2010 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Patriarche

Even better and tasted from bottle, the 2010 La Cote Patriarche is a 100% Syrah, from vines planted in 1986, that’s all from Mike Sauer’s Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. More tannic, concentrated and firm than the 2011, it offers up a mineral-drenched bouquet of black pepper, blackberry, licorice and bloody meat. In need of cellar time, it has brilliant purity of fruit, integrated acidity and masses of tannin that clamp down on the finish. Give bottles another 3-4 years and enjoy over the following decade or more. Drink 2016-2026. Always one of my favorite visits, Betz Family Winery is owned and run by Steve and Bridgit Griessel (since 2011), with Washington State veteran Bob Betz and assistant winemaker Tyson Schiffner making the wines. While I’ve been drinking this estate’s Rhone blends for years, this was my first experience with the Bordeaux blends, and certainly, I came away impressed. Across the board, everything showed the classic Betz characteristics of inky colors, solid concentration and clean, overall age-worthy and beautifully made profiles. Looking at 2010 and 2011, 2010 is a slightly stronger vintage with additional concentration and depth, where the 2011s should be more approachable early on. www.betzfamilywinery.com