92 Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Coming from the Boushey Vineyard, which is the highest elevation vineyard of the three Syrahs, the 2011 Syrah La Serenne is 100% Syrah that was aged in a combination of new and neutral barrels. As with the Besoleil, it’s beautifully perfumed and elegant, with Cote-Rotie-like pepper, game and bacon fat to go with notions of blueberry, blackberry and violets. Medium-bodied, juicy, lively and pure, it’s a fabulous and elegant effort to enjoy over the coming decade.

As always, my visit with Bob Betz and Tyson Schiffner at Betz Family Winery (which has been owned by the Griessel family since 2011) is always one of the highlights of my trip through Washington. For the tasting at the domaine, we focused on the 2012s (I tasted the 2011s from bottle at my office in Colorado), and they are easily some of the greatest wines I’ve tasted from this estate to date. While these wines always have considerable structure and focused profiles, these 2012 have an extra dimension of depth and texture, and should not be missed!"