"Dark red-ruby. Aromas of blackcurrant, cocoa powder, bitter chocolate, licorice and burnished oak, lifted by a violet topnote. Densely packed but light on its feet, with perfectly integrated acidity energizing the fine-grained flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, cocoa powder and violet. Boasts a rare combination of bullet-proof, youthfully impenetrable tight grain and outstanding floral, white-peppery lift. Superb noble tannins dust the front teeth on the very young, long, juicy finish. An outstanding 2012 blend built for a long and graceful evolution in bottle. This is the first vintage of this wine to include Merlot from DuBrul Vineyard; incidentally, Betz noted that Merlot on Red Mountain was extremely successful in 2012. - Stephen Tanzer"
- Vinous (December 2014), 93+ pts
"Just over two-thirds Merlot with the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and a pinch of Petit Verdot, this thoroughly delicious wine opens with a complex assortment of aromas, including incense, toast, crushed flowers, spice, bay leaf, licorice and red and black fruit. The palate is deft but brings waves of layered fruit flavors that show great density and richness. It’s hedonistic but doesn’t sacrifice one iota of balance. It drinks best at 62 degrees."
"This wine is a blend of Merlot (63%), a whopping 22% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of smoke, cedar, dried herbs, licorice, pencil lead, crushed flowers and red and black berries are followed by soft, plump fruit flavors. It brings an undeniable warm vintage appeal but with a compelling sense of elegance and balance."
"The only other 2013 reviewed on this go around (most were reviewed last year), the 2013 Clos de Betz checks in as a blend of 63% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Petit Verdot, mostly from Red Mountain and Yakima Valley, that spent 19 months in French oak. Sexy, supple, perfumed and beautifully complex, with notes of currants, dried flowers and an almost garrigue like perfume, this full-bodied beauty is already impossible to resist, yet will absolutely cruise for another 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck"
"The inky colored 2014 Clos de Betz is certainly one of the top Merlot dominated wines in Washington state. Giving up lots of blackberry, plum, bouquet garni and licorice, it’s full-bodied and layered on the palate, with a sexy, hedonistic vibe that’s common in this big, rich vintage. It has good density through the middle and will keep nicely, but it should also put a smile on your face early in its life as well. - Jeb Dunnuck"