Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
(a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% cinsault, 15% Mourvedre and 15% Syrah; bottled in November of 2013): Musky, brooding nose offers deep black fruit and pomegranate aromas complicated by smoke and game elements that carry through onto the palate. Boasts urgent dark fruit intensity with outstanding retention of acidity for this ripe year. This serious, densely packed wine shows a strong old-viney Grenache sweetness. Less aromatically complex today than the outstanding 2011 but deeper and riper. Very sexy wine with a long aftertaste. Betz recommends waiting three years, noting that the 2003 version is great right now.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A Rhone-styled blend, the 2012 Besoleil is made from 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre that’s aged all in neutral oak. Gorgeous on all accounts, it has fantastic density and depth, with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful freshness and classic Grenache-driven aromas and flavors of raspberry, black raspberry, pepper, herbs de Provence and flowers. Already hard to resist, it should evolve gracefully for over a decade. 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
About the producer
Product details
Grenache/ Garnacha , Mourvedre/Monastrell/Mataro, Syrah / Shiraz, Cinsault
Red
Dry