2005 Betz Family Le Parrain
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Tasting notes
(a six-barrel lot of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot and 17% cabernet franc; parrain means godfather in French) Medium red-ruby, not quite as dark as the Pere de Famille. Explosive, superripe aromas of musky berries and nuts. Lush and sweet but with a minerally element giving this slightly reduced wine an impression of spine. I picked up an exotic suggestion of peach flesh. A hedonistic and very pliant style (Betz calls it "a wine of unctuous pleasure"), for drinking earlier than the Pere de Famille.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2005 Le Parrain (the Godfather) is a great addition to the portfolio. It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 17% Cabernet Franc sourced from three vineyards. Opaque purple with superb aromatics including pain grille, plum, blackberry, and black currant, the wine is full-throttle on the palate with huge extract, great depth and concentration, layers of spicy blue and black fruits, licorice, and chocolate. This promising wine requires a decade of cellaring and should provide pleasure through 2045. The Bordeaux-styled wines are scheduled for release in March, 2008. As an aside, I tasted a barrel sample of a 2006 Petit Verdot from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard of which there are only two barrels (50 cases). Were it to be bottled separately, I would rate it (97-100). However, Bob Betz, informed me just prior to going to press that he has decided to blend it into the 2006 Pere de Famille. Oh well? Tel. (425) 861-9823; www.betzfamilywinery.com