While I found the 2003 Clos de Betz to contain worrisome levels of rustic, hard tannin, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is an impressively powerful, chunky wine. Containing 13% Merlot, 8% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot in the blend, this medium to full-bodied wine is dense, concentrated, and deep. Its blackberry liqueur and tar flavors linger throughout its long, tannin-studded finish. Projected maturity: 2010-2022.Tel. (425) 861-9823; www.betzfamilywinery.com

Slightly chocolaty with a hint of dusty plum and juicy blackberries, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille is still oaky with hints of dark cherry skin aromas. The wine is full-bodied on the palate, with notions of leather and graphite and a ripe frame, followed by hints of turned earth, soft tertiary notions and a balanced structure. The wine leaves me wanting more complexity and layers, and I fear it is on its last leg. Drink up!

Firm, chewy, young, tight and yet quite supple and fulfilling, this stunning Cabernet is packed with a rainbow of fruit flavors—blueberry, black currant and black cherry—that open into a seamless, beautifully proportioned wine. The scents and flavors run the gamut from citrus peel to clove to oy to chocolate, espresso and beyond.——P.G.(6/1/2006)—— 95