The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is made up of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 8% Merlot aged for 16 months in 65% new French oak. Doing a fine impersonation of a classified growth Pauillac, it offers up a nose of sandalwood, Asian spices, incense, herbal notes, violets, black currants, and blackberry. This sets the stage for an already complex, elegant, smooth-textured, structured wine that will evolve for another 5-7 years. This lengthy, impressive effort will offer prime time drinking from 2016 to 2029. Bob Betz, MW, and his family continue to make some of Washington’s finest wines. The downside is that Betz has sold the winery although he will be staying on for a while as a consultant. The 2009s are a worthy successor to the 2008s. Betz says, “I love the vintage” and it does seem to provide racier aromatics. However, Washington’s vintages are so consistent that there is little, in my opinion, to separate any of the recent years.Tel. (425) 861-9823; www.betzfamilywinery.com