2012 La Serenne Syrah
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Tasting notes
(from a Phelps clone): Bright, deep medium ruby. Wonderfully floral aromas of cassis, dark chocolate, game, violet and lavender. Juicy, savory and sharply delineated, delivering terrific energy to its inviting black fruit and violet flavors; still showing a bit of smoky, earthy reduction. This wine, too, shows lovely ripe acidity for the vintage—no surprise as this is a cool site. Finishes classically dry, lightly saline and very long, with no sign of its 14.2% alcohol. Beginning with this vintage, Bob Betz added some 500-liter barrels to the mix.
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Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
As for the Syrah-driven wines, they do two main cuvees, one focusing on Boushey Vineyard, the La Serenne, and the other on Red Mountain, the La Cote Rousse. The 2012 Syrah La Serenne is a 100% Syrah that was aged in 50% new French oak prior to bottling. I think the greatest vintage of this cuvee to date, it boasts an incredibly inky purple color to go with notions of creme de cassis, damp earth, graphite, smoke and licorice that flow to a full-bodied, voluptuously textured profile on the palate. Despite all of the richness, it stays thrillingly focused and shows the purity and elegance of the site. Enjoy it anytime over the coming 10-15 years. As always, my visit with Bob Betz and Tyson Schiffner at Betz Family Winery (which has been owned by the Griessel family since 2011) is always one of the highlights of my trip through Washington. For the tasting at the domaine, we focused on the 2012s (I tasted the 2011s from bottle at my office in Colorado), and they are easily some of the greatest wines I’ve tasted from this estate to date. While these wines always have considerable structure and focused profiles, these 2012 have an extra dimension of depth and texture, and should not be missed! www.betzfamilywinery.com