Betz Family La Serenne Syrah is 100% Syrah
La Serenne is the most reflective of the site/vintage dynamic of our three single-site 2012 Syrahs. Lovers of this wine know that its source, the Boushey Vineyard, is the highest altitude of the three vineyards and is typically the latest harvested. This cool site was accentuated by the cooler season and the results reflect the seriousness of this vineyard and its care.
An extraordinary, nearly impenetrable black purple color leads to a concentrated, inky aromatic impression: smoky black cherry and wild blackberry dominate, but a litany of supporting aromas is already emerging: smoke, violet, mushroom, roasted meat, Chinese 5 spice and minerals. It has a full attack on entry and a big, rich mouthfeel that goes on and on.
Review:
Aromas of blackberries, black raspberries, violets, black and white peppercorns and stones. It’s medium-bodied with fine, tightly knit tannins. Seamless and transparent with a silky texture. Very bright and pure with layers of wild berries and minerals. Tar and dark tobacco, too. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 95 Points
The 2018 Syrah La Serenne comes from the Yakima Valley and is always a more gamey, complex, exotic Syrah than the Cote Rousse. All from the Boushey Vineyard and seeing 70% stems, its ruby/purple hue gives way to a great nose of blueberries, lavender, smoked game, and peppered meat. Blind, I'd have guess it was from the Rocks region in Walla Walla given it's gamey exotic, floral character. Beautiful on the palate as well, with medium to full body, building tannins, and plenty of fruit, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will cruise for over a decade.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Coming from the Boushey vineyard, the 2018 Syrah la Serenne opens with a bold nose that is broad-shouldered with nuances of spice and elegant tones that waft with a black-fruited dustiness and nuances of brown baking spices, black pepper and red and purple flowers. Medium to full-bodied, this Syrah is more generous than the Walla Walla Syrah, with a mouthfeel full of expression and a bold richness across the mid-palate. The wine ends with a good, long finish with lively tannins that linger. Made with 80% whole-cluster fermentation, the wine rested in 20% new oak barrels for 14 months. Only 3,300 bottles produced. - Anthony Mueller
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 93 Points