Bottle Notes, Syrah

2009 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Rousse – Bottle Notes

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. The winery was sold to Steve and Bridget Griessel over five years ago. Louis Skinner, a longtime assistant of Bob’s, is now the full time Winemaker.

The 2009 La Côte Rousse is 100% Syrah from Ciel du Cheval and Kiona Vineyards.

Dark purple in color. 14.8% ABV. Monolithic nose of blue and black fruits, charcoal, ash and molten licorice. Full bodied with big acidity. Immense, concentrated and voluptuous. Blueberry, raspberry liqueur, white pepper and barbecued meats on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. The color and the structure on this wine belies the 8 years of bottle age. Delicious Syrah but patience will be rewarded. Drink over the next 5-7 years.

My rating: 94 points.

I understand the mailing list is full, although I suspect the wait isn’t too long. Fortunately, the wines from Betz are readily available all over Seattle almost year-round. The 2015 La Cote Rousse was recently released to the mailing list and should be available at retail soon enough. I’m a buyer.

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