2016 Clos de Betz

Clos de Betz honors Bob and Cathy Betz’s first dreams of starting a winery. In 1973, they stood before one of the foremost temples of French Pinot Noir, the Burgundian vineyard Clos de Beze, struck by the profound way it could exemplify both a sense of place and the purity of its variety.  They resolved that they would one day produce a wine that manages to convey that ever so elusive but magical marriage of site character and varietal expression.  Washington Merlot, with its singular dance of weighty richness and structured minerality, provided the perfect canvas and has formed the core of Clos de Betz since its first vintage in 1998. 

The 2016 Clos de Betz displays a brilliant magenta rim leading to a ruby core.  The aromatic fireworks shout Merlot: black cherry, pomegranate, and cocoa powder leap from the glass, with leather, tobacco, sage, and black pepper coming out with time and air. The palate shows Washington Merlot’s characteristic weight and density while expressing the freshness and detail of the vintage.  Flavors of black and red raspberry, plum, anise and dried orange peel lead into a savory, long-lived, and mouthwatering finish.  This Clos de Betz would be right at home amongst its siblings in the Right Bank of Bordeaux, combining intensity, vibrancy, and structure for terrific cellar potential…if you can resist it now.