Betz Family Winery was founded in 1997 by Bob & Cathy Betz. Critical acclaim from local and national wine publications has put Betz Family winery at the forefront of Washington wines alongside Cayuse, Leonetti and Quilceda Creek. Although the winery was recently sold to Steve and Bridget Griessel (with Bob Betz remaining on as the winemaker) I expect quality will remain high for years to come.
Rosé weather finally hit Seattle this second week of August. I decided to dip into my small stash of Rosé as I have no desire to cellar it until next summer. My favorite Rosé wines come from some of my favorite red wine producers. Today I opened the 2011 Betz Petite Rousse. As is the case with all Rosé, I think it is best served with a slight chill.
The wine is 42% Grenache and lesser amounts of Syrah, Cinsaut and Counoise. The dark color of the wine is atypical. There is a touch of heat on the nose. Dark cherries, flowers and watermelon Jolly Rancher on the palate. Just a hint of spice on the finish.
Nothing complicated, just a refreshing wine on an 85 degree day in Seattle. Hard to go wrong here.
Available at the winery to mailing list members only.
My rating: 88 points