2017 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Patriarche
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Tasting notes
Bright, dark ruby-red. Dark berry, black olive and black pepper aromas are lifted by alluring violet and game notes. A very rich, dense Syrah with terrific concentration but a light touch to its purple berry, sage leaf, olive tapenade and salty mineral flavors; a strong whole-cluster peppery element contributes to the impression of intensity and energy yet the wine retains a fine-grained texture. Boasts huge phenolic material from the Red Willow vineyard but this wine, though young, is sexy already and avoids dryness. Winemaker Skinner uses the concrete fermentation to round out the tannins. I was reminded of Guigal's Château d'Ampuis bottling. Gives a lovely impression of weightlessness but has plenty of tannic spine for aging. (vinified with 50% whole clusters, with 52% of the wine made in concrete)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Beginning with notes of coffee and black pepper, the 2017 La Côte Patriarche has aromas of seductive black cherry, blackberry and baked clay. On the palate, the wine has a lush richness about it, with black pepper, cherry skin and a dusty minerality. Full-bodied on the palate, the focus is still slightly rigid, revealing a classically structured and spicy Syrah. The wine ends with balance and finesse on the long and thought-provoking finish. Only 250 cases were made.
This has a very fragrant edge to the dark berries with plenty of pepper, abundant spice and deep, stony elements, all working well. The palate has a very succulent feel with a strong core of dark-fruit flavor. Very composed, concentrated and assertive. 100% syrah. Drink across the next decade.
Lastly, the 2017 Syrah La Cote Patriarche comes from older vines in the Red Willow Vineyard and saw plenty of stems, fermentation in concrete and stainless steel, and aging all in French oak. This magical Syrah’s deep purple color is followed by a huge nose of blueberries, black cherries, crushed rocks, graphite, and black pepper. Deep, brooding, and backward, with both good acidity and tannins, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age but is a thrilling Syrah and one of the best I’ve tasted from this estate. Bravo! The Griessel Family and winemaker Louis Skinner, with plenty of help from Bob Betz, continue to keep this estate near the top of the hierarchy in Washington, as well as all of the United States. Skinner commented that while 2017 was a hot vintage, smoke from massive fires in California and Oregon blocked a portion of the UV light which kept temperatures down, slowed ripening and delayed harvest. The result was good of hang time with the wines still showing sunny, perfumed characters. The 2016 Bordeaux variety releases showed beautifully.