2018 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Heart of the Hill
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Tasting notes
In addition to the 2019s tasted from Betz, I was able to do a small retrospective of the Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Heart Of The Hill is just about pure perfection, and I was blown away by how well it showed. Coming all from Clone 2 (as is the 2019), it reveals a vivid purple hue as well as a brilliant array of pure cassis and blueberry fruits as well as scorched earth, wildflowers, and subtle background oak. Deep, rich, and full-bodied on the palate, it reminds me of the 2016, only with a touch more volume and power. It's as seamless as they come, and I have no doubt it will have 25-30 years of overall longevity. It's a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon readers will love to have in their cellar.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Dark, lucid ruby-red. Bright, deep aromas of blackberry and cassis pastille, cocoa nibs, menthol, licorice and violet; an urgent crushed-berry intensity comes through. Densely packed, fine-grained and utterly suave, with sexy oak spice complicating the dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. Powerfully concentrated wine with fine-grained tannins saturating the cheeks, tongue and front teeth. Really stands out for its inner-mouth energy, minerality and light touch. The vibrant, floral, rising finish displays wonderful purity and urgency. Unlike in 2017, this is even more impressive than the Père de Famille, even if it's still a bit youthfully medicinal. Like that wine, this one also benefited significantly from 24 hours in the recorked bottle. (14% alcohol, the only one of these new releases from Betz to hit this threshold, as the fruit comes from a very warm site)
Deep ruby colored with a soft purple edge, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Heart of the Hill bursts from the glass with tones of black cherry, cassis, black raspberry, subtle spice tones, dried herbs and a lifted oak expression. Medium to full-bodied, the wine splashes down on the palate with the classic dusty minerality of Red Mountain, highlighted by red spice and a dusty black-fruited core across the mid-palate. Balanced and structured, the wine lingers with precision as soft spicy and dusty mineral tension continues to unfold with complexity, baking spices, dusty dark fruit and a soft herbaceous note. The long, lingering finish proves that this wine is a serious contender. The wine fermented in concrete and was aged in seasoned oak barrels for 36 to 48 months. Only 3,000 bottles were produced.