Betz Family Cellars celebrates a new release of their 2003 vintage wines this spring with the completion of their new winery building. This is their eighth vintage of hand crafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and blended red wines. Bob is a Master of Wine, and brings a strong science background to his winemaking. Precision, uncompromising care and attention to detail, and one of the best palates in the Northwest all make Bob someone you'd really enjoy meeting. A great introduction to this guy (Who's also a gourmet cook extraordinaire, I hear) is the "Clos dy Betz" for drinking now, and the "Pere de Famille" for your cellar.

*Betz Family Winery "Pere De Famille" Cabernet Sauvignon 03 $40.50/$45.00
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Betz-Family-Winery.html
93 points from Tanzer:
Here's what Tanzer has to say about the wine:"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

From the winery:
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this vintage of Pere de Famille. 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.

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The week's Real Deal of the Week is Bob's lower priced Red Blend, "Clos du Betz".
In past years, it's been a nice wine, but this year, it's an outstanding quality for the price.

Betz Family Winery "Clos du Betz" Red 03 $28.80/$32.00
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Betz-Family-Winery.html
92 points from Tanzer:
Here's Tanzer's comments: "(58% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Currant, tobacco and musky espresso on the nose, with suggestions of exotic chocolate, graphite and mocha. Lush, suave and sweet, with generous black raspberry and mineral flavors. Wonderfully plump in the middle. Finishes very long and sophisticated, with sweet tannins. A steal at the price. 92 points."

From the winery:
Merlot showed the influence of the warm 2003 weather more so than any other variety in our cellar, and at 58% of this blend it boldly states its case. I find that in warm vintages like 2003 Merlot develops an even deeper chocolate richness on top of its black cherry fruit. That's true for the 2003 Clos de Betz where a Merlot "chocolatiness" mingles with black cherry, plum and leather aromas. There's also a hint of camphor and Asian spice in the aroma.

At this point of development, the 2003 is a fuller bodied wine than past vintages. It's inky-crimson, tannic and powerful, with rich layers of black fruit. Yet there is a vibrancy and vigor to its balance. Part of this textural vitality is due to less Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) in the blend than last vintage. Petit Verdot at 6% deepens the color and spine.

Earlier bottling also contributes to this liveliness. Over the years we've moved up the bottling date of these wines a few months to mid March, after 16 months in barrel. This length of time in French barriques provides ample opportunity to marry wine elements, soften tannins and add the subtle complexities of vanilla and creamy oak flavors, without robbing the vigor and lushness of the younger fruit notes. We've been pleased with the results: the wines seem truer to their blends, with more vivid fruit definition.

The 2003 is enjoyable right now, but easily capable of 5-8 years of additional evolution in the cellar.

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Two New Reds from Long Shadows

Long Shadows Vintners is the brainstorm of Allen Shoup, 59, former CEO of Stimson Lane (Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest wineries, to name a few). Shoup said those who “have cast long shadows on the wine industry” inspired the name.

The new partnerships have produced several new premium wines, made in small quantities by famous winemakers.
"Sequel" is made by John Duval, the very famous winemaker who for fifteen years made Australia's most celebrated wine, Penfold's Grange.
"Pedestal" is made by Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world’s most famous wineries.

Sequel Red Wine 03 $53.95/$59.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Sequel-Red-Wine.html
Sequel’s debut vintage is a deep, inky color with dark black fruit aromas and flavors throughout. A seductive wine with elegance and an aspect of mystery, Sequel is notable for its generous, silky tannins and rich, supple mouth feel. Across the palate, the wine offers a mouth full of blackberries and black cherry - flavors that echo on a long, stylish finish. Yakima Valley’s Boushey Vineyard (29%) gives the wine its elegance, density and complexity; the Wallula Vineyard (26%) in the Horse Heaven Hills combines with Red Mountain vineyards (24%) to add black fruit and richness; and a small amount of Walla Walla fruit adds roundness and suppleness.

Pedestal Red Wine 03 $53.95/$59.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Pedestal-red-wine.html
Pedestal shows ayers of rich currant and blueberry flavors, complimented by hints of mocha, cedar and spice. Pedestal is a uniquely structured wine that offers an alluring balance of intensity and finesse. Michel crafted Pedestal with Merlot from the Alder Ridge, Dionysus and Conner Lee Vineyards. Alder Ridge produces elegant fruit that captures the aromas of the Horse Heaven Hills terroir. The mature plantings of Dionysus, with their developed roots, supply dense, dark fruit - and Conner Lee contributes acid balance and enhanced black fruit characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yakima Valley adds structure and a small percentage of grapes from Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain provide extra balance and depth. 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

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Still available:
Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 03 $35.96/$39.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Abeja-Winery.html

Buty Rediviva of the Stones 03 $35.51/$39.45
http://www.northwest-wine.com/buty-winery.html

And we're so delighted to re-introduce the wonderful wines of Abacela. Earl specializes in the hot weather grapes of Southern Europe, and his Tempranillo, Malbec, and Grenache are the most popular reds from Oregon.

Abacela Winery
http://www.northwest-wine.com/abacelawinery.html

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