2004 Betz Family Clos de Betz

(a five-variety Bordeaux blend based on 59% merlot) Bright, deep red. Musky, sweet aromas of dark cherry, roasted red berries, graphite, leather, roast coffee, herbs and tree bark. Sweet, concentrated, very ripe and floral but showing less early opulence and more structure than recent vintages of this bottling. (Bob Betz notes that it was too easy to make fruit bombs in 2004 owing to the ripeness of the fruit and naturally high pHs. The merlot in particular had high sugar levels without accompanying phenolic maturity in early September and he was tempted to harvest the two sides of the vines separately. In the end, he used petit verdot and malbec to give the 2004s structure and length.) With aeration, though, this showed compelling sweetness and noteworthy depth. This builds impressively toward the back, finishing with strong, juicy fruit; firm, fine-grained tannins; and excellent lift.