{"product_id":"betz-family-clos-de-betz-2017","title":"Betz Family Clos de Betz 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003e\r\n\tBetz Family Clos de Betz is 67 % Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\tWashington southern Rhone varieties continue their winning streak, proving to excel in cool and hot vintages. Fans of thisSouthern Rhone-inspired wine will note that there’s no Counoise in the 2012 blend as there has been in recent vintages; that variety ripened fine, but they lacked the penetrating character needed to complement the final wine. The Mourvedre fraction (15%) stepped through in the wine, making the 2012 deeper, more structured yet finely layered. Grenache (50%) still dominates the blend, with its creamy black raspberry, wild dried strawberry, dried herbs and floral notes. Cinsault (20%) fills in with its dusty blue notes, and Yakima Valley Syrah (15%) provides more backbone. This is a Bésoleil for the cellar, dense and full, and a few years of aging will expand its Chateauneuf-like appeal.\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReview:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"\u003eFull, dark ruby-red. Black fruit and licorice aromas are complicated by a mineral element. Wonderfully sappy, concentrated and ripe, with well-delineated Merlot-dominated flavors of black fruits, licorice and bitter chocolate conveying sexy sweetness. Finishes with plush tannins and excellent length. A superb vintage for this wine, clearly more concentrated and ripe than the 2016. Winemaker Skinner told me that the Petit Verdot element from Olsen vineyard is somewhat Pinot-like and actually softens this wine's tannins. And he noted that the cool late-season temperatures in 2017 allowed for easy picking. (aged until June of '18 in 60% new oak before being moved to neutral barrels for nearly another year of aging)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Stephen Tanzer 93 Points\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eA blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Clos de Betz has a vibrant expression on the nose, with plush, generous fruit aromas and an underlying brooding tightness. Full-bodied on the palate, the fleshy, plump fruit tones deliver a velvety lushness over the mid-palate, then the wine becomes more dusty and rigid on the finish, ending with oak spices that linger. I will revisit this swine in 36 months, as I suspect it will show better at a later date. This will easily last a decade and more. 750 cases produced.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e-Wine Advocate 94 Points\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Betz Family Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44949040463919,"sku":"W0EE323031BLL","price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0741\/4677\/5087\/files\/2012ClosdeBetzbottle_c94b581e-e52c-4457-87c8-481c30b39dff.jpg?v=1771488239","url":"https:\/\/timelesswinesdirect.com\/products\/betz-family-clos-de-betz-2017","provider":"timelesswines.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}