climate notes, but no. Nice acidity saves the day but this is quite fruity. Nice, tasty wine that paired nicely with ribeyes.
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8/13/2014 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied, but age has helped to restrain the exuberant fruit. Well balanced, a tasty quaffable wine good with food and without.
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3/16/2014 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Violet in color. 14.8% ABV. 100% Syrah from Ciel du Cheval and Ranch at the End of the Road Vineyards. Cherries, smoke, game and flowers on the nose. Very Northern Rhone like. The palate is all about black cherries, stones, saline and olives. Elegant and restrained. Drink over the next 1-3 years.
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12/10/2013 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind at a wine tasting.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, currants, spices and dark chocolate. Flavors of berries, currants, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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11/29/2013 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ready to drink!
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11/23/2013 - smcilhen wrote: 86 Points
Saturday Aged Syrah (Blind) (My Place): Blind wine #3. Given 2.5 hours of air before consuming. Coffee grounds and butter on the nose. Noticeable alcohol. Thin with a short finish. Others mentioned an overwhelming menthol or spearmint note. When revealed to be Betz (my wine) I almost died. Really bad showing.
My 86 points. Group's #6 (tied) of 8 wines. Not worth the $$$ (and I love other wines I've had from Betz).
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11/17/2013 - ewsds wrote: 89 Points
More than a year after my last so-so review and this wine has matured, but not improved much IMHO. It's lost its largely impenetrable structure, but the underlying fruit has also lost its spunk. It's a pleasant wine, but there is no complexity or remarkable character to this wine, I wanted to love it, but the character is not there.
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11/6/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very nice syrah but nothing earthshaking. Decanted for an hour and drank with dinner. Certainly ready to drink
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10/14/2013 - andtheodor wrote:
Double decanted an hour before drinking. First impression was burnt black fruit, olive, and overly resinous in a raw lavender/rosemary sort of way. The palate was smoky, intense, and spicy without a core of fruit to back it up. By the end of the bottle this began to resolve and show better balance without the awkward funkiness but it was too late. My first experience with Betz, but I'll withhold judgement and age my other bottles further.
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9/24/2013 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine:
Good quality WA syrah. Dense, deep cherry, some blackberry and pepper. Deep purple, and long finish.
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9/8/2013 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very enjoyable. Drinking beautifully right now. Cheers!
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5/23/2013 - Grinder wrote: 93 Points
One hour decant. Pure red fruit and red licorice on the nose, with a matching experience on the palate. Full-bodied, sexy syrah. So different from the 07 Cote Patriarche I had last night, which was full of mineral/saline notes. Terrific wine. Still very young.
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3/31/2013 - ToddS wrote:
Delicious now with a decant. Plenty of life left.
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2/13/2013 - ClubTerry Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 8 plus hours. Dark berries, earthy-minerals. This definitely shows off its Red Mountain fruit and was well made.
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1/2/2013 - mplsbruin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Excellent pairing to Steve's lamb stew! A dense wine with a lot of taste notes going on.
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9/16/2012 - linserge wrote:
Pair well with th spicy meatballs, but otherwise way too tight, almost off and acidic. Powerful, full, but not versatile.
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9/16/2012 - ewsds wrote: 89 Points
An incredibly big and somewhat impenetrable wine with stout structure and solid potential. Starts to open up after several hours of air time, but even three years after release and five from harvest, it still remains tightly wound and not really showing it's underlying potential, which could be great (but, will it get there?). It has the potential for a 92+ wine, but also for a lot lower score if it doesn't eventually smooth out and open up somewhat. Hold for at least a year +, if you're maintaining at cellar temperature (as I am).
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2/28/2012 - abilene Likes this wine: 93 Points
I highly recommend opening this wine a day before serving. My first glass after a few hours it was open through a Venturi was good but had a very tight nose and the wine needed to open up. This is a magnificent wine on the second day; the nose is textbook black/red fruit, leather, spice. Being from California, I'm used to more fruit forward wines, I'm not to sure how many people could taste this wine blind and guess it is from Washington, most people would guess some rather pricier areas of France. The finish on this wine is amazing, it just keeps on going.
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5/29/2011 - Gene_Mo wrote: 94 Points
Dale Jr. ran out of gas at the last turn at the Coke 600 but this wine didn't. Can't imagine it getting any better.
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3/18/2011 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
New World Wines - Blind (Jace's House - Bethesda, MD): Dark, meaty nose...something I'm coming to appreciate with Betz's syrahs. Blackberries, plums, cloves, and bacon are jammed packed into the bombastic aromatics. Velvety texture with pronounced pepperoni, blackberry jam, and sour cherries. This is a very sexy wine and it's easy for me to see why it's so well liked. At the same time, this isn't exactly in my taste wheelhouse. Thought the finish was a bit hot (most likely due to age) and lacked some balance. No question that Bob Betz is a standout wine maker, but I think drinking these young doesn't translate well to my current tastes.
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1/23/2011 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Tight, full-bodied blackberry fruit with toasty, smokey, and plum flavors, excellent structure, ample tannins, was much better and more expansive one day after openning, seemed to lack the clearly distinctive Walla Walla terroir flavors of other Washington wines, i.e. Cayuse
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11/27/2010 - chimpanzee29 wrote: 94 Points
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!
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1/26/2010 - Vinomark wrote: 94 Points
Terrific wine with ample structure & good back bone. Won't drink remaining vino for another 2+ years. Great fruit, velvety texture, minerality, lush, sweet plum hints, well structured and nice long finish. A great effort by Mr Betz that will gain from gathering cool dust!
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10/10/2009 - blondon wrote:
Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. This is one great wine. Funky, earthy, dank, dark, rich, spicy, complex. This was fully open and expressive, with the balance and acidity to age beautifully. Such a lovely treat.
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