2015 Betz Family Vineyards Clos de Betz Red Wine Columbia Valley 750 ml

Inspired by the singular red wines of France, the 2015 Clos de Betz is a 95-point “full-bodied, layered and velvety,” Bordeaux-inspired red. After a glass, you won’t wonder why Robert Parker himself credits the estate for making “The best wines in Washington state.” You’ll just nod in agreement like we did. 

We’ve shared a whopping 19 releases of Clos de Betz over the years, making it a genuine Wine Access member-favorite. And Robert Parker recently noted that the estate has “hit another level.” The 2015 is ready to light up the Wine Access scoreboard again, boasting what Advocate called, “super concentration and depth,” “a long, youthfully chewy finish,” and incredible “structural refinement.”

Clos de Betz hails from some of Washington's best vineyards, including famed Red Mountain sites Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun, which Wine & Spirits magazine crowned “one of the world’s greatest vineyards.” Aged for 19 months in 100% New French Oak, the Clos de Betz takes a Right Bank approach to Washington’s rugged terroir and succeeds wildly. The Merlot-heavy blend moves like suede on the palate, with spicy nuances peppered throughout thanks to the long aging regimen.

Betz Family Winery founder and Master of Wine Bob Betz started out with one goal, not unlike that of many of our favorite vintners: Gazing across Burgundy’s Côte d’Or with his wife Cathy, the two dreamed of making singular wines that would stand tall amongst European behemoths with global followings. After 40 years of devotion to Washington terroir, dozens of 95- to 98-point scores, and enough praise from Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, and Jeb Dunnuck to fill multiple books, and we’d argue Clos de Betz actually exceeds the founders’ lofty aspirations.

Now available across three continents, this is one of our go-to bottlings when it comes to American-made, Right Bank-inspired reds. Blackberry and cassis aromas emanate from the glass, giving way with time to layers of black olive, smoke, Turkish coffee, pine, and creamy oak on the finish. It’s a transcendent wine. After six years in the cellar, it’s positively singing with nuanced earth tones that harmonize like the New York Philharmonic on the palate, while fine-grained tannins suggest this powerhouse has serious evolution left ahead.