Nose
The real excitement begins with the aromatics: black cherry, damson plum, and cocoa bean lead the charge, while leather, tobacco, sage, and truffle all show up with time in the glass.
Palate
The palate offers merlot’s weight and density, yet faithfully expresses the freshness and detail of the vintage. This is further enhanced by the highest percentage ever of Petit Verdot in this blend (20%): dried thyme and pencil lead nuances add stunning complexity.
Harvest
After the cooler vintages of 2010 and 2011, Washington is back to the more typical trend of warmth in 2012 and 2013. Bud break arrived in early April in many areas across the state, a sign that harvest would likely arrive earlier than usuall. Flowering took place anywhere from one week to four weeks early, and in very good conditions. The result was a large crop that could be thinned out to only keep the very best clusters.
The heat stayed constant through the summer months, with just a little cooling over a couple days in July when we experienced a small amount of rainfall. As September arrived, and we began to pick grapes, a cooling trend slowed things down in the second week of September. Some have called 2013 the tale of two harvests, referring to the period before and after the cooling trend. In 2013, the combination of above average heat, and cool night time temperatures resulted in rich textures combined with the life preserving acidity we value so much for freshness.
Appearance
In the glass, the 2013 Clos de Betz displays a deep ruby hue.
