Betz selling for 67% of release price already

Daniel_Posner · February 16, 2010, 5:52pm

Bob

Thanks for posting!

Chris_Blum · February 16, 2010, 11:22pm

Bob

Thanks for the explanation. You are hereby absolved.

Bob_Betz · February 17, 2010, 5:51pm

Thanks, Chris. But that looks like CNDP in his hand. Gotta get him a bottle of the 2008 Besoleil.

Bob

Eric_LeVine · February 17, 2010, 5:52pm

Nice one Bob. I hope you and family are well and look forward to catching up at the next release.

Bob_Betz · February 17, 2010, 6:05pm

Looking forward to having you taste these two new wines, Eric. See you then.

Bob

larry_schaffer · February 17, 2010, 6:44pm

This just goes to show the inherent risk in working with any distributor these days . . . once the wine is ‘sold’ to the distributor, the winery really has no recourse whatsoever should the distributor decide to dump the wines . . . and in some cases, you are ‘married’ to the distributor for ‘life’ . . .

Sorry to hear this happened to you, Bob . . . . Bummer . . .

Cheers.

Daniel_McNiff · February 18, 2010, 12:48am

Bob,
Thanks for signing up for the forum and answering these concerns. It says a lot about you and your winery. For the record I am a mailing list member but have moved MA so no wine for me. I am a big fan! And yes, I’m working for a distributor as a sales rep.
Hope you have found better representation in IL. If you are looking for it in MA let me know

Bob_Betz · February 18, 2010, 5:43am

I have no beef with conscientious distributors. In my 28 years with the Ste. Michelle team I made many strong friendships with people and companies who handled the wine perfectly, understood our goals and really tried to make a difference.

This event was a case of growing apart, where goals diverged. We have 5 or 6 distributors right now and they typically understand the limits of a small winery.

Put in perspective, this is a great pathway I walk— I tasted through 15 stunning barrels of young 2009 Cabernet this afternoon, black as night, powerful and concentrated. Nobody should feel sorry for me…

Denny_P_e_n_t_e_c_o_s_t · February 18, 2010, 4:56pm

And nobody will…

So Bob, is your winery shipping to Texas yet? I’d sure love to be on list of yours to receive some of that black as night concentrated cabernet. I should be in your system (purchased at the winery during visit with WA friends and Betz supporters a few years ago).

Eric_LeVine · February 18, 2010, 5:20pm

Denny, I suspect that Bob will check back, but I also recommend emailing the winery. Carmen (Bob’s daughter) is super and will let you know where they stand.

http://www.betzfamilywinery.com/thewinery/contactus.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnthonyA · February 19, 2010, 12:17am

Denny, you’re really pushing it when you call me your friend

Bob, I had your 2004 Père de Famille cab last year and it was just stunning. Your 2003 (??) La Côte Rousse was the best WA syrah I’ve ever had…I still remember the bacon fat and meat of the wine

Bob_Betz · February 19, 2010, 1:50am

AnthonyA, thanks for the cheer. The 04 Pere de Famille had less Cabernet in it than our current bottlings, about 76% versus 85+% now. It’s pretty fleshy and rich. I’ve upped the % of CS since as we’ve made certain decisions in the cellar and the vineyard, pulling more suppleness and richness out of a variety (CS) that can sometimes be rather astringent in WA. Focusing more on skin tannin and reducing time in barrel has yielded more pliant profile while increasing the purity of CS fruit that I love.

Cote Rousse has changed just a bit since 03, increasing the amount of French clones in the blend. But the main expression of that wine is its Red-Mountain-ness, even more influential than the clonal selection. Glad you enjoyed.

Bob

michael_dietrich · February 19, 2010, 5:32am

I still remember some of the educational seminars you did when you were with Ch. St. Michelle. Istil sell wine here in Oregon at Fed Meyer in Tualatin. I have been selling your wines here since they have been available. I am hoping things are good for you.

AnthonyA · February 19, 2010, 6:13am

Hey Bob, I get the Red Mountain-ess of your syrahs and it really comes through but you have the ability to coax the bacon and meat profiles out much more than most other WA syrahs. I still have not opened the 06’ syrahs ( La Côte Rousse, La Serene) and the Bésoleil which I tried at your release party two years ago. The Bésoleil was flat out terrific. It seems around five years or so is a good time to begin opening your syrahs and the cab and experience them over the next ten yrs or so. What are your thoughts??

Forgot to mention I 've had the 04 and 05 Clos de Betz over the past two years. More bordeaux like than the Pere de Famille because there are more elements of dirt, earth and leather in these wine IMO. Also only my opinion, but the Clos de Betz is better than the QC Columbia Valley red because QC CVR seem be hotter and have more alcohol than the Clos de Betz.

For those who don’t know, Bob hold a Masters of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. If my memory is correct, there are less than 100 people who hold this designation in the United States so congrats Bob!!

One last question if I may. I heard a rumor that you or someone took a Edouard de Rollat to a wine dinner last year and everone though it was a bordeaux…true?? I’ve had the wine and if I had tasted it blind I would have probably thought it was a bordeaux; the only thing that may have given it away was the fruit of a good bordeaux is sweet and not as ripe as bordeaux blends from say WA or CA. Still, if I had not know it was a WA wine I probably would have thought it was a left bank bordeaux.

Thanks Bob for making some very memorable wines for us wine nuts to enjoy

Bob_Betz · February 23, 2010, 4:38pm

Hi Anthony,

Out of touch for a few days…

Glad you’re enjoying the wines. The aging window you mentioned is pretty accurate, but both the Rhone and Bordeaux blends we make can mature longer, but why let them? I find that while the Cabernet for example can go 15 + years, I prefer them younger. The older I get the more I enjoy vigorous, vibrant fruit. For the Syrahs my window is typically 3-8 years; but I recently had our 2000 La Serenne and it was stunning. Clos’ window for me is more like 4-8 or 4-10. And Cabernet is 5-15 or so.

On the MW, there are now 25 of us in the US, about 260 world wide. The Master Sommeliers are far more numerous.

I had dinner a couple, years ago with Bo from Chateau Rollat and Christian le Sommer from Latour. We had bottles (not blind) of the 05s of QC, Betz Family and Edouard. All three were pretty good wines. Not sure if I would have said the Rollat was clearly BDX but it certainly leans that way. Christian’s influence. And then agaiun, Washington Cabernet can head that way on its ow. What I do know is that all three wines were delish.
Bob