2018 Bryant Family Bettina Bryant Red

Possibly the finest vintage for this cuvée (at least that I’ve tasted), the 2018 Bettina is a brilliant blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. Its vivid ruby/purple color is followed by a captivating nose of crème de cassis, white flowers, toasty oak, bay leaf, and mountain scrub brush-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and seamless on the palate, it’s going to benefit from bottle age, but I’d certainly struggle to keep my hands off bottles.

The 2018 Bettina is a classy, polished wine right out of the bottle. A burst of inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and dried herbs makes a strong opening statement. The decision to use some whole clusters and the elevated amount of Petit Verdot results in a savory, beautifully perfumed wine that impresses from start to finish. Elegant and so precise, the 2018 Bettina is terrific. This is the first vintage of the Bettina to incorporate a dollop of fruit from Bryant Estate as a complement to the Abreu fruit that informs the core of the blend.

The 2018 Bettina Bryant Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 18% Malbec and 13% Petit Verdot. It was aged in French oak, 75% new, and bottled in July 2020. This year there was a small amount of stem inclusion with the Cabernet Franc fermentation. Very deep purple-black colored, it opens with beautiful spice and floral notions of cinnamon, cloves, lavender and roses over a core of black and red currant jelly, Morello cherries and boysenberries with a waft of dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound with firm, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. 580 cases were made.