Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon 05 |
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$53.95 - Case price
(any 12 or more bottles) Price: $59.95 Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon 05: "The 2005 Betz Pere de Famille is the highest percent Cabernet Sauvignon (84%) we've ever blended into the P?re de Famille. The 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec soften Cabernet's tannins, but can't hide its sweet aroma and flavor: black currants, minerals and a structure that gives it both density and lift. Mostly Red Mountain fruit, 63%, with 21% coming from the Horse Heaven Hills and 16% from the Yakima Valley." - Bob Betz 93+ points: "... aromas of crushed blackberry, licorice, minerals and spices. Wonderfully sweet ... cassis, Belgian chocolate and fresh herbs. This dense, thick wine
boasts outstanding structure and dimension, and
finishes with terrific persistence." - Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 points: "... mineral, pencil lead, espresso, black currant, and blackberry aromas emerge. This is followed by a supple textured wine with gobs of fruit ..." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Not currently available to order. |
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Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews: |
| 2004 Tasting notes 93+ points, Tanzer: "Bright, deep ruby-red. Musky, minerally, spicy aromas of blackberry, blueberry, leather and tree bark. Quite penetrating on the palate, with terrific intensity and cut to the black cherry and currant flavors. Denser and larger-scaled than the Clos de Betz. This, too, finishes with excellent cut, growing sweeter and longer as it opens in the glass. There's firm tannic spine here but no impression of dryness." Steve Tanzer, of the International Wine Cellar newsletter, tasted this wine in summer 2006, three months after bottling, and ranked it the third highest Cabernet in Washington, a point or two behind Quilceda Creek and Leonetti Reserve (the "+?" in his score indicates a possible higher ranking once the wine is released). Winery tasting notes: "Deep ruby with a vibrant, youthful edge. Bright currant, blueberry, sweet berry fruit with exotic spice, smoke, camphor notes. Rich berry fruit with a sense of elegance." More from the Winery Those long familiar with our Cabernet will see the continuing evolution of its style with this wine. A few years ago we began adjusting our cellar techniques to achieve the full dimension our vineyards had been able to deliver, but with more polish and length. More defined fermentation temperatures, less handling during barrel maturation and more precise barrel blending have delivered the results we've been looking for, greater harmony without sacrificing depth or density. The vineyard source for the 2004 is also more focused, with barrels only from Red Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills in the final blend. We're used to the terrific concentration and intensity of our Red Mountain fruit (Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun Vineyards) but this vintage the Horse Heaven fruit (Alder Ridge Vineyard) was equally concentrated yet without the tannic dominance of Red Mountain. The two appellations blended seamlessly (64% to 36%) and provided a structure that is both accessible now but will cellar beyond the previous two vintages. The varietal blend is in line with previous years, 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 2003 Tasting Notes 2003 Pere review: Wine Advocate rating 92 points: "...the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is an impressively powerful, chunky wine. Containing 13% Merlot, 8% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot in the blend, this medium to full-bodied wine is dense, concentrated, and deep. Its blackberry liqueur and tar flavors linger throughout its long, tannin-studded finish. Projected maturity: 2010-2022." 2003 Pere review: Wine Enthusiast: Editor's Choice and 95 points "Firm, chewy, young, and tight and yet quite supple and fulfilling, this stunning Cabernet is packed with a rainbow of fruit flavors- blueberry, black currant and black cherry- that open into a seamless, beautifully proportioned wine. The scents and flavors run the gamut from citrus peel to clove to soy to chocolate, espresso and beyond. The best yet from this extraordinary producer." 2003 Pere review: 93 points from Tanzer: "Classy cabernet aromas of cassis, blueberry, iodine, minerals, tar, tobacco leaf, mocha and sexy oak spices. Sweet, lush and thick; conveys a high-pH feel without coming across as heavy. The chewy, layered currant and spice flavors are perked up by a captivating minerality. Finishes with firm, broad tannins, palate-saturating fruit and terrific length. 93 points" -Steven Tanzer 2003 Tasting Notes From the winery: Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this vintage in more than percentages would indicate: color, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel all identify this wine as Cabernet Sauvignon (77%). While it blends four of the classic Bordeaux varieties (Merlot 13%, Malbec 8% and Petit Verdot 3%) it still shouts Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet fraction is predominantly from Red Mountain, from the Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun Vineyards' rows that we have used for most all the past vintages. Their power and depth contributions are unmistakable. They also provide the tannic spine essential for our goals for this wine. Their muscular ways are tamed by a fraction of the Cabernet that comes from the Alder Ridge Vineyard, located in the Horse Heaven Hills: it provides length and complexity. While the other two varieties are minor players, their contribution is distinctive: Malbec adding juiciness, and the Petit Verdot, with its black skin, adds color and a spicy/peppery fragrance. Red Mountain depth dominates the blend of all varieties at 68%, followed by 24% from the Horse Heaven Hills and 8% from the Yakima Valley. And it shows. In the glass, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon has an opaque black/red core. A huge currant, black cherry aroma emerges, carrying along spice, minerals and leather. It's thick and rich, with plenty of youthful tannin, yet finishes with a ripe lushness and sweet black cherry, tobacco flavor. It evolves as it opens in the glass, a sign for this taster that it has years of evolution ahead of it in the cellar. Wine Advocate rating 92 points for 2002 vintage: "Produced from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Malbec, the black-colored 2002 Pere de Famille explodes from the glass with sweet black cherries, cassis, and jammy blackberries. This big, lush, rich wine is intense, deep, and concentrated. Palate staining layers of super-ripe black fruits, tar, and spices dominate its medium to full-bodied personality's flavor profile as well as its exceptionally long finish. Projected maturity: 2006-2017."Steve Tanzer of International Wine Cellar gave the 2002 wine 93+ points and says: "Bright medium ruby. Complex, sophisticated aromas of black raspberry, cassis, blueberry, game, leather and smoke. Large-scaled and creamy-sweet, but also sappy, suave and spicy, with a lovely light touch. Winemaker Bob Betz thinks this is very closed today in the middle, but I find it explosively perfumed, even if it's a bit tightly wound at present. Finishes very long and spicy, with fine tannins coating the teeth and palate. 93+" From the winery on the 02 vintage: "We added Malbec to this blend in 2002. One of the lesser known Bordeaux varieties, Malbec has emerged this past decade as a serious performer in Washington's Columbia Valley, its black-skin adding plenty of complexity to our wines. While it's only 6% of this blend, Malbec added juiciness and notes of sweet blackberry and camphor; without it the 2002 P?re de Famille would simply be less complete. We source Malbec from the Alder Ridge Vineyard, thinning the clusters to a maximum 3 tons/acre yield. Yet the core of the 2002 P?re de Famille is still Cabernet Sauvignon (77%). Fruit from the Red Mountain vineyards, Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun, dominate the blend with their power and depth. Other Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the blend came from the Alder Ridge Vineyard bringing length and elegance, and the Boushey Vineyard contributing a bright, gentle fruitiness. Rounding out the wine were a few barrels of Merlot (17%) from both Alder Ridge and Ciel du Cheval. The 2002 is one of the deepest colored Cabernets we've made. Its dense red black core has a hint of purple to the edge. The aroma is expansive black fruits: currants, cherries, and blackberries, with a sprinkling of Asian spice. But this vintage is all about mouthfeel: it enters broad and powerful, with plenty of supple, silky fruit. Flavors are also black fruit dominant, with black cherry playing the major role, while notes of plum and dried orange peel play around the edge. It's already enjoyable, yet three to ten years in the cellar should further expand its complex aroma and flavor." Wine Spectator rating 94 points for 2001 vintage and "Highly Recommended" 6/22/04:"Rich, densely packed and powerful, a lively mouthful of plum, blueberry and exotic spice flavors that last and last on the aristocratic finish. Has power to burn and plenty of grace to balance the scales. Best from 2006 through 2015." H.S. The magnum is the ideal size for this most cellarworthy wine. Cellar 10-15 years. Also avaialble as 750 ml bottle. Stephen Tanzer says of the 2001 vintage: "Medium red-ruby. Very cabernet on the nose, with currant, graphite, fresh herbs and pepper showing, along with a suggestion of white chocolate. Dense and powerful, with flavors of dark berries, minerals, licorice and herbs. Serious, firmly tannic wine that's not at all overly sweet. Like the Clos de Betz, this was bottled in May and will almost certainly merit a higher score as it harmonizes in bottle. (The fruit component here is even stronger than that of the very suave 2000 bottling.) |
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