Taking Me Back To A Place I Used To Know Not So Long Ago

Those who know me in this business know my love and affection for Washington State wines.  A trip to the state back in 2009 will live in infamy in my heart and mind like one of those unrequited crushes back in high school, the ones that bring a smile to your face when you remember.
 
Ah memories.

One of the coolest moments of my trip out there that year was breaking bread with Bob Betz, the only Master of Wine making wine, one of Washington State’s founding fathers of wine, and the man responsible for putting Chateau Ste. Michelle on the map.  Though the trip was a whirlwind, and the evening with Bob Betz and a host of other great Washington winemakers was particularly incredible, what came after was a yearning that has stuck with me to this very day.

So fast forward to this past week, when Tim Steinke, the director of sales for Betz Family Winery (the winery Bob began 20+ years ago after leaving Chateau Ste. Michelle), dropped in on Todd and I at the Eastgate store, it was like going back in time 7 years to that amazing time.

A bit of background on Betz Family, as I stated before, Bob left Chateau Ste. Michelle to begin his eponymously named wine venture in 1997.  One year later, he receives his Master of Wine certification.  Specializing in red blends, the winery has continued the tradition Bob and his wife Cathy began just before the turn of the 21st Century, having sold the winery in 2011 – though Bob remained as winemaker and Patriarch until this year, when this past June, the torch was passed to Louis Skinner, who began his career as an intern for Betz Family, spending 5 years with DeLille Cellars, just down the street.

• Betz Family Bésoleil 2013.  A kind-of Columbia Valley Chateauneuf-du-Pape if you will, this blend of Grenache, Syrah, Counoise, Cinsault and Mourvedre is gorgeous, with plum and red berry fruit aromas and flavors, hickory smoke and French Roast coffee.
• Betz Family Syrah La Serrene 2013.  Yakima Valley estate fruit – 100% Syrah from the infamous Phelps clone, this is a beautiful homage to the Northern Rhone:  crushed violets and cracked pepper underscore roasted game, duck fat and dark red fruits.
• Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille 2012.  Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, this Bordeaux-themed red is bold, densely-concentrated and deeply structured with black fruits, graphite, leather and espresso bean undertones.
• Betz Family Cuvée Frangin 2013.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, this is the gateway wine from the Betz team.  Softer, gentler and kinder on the palate, with plush notes of blackberry, sage and underbrush, finishing with medium-but-firm tannins.
• Quinta Essentia Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch 2015.  A brand new collaboration between Betz Family and South Africa’s DeMorgenzon Winery in the Stellenbosch, this is old vine Chenin Blanc that is soft, supple and elegant.  100% French oak, whole-cluster pressed with minimal malolactic fermentation, it’s a real beauty.

[These wines are very limited so check with the stores (both of them) to see if we have any.]
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Big thanks to Tim Steinke for coming in to Eastgate, and Wine Trends for carrying these wines.  Great to remember my Road Trip through Washington with such great wines.