2018 Betz Family Winery 'Clos de Betz' Red Blend Columbia Valley

Winemaker Notes:  In the glass, the 2018 Clos de Betz shows a deep, ruby color leading out to a bright magenta rim. The aromatics are pronounced and demonstrative of its Merlot dominance; high-toned red cherry, black plum and pomegranate teased with inviting notes of cedar, anise and floral potpourri. As the wine gets air, further savory complexity emerges with worn leather, fresh tobacco and dried herbs. The palate dances between finesse and power, with plenty of density and concentration. Flavors of black and red raspberry, cocoa powder, hoisin and orange zest lead into an intense, lengthy and precise finish. Rich, deep and elegant, this is absolutely charming now, but has plenty of years of graceful life ahead.

Blend: 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


James Suckling - "A full-bodied red with aromas of blackberry, mulberry, vanilla, brown rice, chocolate and coconut. Firm, fine-grained tannins frame a generous, ripe core of sweet red and black fruit. Rounded, polished and richly flavored. Generous, but not overdone. Drink or hold."


Wine Spectator - "A wine with presence and length, showing multilayered blackberry, green tea and licorice flavors that pick up speed and tension toward medium-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030. 600 cases made."


Jeb Dunnuck - "The 2018 Clos De Betz checks in as 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot, and it has its Merlot component front and center, with loads of ripe cherry, currant, chocolate, tobacco, and leafy herb-like aromas and flavors. Nicely textured and medium-bodied, with good mid-palate depth as well as ripe tannins, it's approachable today, yet I think it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise over the following decade."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2018 Clos de Betz is composed of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. In the glass, the wine is brilliant dark ruby with a firm ruby edge and opens to a nose that is full of red fruit tension and aromas of black raspberry, black plum, dark cherry and spiced red potpourri. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is silky with firm tannins and a balanced structure. The wine continues with flavors of dark cherry essence and a soft smoky tone across the lingering finish. It’s a delicious wine that will be approachable upon release, but don’t feel rushed to drink it right away—it has finesse and will age beautifully, so be patient. Only 7,200 bottles produced."


Wine Enthusiast - "This is a blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. The aromas are brooding, with notes of tobacco leaf, cocoa, flowers, cedar, bay leaf and sautéed herbs. The palate shows refinement, sophistication and polish. This is far more about brains than brawn. A long finish caps it off. The intensity at this alcohol level is impressive and the balance spot-on. It will offer drinking pleasure for many years to come. Best after 2028."


Vinous - "Bright ruby-red. Deep, claret-like scents of black raspberry, licorice, fresh herbs, mocha, cocoa powder and tobacco leaf. Densely packed and lively; an energetic, fairly low-fat style with terrific intensity and inner-mouth clarity and lift to the flavors of dark berries, tobacco leaf, licorice and herbs. If there's no easy early sweetness here, there are no hard edges either. This very pure wine finishes long, with firm, well-buffered wines to support graceful evolution in bottle. Perhaps not quite as sappy as the 2017 but really saturates the palate and vibrates. I would never have guessed this very blend included 55% Merlot. Still, with 24 hours in the recorked bottle this wine softened nicely and gained in sweetness."