2017 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Heart of the Hill

Aromas of black cherry and cedar. Wonderfully earthy notes of black cherry and tobacco have a bright almost citrusy bite thanks to excellent acidity. Well-integrated wood can be tasted in the finish, but the bright acidity makes sure the fruit is not outshined. (AY)

Bright medium ruby. Aromas of crushed blackberry, violet, cocoa powder and licorice; shows more powerful fruit and less obvious oak on the nose than the Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon. Extremely intense and primary, with dense, wild flavors of brambly berries lifted by violet. Not yet showing the range of inner-mouth aromas of the Père de Famille, but this wine may have even more textural richness and depth. The palate-saturating, fine-grained tannins call for several years of cellaring. In a slightly more modern style than the 2017 Père de Famille, this wine boasts terrific urgent primary fruit character and length. (two-thirds fermented in concrete; aging began in 75% new oak but the wine was moved into neutral barriques for a final 12 months)

Simply stunning, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Heart of the Hill exudes focus and precision on the nose, with rich and chewy dark fruits and a clear line of oak through the center boosting the roundness and complexity. Dusty red and purple flower tones flutter out of the glass. Full-bodied, the palate shows a still tight and chewy core but should last a couple of decades. This wine lives at the intersection of complexity, finesse and precision. It has a long finish, where the flavor of the wine remains expressive and vivid for moments beyond—with flavors of blackberry, cassis, cinnamon and nutmeg. Only 300 cases were made.