"Bright, full red. Spicy high notes to the aromas of raspberry, graphite, sandalwood and cocoa powder. Juicy, perfumed and precise; not a fleshy style but elegant, vibrant and extremely young. Today the wine's mid-palate flavors and texture are still a bit suppressed by the bottling, but this long, firm-edged wine has the structure and inherent material to be outstanding. In fact, I retasted the 2009 next to it, and while that wine was silkier and plusher, it is not likely to match the 2010 for complexity a few years down the road."
Steven Tanzer
"Diversely-sourced – its Merlot blended with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon– the Betz 2010 Clos de Betz emphasizes black pepper, pungently resinous herbs, and arbor vitae, characteristics I imagine are in part a reflection of its 7% of Petit Verdot, that grape being demonstrably (I’m tempted to say notoriously ) efficacious. Cassis, huckleberry, and walnut offer bitter-edged but sappy fruit satisfaction; a crushed stone undertone adds a sense of intrigue; and mineral salts savory saliva-inducement in a gripping, palate-staining finish. This ought to be worth following for at least the better part of a decade."
"Fresh and vibrant, focusing the juicy currant and plum flavors into a bright beam that propels the lingering finish. Shades of crème fraîche and white pepper add interest. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2020.—H.S"
"Looking at the Bordeaux-styled releases from barrel, the 2011 Clos de Betz is the estate's take on a right bank Bordeaux and will be a blend of roughly 63% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. Lacking the weight of the 2010, it is a softly textured, elegant effort that has notions of flowers, black fruit, pepper and incense to go with a medium to full-bodied, balanced mouthfeel. Already reasonably approachable, it will be interesting to see how this shows from bottle; if it puts on weight, the score and drink window will be conservative. - JD"
"This right bank style blend is comprised of 67% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. This wine begins with aromas anise red cherry smoke and pencil shavings. There is a nice vegetal character at play, typical of the vintage. Flavors of red cherry red currant spicebox and anise persist. This is a delicious and lithe effort in this cold vintage. This is a long-ager. (Best 2016-2030) - OB"