Yossie's Corkboard

Week of November 26th – December 2nd

Just in time for the holiday drinking season, CBS presents seven different ways to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Back in my army days, we banged the bottom of the bottle against the wall cushioned by a towel, which usually worked…

With all the recent vitriol on tasting notes, @drvino has another view on the relevance and importance of the much maligned tasting note.

In honor of Thanksgiving, the always informative and well-written Academic Wino treats us to a brief history of wine in America.

With Biodynamic and Natural Wine having the ability to drive some folks stark raving mad, it’s nice to read an even-keeled piece on the subject from time to time.

With the Mayan End of the World just around the corner, here are some rat, possum and other post-Apocalypse wine pairings just in case… In the event we are all still here on December 22, here are some great pairings with comfort food.

With the rich getting richer, James Suckling and Lalique combine for what must be the most pretentious wine glass ever.

With the diverse range of foods weighing down the traditional Thanksgiving Table, Lettie Teague shows how simple wine pairing can/should be.

Week of November 19th – November 25th

Will Lyons has some nice suggestions for gadget gifts for the discerning oenophile.

New Flash – apparently wine is still snobby. Here’s why.

Despite your wine geekiness, the wine selections at your party are about what the guests want – not you!

Matt Kramer has five questions you should ask every wine you encounter.

With the wine-by-the-glass phenomenon spreading rapidly, Talia Baiocchi rages against the machine.

Week of November 12th – November 18th

Wine Folly has a terrific Beginner’s Guide to Wine.

Adam Montefiore explores the benefits of decanting.

Andrew Jefford proclaims the wine writer is dead. Smart man, great writer, stupid comment.

An ode to Cabernet Sauvignon from @WineFolly. My own thoughts on the once king of the grapes.

Steve Heimoff discusses the Essence of Wine Snobbery. James Suckling – here’s looking at you.

Placing another feather in its already well-endowed cap, Israel’s Golan Heights Winery wins a Wine Enthusiast 2012 Star as New World Winery of the year. Congratulations!

Despite plenty of snide comments regarding George Riedel’s marketing genius and Chris Kassel’s take on the mattershape of your wine glass certainly matters. Oh yes it does!

When thinking about pairing wine and food, it’s the food that should take the lead. More food & wine pairing tips here. According to the Wine Spectator, it’s all about texture.

We can all rest easy now that scientists are hard at work solving the world’s biggest problems – preventing wine induced headaches.

Week of November 5th – November 11th
TO COME

#212- April 20, 2012

I frequently discuss the new varietals with which kosher wineries are experimenting, many a time focusing on the Israeli wineries’ continuous search for the varietal that will be known as “Israel’s Grape”, that with potential to thrive in and best showcase Israel’s unique climate and Mediterranean terroir.  These varietals include Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Carignan and more recently (and at least for now, to a lessor extent) Mourvedre and Grenache.  Many of these varietals hail from France’s Rhone valley, which shares some climate characteristics with Israel.

One notable grape that hasn’t gotten much play in Israel’s quality wine revolution has been the Chenin Blanc, one of the most versatile grape varietals on the planet and native to France’s Loire Valley.  With high resistance to diseases, late ripening and high acidity, Chenin Blanc grows extremely well in warmer climates.  Reflecting this versatility is the fact that you can find wines of all types made from Chenin Blanc – Crisp refreshing dry wine, sparkling wine like Crémant de Loire and serous dessert wines are all well crafted from the Chenin Blanc grape (its high susceptibility to Botrytis makes it a classic grape for those delightfully funky dessert wines (including the Herzog version reviewed below)).  That said, most of the wines produced these days from Chenin Blanc take advantage of its ability for generous yields, relatively neutral palate and ease of growth, producing entry level tables wines at best (or utilized as a blending agent with other wines to buck up their acidity levels) including two such versions from Israel by Carmel and Tishbi.  Israel previously produced multiple such insipid Chenin Blanc wines and I’d venture (and hope) that there are likely many “old-vine” Chenin Blanc vines out there waiting to be revitalized and vinified into some serious wines – time will tell.  As with other grapes like Carignan, the over planting and abundance of mediocre wines have served to run off winemakers and consumers alike from the potential of quality wines from this grape.

Today, nearly all serious Chenin Blanc wines hail from France including the well-known Vouvray and the lessor known but no-less impressive Anjou wines which are usually, slightly off-dry wines (leaving a bit of barely perceptible residual sugar to balance the bracing acidity which makes them a good match to slightly spicy Asian foods).  Other places that have seen some success with the varietal include South Africa, California (were it was widely planted in the 1908s producing easy drinking and mostly bland wines; substantially less-so today) and, to some extent, Israel.

Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of tasting notes this week as very few kosher wineries are making quality Chenin Blanc wines with the notable exception of the delightful Domaine Netofa winery, headed up by winemaker Pierre Miodownick (the winemaker responsible for all the French wines distributed by Royal Wine Corporation), which is focused on finding those varietals that are most appropriate for the Israeli climate and terroir.  Domaine Netofa makes two Chenin Blanc wines, both of which are reviewed below (as do two non-kosher Israeli wineries – Chillag and Sea Horse).  However, with the recent increasing interest in white wines and given the versatility and probable ability of the Chenin Blanc grape to adapt nicely to Israel’s Mediterranean climate, I’m hoping that a few Israeli wineries will pick up the gauntlet and start producing some crisply refreshing versions for us to enjoy (here’s looking at you Ella Valley and Recanati).

Herzog, Chenin Blanc, Late Harvest, Clarksburg, 2009:  Full bodied, deep and rich, with plenty of honeyed sweetness on both the nose and palate.  While the sweetness in this wine is pronounced, rich and warm, there is plenty of balancing acidity to keep the sugar in check.  Dried apricots, mango and crème brûlée on the nose and palate, accompanied by almonds, red candied fruits and more honey on the mid-palate culminate in a long, lingering and viscous finish.  With plenty of sweetness and less than 10% alcohol, this wine is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser having the extra advantage of being a YH Best Buy as well.  Perfect with fresh fruits or as a dessert on its own.  While this wine will keep for years (likely through 2016), I don’t anticipate that it will improve much beyond where it currently is, making cellaring a moot point.

Chateau de Fesles, Bonnezeaux, 1997:  In addition to the dessert wines from the famed Sauternes and Barsac regions, wines from Bonnezeaux can produce magnificent specimens of botrytis wines as well.  This sensuous wine from the Layon Valley is more intensely sweet than typical Sauternes like the Guiraud above, but contains plenty of bracing acidity to rein in the abundant sweetness.  Wonderful notes of nectarines, pineapple, white peaches, vanilla and honey along with hints of licorice.  An awesome match to some of my all time favorite foods – Foie Gras, fruit tarts, salty cheeses or duck à l’Orange.  Delicious now and reflecting the long-term ageability of the Chenin Blanc grape, I’d drink any remaining bottles in the next 2-3 years, as it probably doesn’t have much more peak cellaring time left.

Domaine Netofa, White, 2010:  With the majority of the winery’s vineyards stocked with Rhone varietals, two Chenin Blanc wines doesn’t seem as out of the ordinary as when measured against the rest of the Israeli wine industry that collectively produces less than a handful of Chenin Blanc varietal wines.  An unoaked and  medium bodied wine,  with plenty of pure fruit on both the nose and palate including tart green apple, tropical fruit, melon and citrus along with floral notes, some pleasing minerality and a hint of spiciness, leading into a fruity finish with some pleasing bitterness on the tail end of it.  While the wine would have truly shone with some additionally acidity, there is sufficient acid to carry the wine and keep it lively and refreshing, making it a great spring quaffer but drink up any remaining bottles you may have and clear out some space for the 2011 vintage.

Domain Netofa, Latour White, 2010:  Latour is Domaine Netofa’s upper tier label carrying the corresponding higher price tag.  Made from Chenin Blanc grapes grown in the same vineyard as the “White” reviewed above, this wine spent some time in French oak giving it a bit more structure, in addition to hints of the toasty oak.  A ton of tropical and honeyed fruit on the aromatic nose, much of which followed onto the slightly oily and medium bodied palate with nice notes of apple, guava, green tea and earthy minerals.  A lingering and aromatic finish with more minerals lingers nicely.  Drink now or over the next 12 months.

Week of October 29th – November 4th
TO COME

Week of October 22nd – October 28th
TO COME

Week of October 15th – October 21st

Kris Chislett sets out [and succeeds] is providing a primer on Organic Wine.

Meg Maker explains the philosophical divide between New and Old World wines.

Besides typical issues with scoring, W. Blake Gray discusses his sometime problems with penning tasting notes.

Navigating a restaurant’s wine list can be difficult enough. Sending back a bottle of wine when needed shouldn’t intimidate anyone.

With typical clarity and panache, Adam Montefiore explores the recent rise of Mediterranean blends in Israel.

Aging like fine vine. Tom Barras explores the magic of old-vines. Some recent Israeli [great] examples.

The well-written & recommended Kitchen Rap pens a lengthily, informative and delightful article on Champagne. Bud Selig isn’t happy.

A fascinating article in the NY Times Magazine on Jon Rimmerman‘s Garagiste could have used some fact-checking, at least according to Alice Feiring.

While a de-oaking of wines has been trending for a while, @DrVino discusses its exacerbation by the economic slowdown.

A great little article in the NY Times, profiles Jeff Morgan and his path back to Judaism via his incredible Covenant wines.

Week of October 8th – October 14th

Man steals nearly $3,000,000 of wine (replacing it with oodles of Two-Buck Chuck). Talk about the Fox and the hen house!

Grape’s family tree by Wine Folly.

As New Year approaches, Steve Heimoff encourages folks to drink sparkling wine all year round. I couldn’t agree more!

Week of October 1st – October 7th

Eric Asimov pens a great piece on Randall Graham‘s listing of wine’s every ingredient on its label and the public’s lack of caring. Over at Inside Scoop, Jon Bonné weighs in. Jancis Robinson had her say as well.

Peering into his crystal ball, Steve Heimoff explores the future of wine retail.

Throwing his hat in the wine scoring ring, Rick Bakas discusses some of the [many] problems with wine scores.

Over at Wine Spectator, Matt Kramer explains how smart wine people became boneheads.

Wine Folly provides a simplistic way of deciphering your personal wine tastes.

One of Israel’s loveliest wine routes – the Judean Hills, gets some attention from Adam Montefiore.

Napa Valley’s underappreciated Hagafen Winery gets its due from Adam Montefiore in the Jerusalem Post and the Daily Republic.

#230 – November 1, 2012

With the current events portion of the newsletter out of the way, this week’s topic revolves around one of the wine-related questions I get asked most often: “what is the best cheap wine available” (or a variation on the theme).  Understanding that everyone appreciates a good deal, even more so when it revolves around a delicious beverage such as wine, I regularly try to focus this newsletter on the really good more affordable wines out there including dedicating entire newsletter to these wines from time to time (including my “Hidden Gem” series and “Under $20” newsletters).  More recently, my Annual Pessach Buying Guide included a nice number of wines under $16, all of which I recommend, many of them which are YH Best Buy.  While now six months outdated, the current vintage of any of these wines is good bet for a top QPR wine (subject to certain variations from year to year with some of the wines).

The idea for this week’s topic was driven by a reader’s recent comment (you know who you are JM) and a recent discussion on a wine forum in which I frequently participate.  In addition to providing a list of high QPR wines below, I wanted to drill down a bit on what exactly constitutes a wine with high QPR.  For those of you who don’t know what QPR stands for (especially since it isn’t included in the Glossary listed on my website), it stands for Quality to Price Ratio and, in the oenophilic context, is utilized to reflect whether a wine is a good buy or not (i.e. a wine with high QPR is a good buy, while a wine with low QPR is overpriced and not a good buy).  This is basically the concept behind the “YH Best Buy” term (whose definition is below), although [for now] QPR is used a bit more widely:

YH Best Buy is a term I use to describe a great wine that also provides particularly good value for its money.  While these wines will typically be on the cheaper side, it can also be used to describe an exceptional, awesome wine that is well priced even if it isn’t cheap.

In order to fully appreciate what a high QPR wine is, a better understanding of what price is required and what constitutes quality need to be explored.  It is important to note that price is obviously totally subjective, primarily based on financial wherewithal (or spending attitude) and to a lesser degree, oenophilic prioritization.  One person may consider $20 way too much to ever spend on a bottle of wine (all my relatives – you know who you are) while others snobbishly claim they don’t drink any wine under $50.  Unfortunately, despite $10 quality wine being easily attainable in the non-kosher market, for the kosher consumer this an elusive target for the kosher wine industry and other than a few exceptions, there are really no good kosher wines under $10.  While $25 is the real sweet spot for kosher QPR wines, going up to $15 a bottle opens up the possibilities for a quantum leap in quality (although in no way guarantees it given the large number of horrendous kosher wine in this price range).  In determining the QPR of any wine, the price analysis should be based on retail or easily accessible price.  Using a flash sale, heavily discounted retailer with limited stock or bait and switch pricing creates confusion among the consumer and doesn’t result in a real high QPR wine.

On the other hand, one would think that quality was an objective term, and, in the vinous world, it mostly is.  That said, even quality has many subjective facets within the wonderfully complex world of wine.  For most people in order to qualify as a quality wine, the wine simply needs to be tasty (which, while increasing winemaker abilities and technological improvements make ever easier to achieve, remains easier said than done when dealing with under $20 wines).  On the opposite end of the oenophilic spectrum where the wine geeks, snobs and professionals reside, additional requirements for a wine to be considered a quality wine include sufficient aging ability, depth, complexity and food friendliness.  Additional pre-requisites include good structure and balance and year to year consistency.  Consistency is also a primary factor in a winery earning the title of a “Safe Bet Winery”:

Safe Bet Winery is a term I use to describe über dependable wineries from whom you can purchase basically any of their offerings, year after year, and be assured of getting a decent quality wine.  Ella Valley Vineyards, Galil Mountain, Golan Heights and Recanati all fall into this category.

Now, despite the utter subjectivity of the price component in determining a wine’s QPR, there are points at which it basically becomes objective regardless of affordability.  For example,  a $15 delicious wine that offers depth, complexity and nuance in addition to the ability to age for 10 year (such as the Galil Mountain Yiron which remains among the kosher world’s top QPR wines) is obviously a terrific find offering amazing QPR.  Along the same lines and despite most folks assuming a natural correlation between cheap pricing and high QPR, you can have great QPR for very expensive wines as well.  For an expensive wine to earn a high QPR tag, in addition to all the aforementioned criteria it also has to stand out relative to its peers (i.e. provide something that other wines in that general price range don’t).  If a $50 provides substantial aging ability, that isn’t going to make it a high QPR wine (in fact, any $50 wine that doesn’t have real aging ability is going to have to work really really hard for me to consider purchasing it).  $40 for the better vintages of Recanati’s Special Reserve (Red) wine or $50 for the Golan Heights Winery’s Single Vineyard El-Rom Cabernet Sauvignon represent very high QPR, despite the expensive price tag.  Additionally and despite being slightly higher priced than the ~$20 which traditionally represents the benchmark price for good QPR, the “regular” Cabernet Sauvignon from the Golan Heights Winery’s Yarden series represents one of the highest QPR wines made in Israel – period.

Historically, Israel provided the largest number of high QPR wines, with the lower tiered options of Galil Mountain, Recanati and a number of Barkan Classic wines all providing very nice wines at great price points.  Recently however, and representative of recent changes in the kosher wine industry as a whole, the quality of both the Barkan Classic and lower-tiered Galil Mountain wines have waned (in addition to suffering more vintage inconsistency that in the past), Dalton has entered the fray with some really nice wines in its Estate series, Carmel’s Appellation series has some true “Hidden Gems” including its Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah and “foreign” competitors have started to aggressively compete in this arena.  Examples include Spanish contenders like the affable Peraj Petita from Capcanes and the robust Herenza Rioja from Elvi (a winery for which a dedicated newsletter is seriously overdue – stay tuned).

With all that said and done, whether a wine is “worth’ it depends on how much any individual wants (or can) spend on any particular bottle of wine.  At the end of the day, I think the most honest evaluation of QPR is, after enjoying the wine, do you feel like you got your money’s worth?

Hopefully the list below of ten recent YH Best Buy wines and ten additional high QPR wines will help translate the academic analysis above into economically viable oenophilic pleasure for all of us!

10 Most Recent YH Best Buy Wines

Capcanes, Peraj Petita, Monsant, 2009
Dalton, Estate, Petite Sirah, 2010
Galil Mountain, Yiron, 2009
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc De Blancs, 2005
Herzog, Chenin Blanc, Late Harvest, Clarksburg, 2009
Recanati, Special Reserve, 2007
Recanati, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010
Segal, Single Vineyard Dishon, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
Teperberg, Terra, Malbec, 2009
Tierra Salvaje, Sauvignon Blanc, Lontue Valley, Chile, 2010

10 Additional High QPR Wines

Binyamina, Reserve, Carignan, 2009
Binyamina, Yogev, Cabernet Sauvignon-Petit Verdot, 2010
Dalton, Estate Shiraz, 2010
Elvi, Adar, Cave, Brut, n.v.
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gewürztraminer, 2011
Hagafen, Roussanne, 2010
Quevedo, Ruby Port, n.v.
Vignobles David, Le Mourre de L’Isle, Cotes du Rhone, 2010
Weinstock, Cellar Select, Petite Sirah, 2010

Week of September 24th – September 30th

The cork v. synthetic debate brings science to the table & Steve Heimoff weighs in on the allure of screwtops.

After a few years of hobbyist wine, Napa Valley’s Rabbi Elchonon Tenenbaum of Chabad, teams up with the Covenant winemaking team to commercially produce Cuvee Chabad. I tasted it a few months ago and it was delicious – order here!

With Robert Parker finally inducted into Culinary Institute of America’s Vinter’s Hall of Fame, the Wine Curmudgeon sounds off on the delay & the Hosemaster ghostwrites his acceptance speech.

Week of September 17th – September 23rd

Over at Fermentation, Tom Wark had some quick & easy tips for surviving ordering wine off a restaurant’s wine list. The Globe & Mail had a few tips on rejecting wine as well.

Wine in coach tastes terrible because it IS terrible. CNN explores the science behind Business & First Class wine in tasting different. Chris Kassel give us his [interesting] 2 cents.

The science behind the bubbles in the world’s best drink – the majestic Champagne.

Wine Spectator’s Matt Kramer gives sound advice on how to buy wine. Once you do, here are some suggestions on how to best enjoy the wine.

The Chicago Tribune had a nice little piece on Robert Mondavi & his contribution to getting Americans to drink [wine].

After Jamie Goode declared that “Blogging is Dead“, 1WineDude took up the mantle and painstakingly showed us exactly why wine blogging is still going strong.

Week of September 10th – September 16th

Mocking self-important wine writers/critics everywhere, the highly recommended & always funny Hosemaster describes how he tastes wines.

Wine expert Anthony Giglio asks whether blind tasting is only for bores and beats down a mostly useless ritual.

While not a common situation in my house, the Vineal Vixen has some great suggestions for leftover wine.

Despite all the alternative closure hoopla, real cork is enjoying a Renaissance of sorts.

On his Fermentation blog, Tom Wark reviews/lavishes praise on
Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Book.

The Wine Curmudgeon nicely profiles Riesling, but claims it doesn’t get respect.

Eater.com‘s Wine Editor, Talia Baiocchi, takes a look at corkage across America.

Week of September 3rd – September 9th

Cutting through the marketing BS, Tim Atkin translates 25 common Wine euphemisms.

Echoing millions of newbie wine drinkers world-wide, Wine Spectator’s Harvey Steiman wonders if tasting notes are too pretentious.

Alice Feiring summarizes what Natural wine is all about.

Some important wine terminology explained by Tim McNally.

Jon Bonné discusses how alcohol levels affect a taster’s palate.

Focusing on the cheaper end of the Israeli market, Adam Montefiore showcases the $12 and under nice Israel wines.

With the fall reading season upon us, 1WineDude & Tom Wark’s Fermentaion provide some excellant wine book recommendations.

The must-read Terroirist David White writes a succinct piece explaining restaurant wine service.

[Relative] newcomer Wine Folly demystifies many of the more common potential wine additives.

Cutting to the chase (as usual), 1WineDude discusses the potential implications for the recent trend towards lower alcohol wines.

As wine technology continues to improve, “balance’ becomes an area of supreme focus for winemakers. The Wine Enthusiast’s Joe Czerwinski explores whether this is a good thing?

In a fascinating 2-part interview, W. Blake Gray digs deep with the NY Time’s Eric Asimov (Part I and Part II).

#228 – October 12, 2012

Given my exuberant enthusiasm for the varietal, I am sure that you have all realized by now that the topic of this week’s newsletter – Cabernet Franc – is one of my favorite grapes and produces wines that I enjoy tremendously.  While DNA testing in 1997 confirmed that Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc were actually the parents of the most noble of all grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon; it’s Cabernet Franc that always seems to be playing second fiddle to its prodigal and more famous son.  However, like any good parent, Cabernet Franc has historically been willing to stay out of the limelight, allow its offspring to shine while remaining ever ready in the background to lend a helping hand whenever and however necessary (usually by allowing itself to be blended into anonymity with its more regal patriarch in many well known and famous blends, including some of the world’s most famous wines).  In recent years that trend of silent anonymity seems to have come to an end – at least in Israel (and a few Californian kosher wines) and today Israel produces some terrific kosher single varietal Cabernet Franc wines, which shine in a number of Israel’s top Rose wines as well.

While Cabernet Franc is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon in many ways, there are some distinctive differences with Cabernet Franc being lighter in color and producing a milder wine with less tannins and lower in acidity creating a smoother and rounder drinking experience and a mellower wine.  While the reduced tannins and acidity usually prevent it from achieving the heightened aging capability of Cabernet Sauvignon, well-aged specimens of the grape do have aging potential.  It also produces a more aromatic wine redolent of cedar and flowers including lavender and violets; and, on the palate, the primary difference from Cabernet Sauvignon is a delightful herbaceousness with hints of greenness. Other typical Cabernet Franc notes include pepper, fresh cherries, plums, raspberry, cassis, bell peppers and tobacco.  The peppers and other vegetal notes are the same hints of green about which many wine critics complain when describing Israeli wines but, as long as we are taking about quality wine making, I love the results and think that the greenness inherent in many Israeli wines is one of the reasons that the Prince has taken so nicely to Israeli terroir.

Another area in which Cabernet Franc bests Cabernet Sauvignon is its food-friendliness, as it is a significantly more food-friendly wine than Cabernet Sauvignon (whose bold strong notes can sometimes compete with the food for your palate’s interest).  Given much of the wine world’s [gradual] transition over the last decade from big, ripe and powerful wines to more subtle wines that go with food, it is understandable why Cabernet Franc has enjoyed so much recent success in Israel, as discussed below.

Cabernet Franc thrives in cooler climates than Cabernet Sauvignon and it ripens a couple weeks earlier making is a good hedging bet against storms or other inclement weather that could ruin the harvest.  While a huge amount of Cabernet Franc is planted across France, it is primarily used for blending, typically with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and is barely known as a stand alone varietal outside of the Loire Valley, where the best Cabernet Franc is grown.  Irrespective of Mile’s professed love and adoration for the Pinot Noir grape, it is Cabernet Franc that is the primary grape in his treasured Cheval Blanc 61’ you see him gulping greedily at the end of the film Sideways (ironically the rest of the blend is comprised of Merlot – the grape he professes to despise and spends much of the film maligning).

While many bemoan the overlooked potential of the grape, Israel is actually one of the few wine growing countries who have taken its potential to heart (according to Adam Montefiore, the first quality Cabernet franc in Israel was utilized by the Golan Heights Winery in the 1990s, where it was blended into the flagship Katzrin), a fact evidenced by the substantial number of pure Cabernet Franc varietal wines Israel has and continues to produce with tremendous success.  Cabernet Franc also appears as the dominant grape in many of Israel’s successful Rosè wines, including the relatively new Flam Rosè.  In fact, Cabernet Franc has done so swimmingly well in Israel, that there are many who agree with my past (and current) assessment and prediction that Cabernet Franc has what it takes to be [at least one of] Israel’s Grapes – a varietal so suited to Israel’s terroir as to represent the varietal the country’s winemakers should be focusing much of their efforts on, rather than continuing to chase Bordeaux and Burgundy varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  As an aside, Cabernet Franc was actually widely planted in Israel under the auspices of Baron Edmond de Rothschild (when it was known as Bouchet or Bordo) but gradually disappeared due to its low yields and lack of market for higher-quality (read expensive) table wines.

Much as Israel’s first attempts were, many new-world Cabernet Franc wines tend to be more fruit-forward and cut back on the green notes (probably in an attempt to “Parkerize” their wines).  One example is New Zealand where vintners are of the opinion that their cool climate induces some Cabernet Franc-like notes in their Cabernet Sauvignon and therefore nearly no Cabernet Franc is planted at all.  With its great food matching ability to stews and other slow-cooked or braised foods, Cabernet Franc is the perfect wine to crack open as the weather turns cooler, much as we have been experiencing over the last week or so here in New York.  Listed below are notes for some of the best Cabernet Franc wines available with other worthy options including the Psagot and Domaine Ventura.

Carmel, Appellation, Cabernet Franc, 2009:  Ever since its launch, Carmel’s Appellation series has provided good value wines, with the occasional really interesting wine extra-worthy of attention.  This Cabernet Franc wine is no exception with true complexity and characteristic Cabernet Franc notes.  A medium bodied wine with plenty of red fruit on the nose and palate with judicious oak providing a nice backbone of vanilla and tobacco leaf to back up the fruit.  Much of the same on the palate with additional hints of dark chocolate, eucalyptus and cedar all culminating in a medium finish.  Drinking nicely now, this wine should cellar nicely through 2014.

Ella Valley Vineyards, Cabernet Franc, 2009:  Given my public love affair with Cabernet Franc, it will likely not come as a surprise that this is one of my favorite wines from the winery, one I have been following since its first inception in 2003, and one that continuously ends up being one of Israel’s best and easily the one I enjoy the most.  The 2008 vintage of this wine was spectacular and the 2009 vintage is shaping up to be even better with an exceptionally elegant structure and a luscious medley of fruit, wood and green notes.  A rich nose of mostly juicy red fruit including raspberries, cranberries and currants together with the characteristically true green pepper and notes of pine (although Doron took pains to reduce the overt green notes) follows onto a palate of more fruit, spicy oak, near-sweet cedar, cured tobacco leaf and a mineral streak that is starting to become more prominent in many of Ella Valley’s wines.  Amazing now, this wine will continue to develop in the bottle and should stick around for 4-5 more years through 2016.

Flam, Rosé, 2011: Given my well-documented love for Rosé, I was happy to add another quality example to the repertoire of summer possibilities.  Made from 100% Cabernet Franc (what’s not to love) which give this light/medium bodied wine some welcome bite, the wine is blessed with a nose that takes some time to open but once it does, you are rewarded with subtle notes of strawberry, melon, citrus peel, lavender and a pleasing bitterness.  A refreshing yet somewhat subtle palate of bright summer fruits, citrus and some minerality with good balancing acidity, a characteristic green note of green and some complexity that is rare in a Rosé (maybe a trade off for the lack of typical nose bursting with freshly picked fruit).  As with most Rosé wines, especially the well made ones, a good match to many light dishes and perfect for summer.

Four Gates, Cabernet Franc, 2007.  One of my favorite Cabernet Franc wines and a scrumptious wine.  Four Gates is truly a tremendous winery whose wines are only available directly from the winery.  Well worth the effort and make for fantastic pairing with food.  As with many of the wines from Four Gates, the wine benefits from substantial aeration, either by allowing it to open in your glass (my preferred method) or by decanting, but once it does – Mama Mia!  A rich nose of dense black fruit assails you with black plums, currants and cherries combined with toasty oak, cedar, tobacco, roasted herbs and rich baker’s chocolate with the characteristic green notes and slight bitter streak in the background.  Most of the notes are present on the medium to full bodied palate that it layered and complex with expressive floral notes and mouth coating tannins together with the fruit, spice and judicious oak usage.  A more elegant wine than the powerfully delightfully 2006 vintage while retaining the four Gates characteristic feel – a tremendous wine and one I am quite happy to have stocked up a bit on.

Gush Etzion, Lonely Oak, Cabernet Franc 2008:  As I have written in the past, Gush Etzion Winery seems to have turned a corner and is regularly producing nice and interesting wines, with this Cabernet Franc being one of their best (and a legitimate successor to the 2007 vintage).  A beautiful nose of ripe black fruit with plenty of green notes including mint, eucalyptus and a delightful herbaceousness develops floral accents as it opens up that are complemented by Mediterranean herbs, slightly smoky oak and tobacco.  A medium bodied palate has more black fruit, some red fruit nuances, with nicely integrating tannins and plenty of toasty oak that just manages to avoid stealing the show, creating a well-balanced wine that is well structured with good acidity and will continue to develop for a few years.  Round and mouth filling with freshly cracked black pepper and some warm spices complementing the fruit and greenness.  A long and lingering finish with more oak, chocolate and green notes rounds out this delightful wine.

Older Tasting Notes (6/4/10)

Tishbi, Estate, Cabernet Franc, 2006: Rapidly on its way to becoming “Israel’s Varietal”, a large number of wineries in Israel have evolved from using the Cabernet Franc as a highly successful blending agent to standing on its on as a single varietal that has taken on some Mediterranean characteristics and producing some really great wines. Here we have a lower tiered example of a highly successful use of the grape. Full bodied and still benefits from a bit of breathing room (easily done in the glass after pouring as opposed to pre-opening the bottle) this wine is big, powerful and very interesting. Once you get past the muscular tannins you are able to explore the black forest fruit, lead pencil shavings, Mediterranean spices all tinged with robust but not overpowering wood. Unusual for lower tiered series, this one could probably cellar and even improve in your cellar over the next 3-4 years. A YH Best Buy.

Hagafen, Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley, 2007: Given the hotter climate of California over the Northern regions of Israel it is understandable that this is more like a Cabernet Sauvignon than the Israeli version reviewed here. That said, this is a delicious wine and the first time in a decade Hagafen produced a single-varietal Cabernet Franc – yet another testament to the growing popularity of the grape. Violets and juicy plums and raspberries on the nose accompanied by spicy wood, cherries and cassis make this a rich and concentrated powerhouse of a wine just soft enough to avoid overwhelming you. An interesting and long finish packed with chocolate and vanilla, more spices and strong notes of pepper round out this great wine. One of the best wines in Hagafen’s “regular” repertoire (I am of course biased toward the varietal so take my “best” comment with a grain of salt).

Tanya, Halal Reserve, Cabernet Frank, 2006: I have been following this winery for quite some time and while they make some really good wines (like this one), I am not yet completely on board as they run hot and cold – with some successes followed by some complete failures. Hopefully they will work out the kinks since, in my opinion, this winery has a lot of potential and a definitely recognizable style that sets it apart. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc (and intentionally misspelled), this beautifully purple, medium to full bodied wine has alluring hints of black pepper and espresso along with blackcurrants, blackberries and plums it is not your typical Israeli Cabernet Franc. Tinged with strong, dark chocolate notes and freshly paved road, this is really, really good and interesting wine.

Four Gates, Cabernet Franc, Santa Cruz Mountains, 2006: The 2005 vintage of this wine was my first tasting of the wines from this delightful boutique winery located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Every subsequent wine I have tasted has also been delicious and the 2006 vintage is no exception to that rule. Lots of green notes including green pepper and eucalyptus on the nose together with tobacco, cherries and raspberries on both the nose and palate with nice herbaceous note together with bittersweet chocolate, cedar wood with a long velvety caressing finish leaving you longing for another bottle. Very enjoyable with (great) food.

With the onset of the Jewish New year, this shipment of the wine club provides you with one of Israel’s true hidden gems that doesn’t get enough recognition due the more prestigious Grand Vin sibling, two newly imported wines including a newly kosher wine from the famed Saslove winery and a delicious dessert wine to help usher in a sweet new year.

Bazelet HaGolan Winery

Located on Moshav Kidmat Tzvi in the Golan Heights, Bazelet HaGolan winery was founded in 1998 by Yoav Levy and Assaf Kedem.  The pair split up a few years back, with Yoav remaining at the helm of Bazelet HaGolan, and Assaf starting his own (currently non-kosher) winery, “Assaf”.

Initially a non-kosher winery, Bazelet HaGolan produced only Cabernet Sauvignon wines for a number of years.  The winery became kosher with the 2004 vintage and subsequently added a number of additional wines to its repertoire including Merlot, Chardonnay and an occasional blend or two.  After making a number of successful wines with the 2005 and 2006 vintages, including a delightful 2006 Reserve Merlot, the winery went through a decline of sorts, with limited production of relatively mediocre wines for a number of vintages.  Thankfully and to their credit, starting with the 2009 vintage and continuing through the current releases of the 2010 vintage (including the Cabernet Sauvignon wine in this shipment) and the soon-to-be-released 2011 vintage, the winery has rebounded and is once again producing quality wines worthy of your attention, palate and wallet.

The winery is a mid-sized operation currently producing about 50,000 bottles in two series – Reserve and a table wine series labeled simply Bazelet HaGolan (sometimes referred to as “Bronze”).  Similar to a number of other Israeli wineries, the individualistic style of Bazelet’s current winemaker – Yoav – is very evident in every bottle, enabling it to stand out among ever-growing number of kosher wineries (for a complete list & updated map of Israel’s over 70 kosher wineries, take a look at my website at www.yossiescorkboard.com).  The winery also produces a grappa that is very enjoyable as a digestif.

Bazelet HaGolan, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010:  A medium to full bodied wine with nicely integrating tannins with a touch of bite that provide a nice backbone for the nose of lovely black fruit, baker’s chocolate, slight herbaceousness and spicy oak.  More black fruit and currants on the palate with good structure and balance between the bold tannins, characteristic fruit and hint of bitterness that pleases and leads into a medium finish.  A pretty wine that is drinking nicely now but could use some time to open in the glass at this stage and should cellar through 2014 [Eshkol shipment only].

Binyamina

On a completely different scale, Binyamina is another Israeli winery that has completely reinvented itself over the last few years.  Israel’s [fourth] largest winery and one of its oldest (founded in 1952 as Eliaz), the winery’s history is symbiotically intertwined with Israel’s.  After many years of producing millions of bottles of mediocre table wines destined for the shelves of Israel’s largest retail supermarkets and of little interest to the sophisticated oenophile, Binyamina is today a serious innovator, stocked with serious winemaking talent and producing some truly delightful and amazing wines including an old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon under the Cave label, an incredible Diamond blend in their Choshen series and some great wines in the Reserve series, including the delightful late-harvest Gewürztraminer included in this shipment, guaranteed to properly ensure a sweet new year! Besides the innovation and quality increases at the upper tiers, Binyamina continues to have success with a number of wines in their well-priced “Classic” series and newly introduced “Bin” wines.

Shepherded by their two winemakers, Sasson Ben-Aharon (who recently added general manager to his list of titles) and the funny and gregarious Assaf Paz, Binyamina currently produces wines in four major labels – Choshen (f/k/a Avnei Hachoshen), Reserve, Yogev and Teva.  They also produce a potpourri of other entry-level wines under the Tiltan, Kramim, and Caesaria labels.  Binyamina also owns the popular “Cave” label, but prefers to market it as a stand-alone wine/winery for marketing purposes.

Avnei Hachoshen is Binyamina’s flagship label, with seven wines each named for a gemstone on the breastplate of the Cohen Gadol (the High Priest).  The Reserve series has some really great wines, including the Zinfandel provided in this shipment and late harvest Gewürztraminer.  Tiltan (Hebrew for clover) blends varietal wines across three vintages and is made in very limited quantities but is worth trying. The “Yogev” series (which is “farmer” or “man of the soil” in Hebrew) includes six blends and was created to honor the folks growing the grapes and lists the names of the actual growers on each label.

Binyamina, Reserve, Late Harvest Cluster Select, Gewurztraminer, 2009:  Besides the sweetness achieved by leaving the grapes on the vines for an extended period of time (i.e. “late-harvest”), a small percentage of the grapes were infected with botrytis to great effect.  A rich, ripe and luscious wine with plenty of apricots and dried fruit, some lychees, heather and honey all tempered by good acidity that kept the richness in check. Feel free to cellar this one through 2018 [Eshkol shipment only].

Domaine du Castel

Out of Israel’s more than 250 wineries, Castel is easily the one that requires the least bit of introduction. After moving to Israel around the time of the Six-Day war and working in agriculture in Ramat Raziel for a number of years, Eli Ben-Zaken started Mama Mia in 1988 (a well-regarded Italian restaurant in Jerusalem of which I have many fond memories), and ran it for many years. Feeling that Israel lacked sufficient quality locally made wines to serve at Mama Mia, Eli planted his first vineyards in 1988 – the harbinger of much greatness to come.  After making wine for personal use for a number of years, leaving management of the restaurant to his son Eitan and pioneering the development of the Judean hills as a serious oenological region, Castel was founded in 1992 by Eli as a commercial winery with an initial release of 600 bottles.  While the wines were well received, it wasn’t until a bottle made it to the head of Sotheby’s wine department in London – acclaimed Master of Wine and renowned expert, Serena Sutcliffe (who adored it), that Castel really hit it big on the international stage.

With success and acclaim, production grew and once the winery hit approximately 100,000 bottles it became kosher with the 2002 vintage (there was a kosher and non-kosher line that year) leading to the expected increase in production and sales.  The winery’s success and continued recognition stems from a number of factors including astute marketing and promotion, a consistent look and lineup of wines, quality and most importantly, individuality of the wines themselves.  While more common these days, Castel was one of Israel’s first, and for many years, only, winery producing “old-world” style wines, showcasing restrained fruit and relatively limited oak as opposed to the prevalent style of the times – blockbuster fruit and judicious use of mostly new French oak.

Notwithstanding 17 years of production, new wines are introduced incredibly infrequently with Castel’s current portfolio including only four wines: its top tier Grand Vin – a Bordeaux type blend aged for 20-24 months in oak, the Petit Castel, also a blend, aged for 16 months in oak and intended for earlier drinking, the “C”(100% Chardonnay) and its most recent addition – a crisply dry and refreshing Rosé.

A true family winery, Eli the founder is also the chief wine maker, with his son Ariel assisting with the winemaking and holding the title of CEO, his other son Eitan is the winery’s COO and his daughter Ilana manages the winery’s efficient exporting efforts. The winery relies entirely on grapes grown in the area of the winery, mostly in their own vineyards which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot and small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Malbec that are included in certain vintages of both the Grand Vin and Petite Castel wines.  Historically, aging ability was the winery’s main Achilles Heel, but recent vintages have shown welcome improvement in this regard, a trend I expect to continue.

Domaine du Castel, Petite Castel, 2009:  An amazing wine that is second to the better-known Grand Vin in name (and price) only.  While the Grand Vin is a deeper, Bordeaux type wine, which will mature over the next couple of years, the Petit is an interesting wine, which, while it has aging potential, is a very approachable wine right now.  A medium bodied blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 16 months in French oak.  On a nose that takes a few minutes to open up but when it does it reveals rich notes of cassis, blackberry, eucalyptus and crushed sweet black fruit much of which continues on a round and mouth-filling palate with the addition of dark baker’s chocolate, a hint of red fruit joining the black, cedar and slightly sweet oak.  A long lingering and incredibly smooth finish with bittersweet chocolate, cigar-box, some spicy wood and pleasantly tingly bitterness at the end.  A very well balanced wine with good structure that should help the wine improve over the next few years.  Drink now through 2015 [both shipments].

Saslove

After a few years of making wine on a smaller scale, Barry Saslove founded Saslove winery on Kibbutz Eyal in 1998.  Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Barry first came to Israel as a volunteer in the Six-Day war, later moving to Israel permanently and working as a computer engineer at Amdocs until calling it quits in 1991 and devoting himself to his passion of wine.  Like Castel, Saslove is the quintessential family winery.  Barry is the chief winemaker, with both his wife Nili and middle daughter Roni heavily involved.  While Roni’s main focus was initially PR and marketing she has been involved with every harvest at the winery in one way or another and after spending a year at Ontario’s Brock University learning winemaking (after obtaining a degree from the agricultural school at Hebrew University), recent years have seen her become more involved with the actual winemaking process including making her own wines including the delightfully refreshing Lavan and a recently released (non-kosher) Gewürztraminer in Icewine style, a trend expected to continue.  The winery has and continues to enjoy a long-standing fan base due, no doubt, at least in part to the delightful personalities of the Saslove family members involved.

From day one the Saslove winery has been at the forefront of innovation and experimentation among Israeli wineries, with a big focus on blends and barrels utilizing over ten different types of barrels (American, French, new, used, larger and smaller).  The winery places a large focus on the type of barrels used, and proudly promotes the use of oak staves or chips in their lower tiered wine meant for early drinking such as the Aviv Series, whose Marriage wine is reviewed below.  They were also among the first Israeli wineries to adopt synthetic corks as their line of defense against the dreaded bacteria TCA.  Despite his official title as head wine maker of the Saslove winery, thousands of folks in Israel consider Barry to be a wine educator par excellence (a title I’m pretty certain he would actually take more pride in than his well-deserving winemaker one).

Saslove has a number of highly acclaimed vineyards all located on the Upper Galilee including the famed Ben-Zimra area, with two of them organically farmed. With a current production of approximately 80,000 bottles annually, Saslove produces wine across three labels and sells approximately 30% of their production to other wineries: a table label called Aviv, which are meant to be “in your face” wines, consumed young and aged for six months with oak chips; a premium label – Adom – is usually aged for approximately 20 months in French oak; and the winery’s flagship label – Reserve –only produced in appropriate years from the best of the Adom barrels.  For now, kosher consumers will need to satisfy themselves with the newly released Aviv wines, but will have to wait at least another 12 months for the 2010 vintage of the Adom (and hopefully Reserve) wines to come to market.

Saslove, Aviv, Marriage, 2010:  The Marriage is easily my favorite red wine of Saslove’s current portfolio of available kosher wines I tasted.  A medium bodied Bordeaux blend that spent 6 months with American and French oak staves giving it a solid base of near-sweet tannins that are already well integrated with a lovely nose of cassis, cherries, red plums tinged with black pepper, spicy oak, black licorice and baker’s chocolate.  Plenty more fruit on the nose along with more spicy oak, solid tannins some pleasing herbal notes and espresso with a medium finish that lingers nicely.  As with the other Aviv wines meant for early drinking and not long-term cellaring, the wine is enjoyable now and should cellar nicely through 2015 [both shipments].