The other night we went to a pig roast being held at the home of a local winemaker. I had packed a gift bottle of Sauternes for him, but about 4/5ths of the way to his home I realized I had only assumed that this was about him serving HIS wine and that it would be inappropriate to bring wines to share. There was no reason why it couldn't be BOTH. So I panicked and had Bob pull into the Indian casino we'd just passed whose steak house has a pretty good list. The wine I chose worked on several levels. #1, even at $90, it was a lower mark-up and better value than the $60 wines on the list, #2 the producer is a Washington A-lister (founder Bob Betz is a Master of Wine) and well known, and #3 if we ended up bringing it back home it was an ageable bottle we'd enjoy. The somm had three vintages available, from which I chose the '12 thinking it would show the best right now.
We ended up bringing the bottle home, but because it was uncorked (at the last second I opted to make sure it was a good bottle while still in the Casino) we had it with dinner last night.
2012 Betz 'La Serenne' Syrah, Yakima Valley, WA
Nose of violets and blackberries. On the palate, harmonious flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, graphite, coffee, raw beef, roadside fennel and black olive. Dry/less sweet than typical Washington syrahs and minimally/judiciously oaked, with good concentration and an incredibly silky, elegant mouthfeel. Rewards airtime (having it uncorked for 24 hours was definitely a benefit); built to last through 2025 or beyond. Washington syrah for Northern Rhone fans.
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