Yatir Winery

February 16, 2011


#161 – February 4, 2011

In any wine-related conversation, inevitably one of the first questions I am asked is “what is your favorite wine?” or “what is your favorite winery?” Given my love and passion for all wines, I truly don’t have a favorite wine or even one I find myself drinking most often. That said, wineries whose wines I find myself feeling most passionate about are those that only make good to great wines and those with whom I have a long-standing relationship. Among these true favorites are Ella Valley and Bustan, with Gvaot, Karmei Yosef and Dalton not far behind. Consistency is a key requirement, as is producing well-made, elegant and distinctive wines. All that said, Yatir is at the top of my personal list and the topic of this week’s newsletter.

On to Yatir which I consider, along with the Golan Heights Winery, to be the best winery in Israel! I am still trying to figure out why, with very few exceptions, the Castel Winery (a fabulous winery in its own right) gets almost all of the international recognition and acclaim. Side note to all Israeli wineries – hire Castel’s PR team – they do a magnificent job! Located in the south of Israel at the tip of the Judean Hills, in an area with a history of wine making dating back over 2500 years, it is in close proximity to the incredibly beautiful Yatir Forest – truly a sight for sore eyes (and that is before you even start tasting their wines). Founded in 2000 as a joint venture between the Carmel Winery and a number of regional wine-growers, this was one of the first kosher boutique wineries that produced spectacular wine, which could compete with the then king of Israeli boutique wineries – the non-kosher Margalit Winery.

Notwithstanding Carmel’s ownership, head wine maker Eran Goldwasser is said to have complete autonomy over wine making decisions which bears out given the fact that Yatir was producing great wines long before Carmel started its meteoric ascent back to greatness. Now assisted by the winery’s manager, Yonatan Ben Dor, Eran manages to only produce fantastic wines – a tough feat for any winery.

First impressions are truly important and definitely affect my relationship with the wineries. Of the wineries listed above, Ella Valley’s 2002 Vineyard’s Choice Merlot, 1997 Dalton’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Bustan’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Karmei Yosef’s 2007 Shiraz and Gvaot’s 2005 Masada Merlot are all prime examples of great first impressions that had a lasting effect on my feelings for the winery. My first encounter with Yatir was no different, and their 2001 Forest was a revolutionary wine to me at that time. The 2001 vintage was a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot – a big and powerful wine with an extraordinary elegance to it. A truly special wine (and one that is still hanging on to life today with dignity).

For many years, the only wines produced by Yatir were the Forest (Ya’ar Yatir) and a bold and complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz (in which the pieces come together beautifully into a great wine). In 2004, Yatir introduced an incredible Sauvignon Blanc wine that became an instant hit and followed that up the following year by introducing a single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz that were just as successful. 2006 brought another major hit with a varietal Viognier. After this long string of amazing wines, I can only hope and pray that Eran sees fit to divert some of their Cabernet Franc grapes from blending and tries his hand at a varietal Cabernet Franc (at that point I may have to name my next kid after him!

While Yatir is easily a Safe Bet Winery, its one drawback is pricing. As with most things in life, with success came a little craziness, greed and ego, and the pricing on Yatir’s wines has escalated over the years. For some reason, the discrepancy between pricing in Israel and the US seems to be higher for Yatir than some other wineries, with their Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier going for over $30. A few years ago, the Yatir Forest was retailing for $115 until someone realized the stupidity of that and prices dropped back to a (ever-so-slightly) more reasonable $85. Great, great wines but nothing even remotely close to a YH Best Buy.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

Yatir, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009: By far my favorite Sauvignon Blanc wine, but unfortunately extremely overpriced in the United States (I’m not exactly sure why). Yatir’s red wines get a lot of attention, and justifiably so, but this one deserves to be a serious contender for space in your cellar (just have someone bring you back bottles from Israel). A superstar wine year after year, this latest vintage doesn’t disappoint. A complex and layered wine with hints of tropical fruits and citrus, together with traditional grassiness and a flinty edge to it that makes your palate stand up and say Wow. Plenty of bracing acidity to keep the fruit in check, the wine matches nicely with a heaping plate of latkes. One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I have tasted, and enough to make any “I only drink red wine” person change their tune.

Yatir, Viognier, 2009: I love Israeli Viognier which has a personality all of its own with somewhat atypical creamy notes. While I can only hope and pray for a kosher Condrieu to come my way, for now I am happy to make do with this wine along with the Viognier offerings of Yarden and Dalton. Following the world-wide trend of unoaked wines that has happily ensconced itself in Israel, this wine was not aged in oak, resulting in fruit and floral aromas that quite literally burst out of the glass as soon as the cork pops. The promise of all that deliciousness lingers on the palate, loaded with tropical fruits and citrus and curbed by generous acidity that keeps all the fruit nicely in check.

Yatir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: A big wine composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petite Verdot (another varietal Yatir should produce with some of these blending grapes). Aged for 12 months in French oak the wine has a rich nose of blackberries, cassis, currants, cranberries and raspberries. Your first sip of this wine will make you jump for joy, given its super-rich and extracted flavors from the nose. Plenty of well integrated wood and tannins, along with dark chocolate that plays very well with the ripe but not-overwhelming fruit with a pleasant hint of greenness. A long, velvety finish rounds this one out, lingering on and on. An atlas of a wine that could carry the world on its back and one that I expect to enjoy for at least another 6-7 years.

Yatir, Merlot-Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: Since the 2005 vintage, the blend had included more than its three namesake varieties (this one is comprised of 35% Merlot, 24% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3%Petit Verdot which result in a terrific wine that was oak-aged (primarily in French oak) for 12 month. As with every other Yatir wine, a consistent hit year in and year out, and one that has proven to age gracefully (although probably without the staying power of its regal older brother – the Forest). A full-bodied wine with blackberries, currant and plums on both the nose and palate, together with mocha, cloves and other warm spices and a pleasant bitterness on the medium finish. A keeper and worth your $40.

Yatir, Yatir Forest, 2006: The undisputed flagship wine of Yatir and, in my opinion, a candidate for flagship of the Israeli wine industry generally. An undisputed champ every year, it’s scary to think what the amazing 2008 Shmittah vintage will yield for this wine. While the winery uses a different blend every year, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are always the dominant ones used (the 2002 vintage was actually 100% Cabernet Sauvignon). This vintage is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Petit Verdot and 12% Merlot. The superlatives for this wine go on and on but I will be brief since I am sure you got the point by now. The wine spent 16 months aging in predominately French oak (one-third new barrels), resulting in a wine that will easily make it to Zevi’s Bar-Mitzvah (thankfully all my kids were born in great vintages – 2001, 2006 & 2008). Plenty of red and black fruit on the nose including blackcurrants, raspberries, red cherries and plums with noticeable oak as well. The palate delivers in a big way, with a mouth-filling array of red (and some black) fruit, chocolate, grilled meat, more spicy oak, Mediterranean herbs reflecting the wine’s birthplace and a fleeting sweetness to the tannins that enchants. A long, lingering finish wraps you in chocolate, wood, vanilla, spice and all that is nice.

Yatir, Shiraz, 2005: A dark inky purple color, this full-bodied wine made from 100% Shiraz (although the 2006 vintage had 15% Petit Verdot blended in and the 2007 vintage came with 2% Viognier that, amazingly, is known to add body and color (!) to red wines). I heard rumors that it was going through a “dumb period” so I uncorked one of my last bottles and was delighted to find it as bold & beautiful as ever. This delicious wine has developed nicely in the bottle as a result from its terrific body and harmonious structure. Tons of big, bold black fruits tinged with plenty of smoky oak. Good overlay of grilled meat and earthiness round out this treat, and lead to a long finish. Relatively high in alcohol at 15% but not that noticeable given the elegant structure. Still young with easily 4-5 years of cellaring left.

Where do we go from Here? (Israel’s Path Forward)

February 15, 2011

#162 – February 15, 2011

Following on my end-of the-year newsletter which dealt with past and future trends in the kosher and Israeli wine world (Trending Upwards), I wanted to spend a little more time discussing the current status of the Israeli wine-industry and the direction in which it seems to be going.

As you all know, while the Israeli wine industry has been on a steady ascent with respect to quality and sophistication for 20 years, the last 5-7 years has been explosive insofar as the number of incredible wines and wineries that have sprung up and provided the consumer with a multitude of increasingly interesting possibilities when reaching for a good bottle of wine that just happens to be kosher.

This has happened all across the spectrum, from the lowest level of supermarket wine which has become really good wine at a decent price (the Barkan Classic Pinot Noir and Petit Sirah being good examples), all the way to the Super-Israelis like the Rom and Katzrin wines from the Golan Heights Winery, Dalton’s Matatia, the “E” from Ella Valley, Carmel’s Limited Edition and of course the impeccable Yatir Forest.

One the wine making revolution got underway in Israel, for years the top-tier wines produced by Israeli wineries were big, bold and fruit-forward wines with tons of alcohol and lots of ripe fruit, made from the classic Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Petit Sirah, Malbec (and other secondary varietals) primarily used as blending agents. The wines produced were pretty similar to each other and, while well-made and delicious, they tasted like many other wines made all over the world and could have been made anywhere. Many of these were also wines that had been what Alice Feiring likes to call “Parkerized” – meaning made to please the palate of famous wine critic Robert Parker and hopefully win a high score from him (although, given the captive kosher consumer audience, Daniel Rogov’s scores probably move more Israeli wine than Parker or anyone else’s). The main difference between the Parkerized kosher and non-kosher wines was their price, as kosher wines were (and still are) priced significantly higher than their global peers. While this is probably the result of kosher consumers being locked into a monopolized market, that is a debate and discussion for another time (I’m working on a future price-related newsletter).

The last few years have seen a number of welcome and very important trends start to percolate throughout the industry. Israeli wine-makers have started to realize that in order for Israeli wines to be recognized around the world as anything other than “kosher”, they need to have some “Israeliness” to them. As long as the wines being made in Israel tasted like wines made in numerous other places, there was little incentive for anyone other than the kosher consumer to try them, especially given their higher price-tag. As a result, recent years have seen a trend, spearheaded by Carmel, to try and find a more Mediterranean style of wine that would brilliantly showcase Israel’s unique terroir and provide the global wine consumer with an incentive to try something truly different – a wine from Israel, the country with thousands of years of wine-making history. Carmel even created a flagship wine –Mediterranean – comprised of a few varietals that have proven themselves to be at least somewhat expressive of Israel’s terroir, specifically Petit Verdot, Syrah and Carignan (more on Carignan below) which include more herbaceousness such as Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme. Other wineries, including Tzora, Tzuba, Vitkin (non-kosher), Psagot, Agur and others are also making “dirt” wines that actually taste like they come from a specific and special place. All in all, a very welcome trend.

Another trend along the same lines is Israel’s search for a varietal to call its own. While Israeli winemakers have shown their ability to successfully create Bordeaux blends and single Bordeaux varietals (which was the right initial move and necessary to build up the industry), Israeli wine makers need to start experimenting with different grapes, blends and wines in order to find the grape(s) that are most suited to its climate(s). Focusing on creating spectacular wine with such varietals that will be appreciated around the world is surely the next move. I have heard from many professionals, that one of the main reasons that Castel’s wines get so much international attention is that they are discernibly different than most Israeli wines and really stand-out from the pack, which is true and proves my point (I usually chalk it up to their incredible PR team (:-)), but it’s obviously more than that).

Most people professionally involved in the Israeli wine industry, including wine makers, critics and those in charge of promoting Israel’s wine industry to the world, agree with this necessity and there are a number of leading candidates for Israel’s varietal. In my opinion, the current varietals that are most likely to succeed are Carignan, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Some folks think Grenache has a good shot but I haven’t seen any results to back that up – yet. Carignan actually has quite a history in Israeli and was its primary grape for almost 100 years (until the mid 1980s when Israel fine wine revolution took off). However, the wine produced in those days was nothing like the superb Carignan wines available on the market today, one of my particular favorites from Carmel – the Appellation Carignan 2006. In addition to their increasingly larger roles in the top-tier blended Israeli wines, all of the aforementioned varietals are also providing superb single-varietal wines as well.

As the industry barrels down this path, one question I would raise is whether the Israeli / kosher consumer is actually ready for this shift? As with many global trends, Israel tends to lag a bit behind. The move away from Parkerized wines to more those with elegance and a taste of place is probably about five years old and started with the professionals – wine critics, sophisticated drinkers and the wineries and wine makers themselves. The wine consumer is just starting to get into this trend, one of whose offshoots is the increasing interest in organic and biodynamic wines. The question I pose is how will the kosher wine consumer, who is just starting to get into drinking wine on a semi-massive scale, react to the shift away from Parker’s big bad boys to more subtle and elegant wines that actually taste like they were made in a winery as opposed to a laboratory? Most of the wine drinkers I know, who are only recently getting into wine tend to still prefer the big, fruit-forward wines, and don’t usually like or appreciate the more elegant, dirt-driven stuff. Only time will tell, but I can promise you it will be a fun journey.

To sum up, the wine industry needs to figure out how to satisfy the sophisticated and international palate by creating more terroir driven and Israeli/Mediterranean wines while still coaxing the newbie drinkers along to greater sophistication by still satisfying their palate for the bold and the beautiful.

No notes this week, but I’d suggest giving some of the more elegant, subdued and terroir driven wines a try. The Carignan and Petit Sirah in Carmel’s Appellation series or Tzora’s Givat Hachalukim (their Gewürztraminer is also great) would be among my top picks.

Best of the Best?

February 2, 2011

From #130 – June 13, 2010

Among the treats I was fortunate to enjoy over the last couple weeks was the Rom from the Golan Heights Winery. This newly released Israeli wine has been generating a significant amount of chatter among wine consumers for a number of reasons not the least of which is the fact that Daniel Rogov rated it 96 points – the highest rating he has ever given to an Israeli wine. Mostly as a result of this fact but coupled with a very limited release of 6000 bottles (3000 destined for export to the U.S.), these facts have created a slightly insane secondary market with bottles going for more than twice their suggested retail of NIS 380 in Israel or $135 in the U.S. While the exact longevity of this wine remains in question given its first release, the pedigree of the Golan Heights Winery indicates that it probably has at least a decade of improvement ahead of it. All this, together with it being from Zevi’s birth year, led me to purchase a few bottles which i intend to save for Zevi’s Bar-Mitzvah (B”H). I had the pleasure of tasting this wine due to the generosity of MK – thanks and much appreciated – truly a special wine as you will see from my note below.

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Rom, 2006: Two things hit me right off the bat with this wine – the first was how utterly approachable it was at release and right out of the bottle; and the other was how strongly the Syrah dominated the nose and palate of this wine. An interesting blend of 37% Syrah, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, the wine was the result of collaboration between GHW’s chief winemaker Victor Shoenfeld and Zelma Long. Zelma has been assisting GHW for almost 20 years and was one of the first vintners to make the direct link between wine growing and wine quality through extensive experiments in the vineyard resulting in GHW’s current focus on individual vineyards and their different qualities and characteristics. The name Rom means summit in Hebrew meant to reference the culmination of their partnership over the years. Tons of fruit on the first attack including red cherries, juicy blueberries, tangy raspberries with loads of juicy Syrah notes reaching out of the glass in a full-frontal attack. Notwithstanding the abundance of fruit, the great structure and body on this wine indicate its cellarability and potential for elegance. I look forward to opening a bottle in about 8 months from now (unless another buddy wants to share :-)).

Golan Heights Winery

February 2, 2011

#128 – May 28, 2010

One of the things I enjoy most about writing this newsletter is introducing folks to newer and less known wineries, usually Israeli one. While the proliferation of new boutique kosher wineries is an awesome relatively recent development that enables us to experience a huge spread of wines, wine-making techniques, expressions of terrior and types of wines from around the world; a less fortunate by-product is that we tend to start regarding the larger, more “commercial” wineries (such as Barkan and Carmel) as passé and less interesting or exciting to experience. As I have mentioned in the past when discussing these wineries, this is a crying shame since, just because you have become a behemoth doesn’t mean you can no longer produce quality or even special wines. We are experiencing a true golden age of kosher wines with more and more producers realizing that they need to keep pushing the envelope, both with respect to quality and individuality, in order to win our hard earned Lirot.

With that in mind, this week I wanted to talk about the 800-pound gorilla in the room – the Golan Heights Winery (“GHW”) which is the third-largest commercial winery in Israel producing over 30 different wines on a more-or-less annual basis. Regardless of my adoration for the soul of the Yatir and Ella Valley wineries and the superlative-laden portfolio of wines Carmel is putting forth on a regular basis, GHW remains, in my opinion, the gold standard for Israeli wineries. Historically the winery started the revolution in the kosher wine world resulting in the fact that Manischewitz is no longer the first thing that comes to (wine knowledgeable) folks when they hear the words kosher wine (although from the idiotic way almost every kosher wine-related article I read begins you wouldn’t know that). Their Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yarden series dating all the way back to the early 90s are still drinking very well today, and that wine remains the most consistently good and reasonably priced Israeli wine on the market today if you are looking for a wine with any serious cellaring capability. Buying an annual case of the Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon and drinking a bottle a year provides one with the true oenophilic pleasure of watching something develop and mature (kind of like kids without the diapers, sleepless nights and exorbitant tuition).

Until recently GHW produced wines under three labels – Yarden, Gamla and Golan. In 1990, which was a fantastic vintage year, GHW introduced their flagship wine – the Katzrin and indicated it would produce only in exceptional vintages. Subsequently that produced a Katzrin in each of the 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2004 vintage years (all of which are great and long-lasting – the 1993 is still at its peak) and they should be a 2007 vintage Katzrin as well (GHW also produces a Katzrin Chardonnay almost annually). In 2001 GHW introduced another ultra-premium, single vineyard wine of which there was a Cabernet Sauvignon from the El-Rom vineyard and a Merlot from the Ortal vineyard (both which were unbelievable, reviewed multiple times on these pages and a welcome addition to the top-tier kosher wine family). These wines were produced again in 2003 (see newsletter #47) and then again in 2004 leading some to start doubting the “only in great vintages / something special” concept.

While it is true that GHW is currently producing a large number of single-vineyard wines (many more to come over the next couple years) and they appear to be released on a near-annual basis (as opposed to the one in a special vintage year Katzrin-style wine), this in no way shape or form detracts from the fact that GHW has, once again, stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park as these are all top-notch wines. My one complaint is price-related and not specific to GHW. A future newsletter will touch on recent pricing concerns for the better kosher wines and whether the market can sustain some of these pricing issues over the long-term.

Any winery would be forgiven if they decided to take a breather, rest on their laurels and ride their recent successes but this was not the path GHW took. They recently released yet another flagship wine which is a blend called “Rom” from the 2006 vintage. A limited amount of 6000 bottles was produced at they are being sold for approximately $85 in Israel and $130 in the US. I have purchased a few mainly because 2006 is Zevi’s birth year and, from Daniel Rogov’s note, it seems like it will still be very much alive and kicking at his Bar-Mitzvah. Additional, Rogov gave the wine 96 points making it the highest-scoring Israeli wine yet which will of course lead to a stampede on the wine and the ability of folks to charge ridiculous sums of money for it. [I subsequently tasted this wine – see my notes here].

All that said, there is one area in which other wineries (like Galil Mountain, Hagafen and Recanati come to mind) surpass GHW. While most of their wines are good to excellent, they are not stinker-free – as there are some offerings in their Golan series (especially the Sion Creek stuff) that isn’t quite up to par with the rest of their portfolio.

While this email can in no way come close to describing the huge number of wines produced by the winery, I have described a number of wines from different series below that I think are worthy of your attention and that I have not reviewed in the recent past.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

Golan Heights Winery, Gamla, Brut, n.v.: For years GHW produced a vintage Blanc de Blanc and Brut under the Yarden label but for almost a decade now only the Blanc de Blanc has been produced under that label and they have produced a Brut under the Gamla label (which is currently in some turmoil – stay tuned for further details). As you can see from the note below, they currently have both a non-vintage (made from combining grapes from several vintages – a common practice for sparkling wines) and a vintage wine reviewed below. This one a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay with great acidity and bubbles coupled with green apples, toasted white bread and lime. A great food matcher and good with almost anything.

Golan Heights Winery, Gamla, Brut, 2007: More complex than its non-vintage sibling reviewed above, this wine has the traditional green apple and yeasty notes you would expect from a Champagne together with sharp bubbles that hang on for as long as you can resist sipping this delightful treat which is somehow lighter and fresher than the Yarden Blanc de Blanc but just as crisply dry.

Golan Heights Winery, Gamla, Nebbiolo, 2006: Another example of GHW being trend-setters and not afraid to experiment with new varietals. In this case the Nebbiolo grape which is a red Italian grape predominately associated with the Piedmont region where it is the primary component in Barolo and other wines. Loads of cherries and other black fruits together with hints of licorice and earthy notes but also with tannins that are still struggling to find their way among the oak and fruits. While tasty and approachable now, I would suggest giving this one at least another 12 months before opening. To the best of my knowledge, this wine is only available at the winery in limited quantities but I also have heard that it is served if some restaurants

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gewurztraminer, 2009: In my opinion both the variety itself and definitely GHW’s version of it are among the most under appreciated wines out there. Simply delicious and quirky as well as a fine match to many difficult food-pairings; this Gewürztraminer attains almost perfect harmony among its fruits, flowers and bracing acidity. Loaded with notes of freshly bloomed spring flowers, lychees, and tropical fruit with a long finish this is a great summer wine that should be a year-round staple of your wine-drinking repertoire.

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Syrah, 2005: Looking back over my notes from the last couple years I realized that I had never written about two wines that were “groundbreaking” back in the day – their Syrah (not to be confused with the single-vineyard version we all know and love but that is a relative newcomer to the scene) and their Pinot Noir reviewed below. I was initially not a fan of their Syrah but over the years they adapted and seemed to have gotten things just right with this one (obviously the 2004 Ortal Syrah was great as well). An elegant wine that can easily be described as an iron fist hiding behind a velvet glove given its muscular tannins, spicy wood and nice hints of smoke. Nice blackberries, raspberries, dark chocolate and espresso backed up by more spice and a long, mouth-filling finish; make this wine quite a treat.

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Pinot Noir, 2005: Given their global positioning and abundance of sun, many Israeli wines are fruit bombs loaded with oak (even when well crafted and delicious) with Castel being a winery that stands out for its adherence to subdued elegance over blockbusterish fruit. Pinot Noir is a grape that requires careful cultivating and care in order to coax out its full bag of charms. While GHW’s version doesn’t seem to me to be a true representation of the genre it is a delicious and interesting wine nonetheless. A heavy wine that sits in the middle of your palate and demands attention. Redolent of grilled meat along with the more traditional berries and smoke lead into an incredibly long and fulfilling finish, this wine is a blockbuster – an “Israeli” Pinot if you would.

Binyamina Winery

February 1, 2011

#158 – January 14, 2011

This week I want to talk about one of Israel’s largest wineries that is experiencing a resurgence of sorts. For years Binyamina was largely a “supermarket winery”, 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. Starting a couple of years ago, and coinciding with massive capital infusions which were wisely poured into the vineyards and spent on modern equipment and qualified wine making personal, Binyamina has picked itself up off the supermarket floor, dusted off its clothing and reinvented itself as a really good winery. The flow of new capital investment was mainly a result of the winery’s acquisition by the Israeli supermarket chain “Chatzi Chinam” (a popular discount chain). As with the acquisition of Barkan/Segal by Tempo, instead of the anticipated hit to quality, these chains have completely turned around the wineries, sometimes seemingly by sheer willpower (and very deep pockets).

Shepherded by their CEO – Ilan Hasson, Binyamina’s two winemakers, Sasson Ben-Aharon and the funny and gregarious Assaf Paz, produce top-shelf wines in their flagship labels while also producing nice wines at their lower labels which provide good value for your money. Some examples include the Teva Merlot and Moscato wines I recently wrote about, and their awesome late harvest Gewürztraminer (the 2009 vintage (reviewed below) is even better than the 2008 I loved so much).

The winery currently produces wines in four major labels – Avnei Hachoshen, Reserve, Yogev and Teva. They also produce a potpourri of other (really-)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 (they get to charge more that way).

Avnei Hachoshen is Binyamina’s flagship label and is named after the gemstones on the breastplate of the Cohen Gadol. When this series had its debut with the 2003 vintage it was to great acclaim, with their Syrah being a tremendous hit. This series seemed to be having some off years for a while with a noticeable deterioration in quality, but fortunately seems to be heading back in the right direction. There are currently seven wines in this series, each named for a specific stone as follows: Shoham – Onyx (Chardonnay), Leshem – Opal (Sauvignon Blanc), Yashfeh – Jasper (a white blend), Odem – Ruby (Syrah), Tarshish – Aquamarine (Cabernet Sauvignon) and two red blends Sapir – Sapphire and Yahalom – Diamond (which was a very limited edition run).

The Reserve series is a mixed bag with their Zinfandel and late harvest Gewürztraminer being hits and other wines being a little boring and not as good. Tiltan (Hebrew for clover) blends varietal wines across three vintages and is made in very limited quantities but it worth trying. The “Yogev” series (which is “farmer” or “man of the soil” in Hebrew) was created to honor the folks growing the grapes and lists the names of the actual growers on each label. The Yogev series has six wines – all blends as follows: Cabernet Sauvignon blended with each of Zinfandel, Merlot, Shiraz and Petit Verdot, a Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay blend and a blend of French Colombard (45%), Muscat Alexander (15%) and Gewürztraminer (40%). While providing good value, I believe the only one to score a YH Best Buy has been the Cabernet Sauvignon-Petit Verdot, and some of these wines are better than others without great consistency across the series (or vintages). In addition to the wines reviewed below, I suggest trying the Teva Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the 2009 vintage as they are nice wines that provide excellent value.

I do believe there is one additional and crucial area in which Binyamina must improve in order for them to be able to legitimately play with the big boys and be taken seriously and that is consistency. While there are some great wines in each of the series, some of which are reviewed below, each series also had a bunch of duds and not all their wines are good – let alone, very good. As with Barkan, they still have some work ahead of them before they can be a Safe Bet Winery. I would also note that the majority of the Binyamina wines I have tasted were acquired in Israel and certain of their wines sold in the US are mevushal which could lead to different results than noted below.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

Binyamina, Avnei Hachoshen, Odem-Ruby, Syrah, 2006: As with many Syrah wines, a small percentage (3%) of Viognier was added to the wine to increase the depth of color. A full bodied and lush wine, with deep rich purple color and a well balanced structure. Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months, the wine has ripe currants and raspberries, hints of cranberries and some smoky notes all overlaid with notes of freshly cracked ripe pepper and some toasty oak. A long finish with more red fruit rising on the backend rounds out this wine. The wine should continue to develop for another few years and I look forward to charting its development.

Binyamina Avnei Hachoshen, Yahalom-Diamond, 2007: A mentioned above, this was a limited edition run and a big success. A big, powerful and full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Syrah (30%) and Petite Verdot (20%). Delicious right now but give it the time it deserves as it’s clearly destined for future greatness. Great structure and balance between the rich fruit, which included plums, blackberries and raspberries, the near-sweet wood, bold tannins and spicy background. Together with the Zinfandel, this wine represents Binyamina’s best and it brought me back to their heyday of the 2003 Syrah I loved so much (although that wine was more elegant to this one’s power). Great mouthfeel with plenty of dark chocolate, coffee and spiciness all leading into a long and generous finish that lingers.

Binyamina, Reserve, Gewurztraminer, Late Harvest Cluster Select, 2009: I first tasted the 2008 vintage of this wine while visiting Israel and loved it! I had the opportunity to taste the 2009 vintage at a recent tasting back in November held by the Israeli Economic Mission and was wowed by how different it was from the 2008 and by how much I liked it. Like Carmel’s Sha’al dessert wine, some 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. I haven’t yet seen it on sale in NYC, but will definitely load up on it when it appears – a highly recommended dessert wine and great alternative to the delicious Sha’al.

Binyamina, Reserve, Unoaked Chardonnay, 2009: Following the lead of many Israeli wineries to unoaked their wines, thus allowing the purity of the varietal fruit to shine through (Dalton and Recanati being two of my favorites), Binyamina produced both an oaked and unoaked chardonnay under the Reserve label. Tasting these two wines side-by-side makes for a fascinating comparison and great tasting experience (only the oaked chardonnay is mevushal). Plenty of tropical fruit, lime and crisp minerals abound in this wine, along with strong floral aromas. A light, delicious and appealing wine with plenty of complexity. The oaked version had plenty of buttery notes, wood and vanilla and more melon than citrus.

Binyamina, Reserve, Zinfandel, 2007: I really liked this wine and am anxious to taste the wine from the incredible 2008 vintage, which I hear is even better. A big Zinfandel that spent 15 months in both French and American oak, while managing to retain a relatively low 14% alcohol level and staying true to the varietal. Typical notes of black pepper and leather match up with ripe raspberries and strawberries. A medium finish with bittersweet chocolate and mint rounds out this powerful wine. I enjoyed the wine more on its own than as a match to food.

Binyamina, Reserve, Shiraz, 2007: As I have written before, I find myself drinking a lot of Syrah recently and think Israel is doing a really great job with the grape. It’s still a little unclear to me the direction in which Israel will end up with this varietal, but it’s a great adventure with more and more quality Syrah wines are being produced. Syrah is also a primary component in many of the Super-Israelis like the recently released Rom. A wine that is easy to drink right out of the bottle with a medium body and soft tannins beautifully integrated with blackberries, black cherries and some cassis along with some leather and hints of smoked meat. A medium finish with more fruit and leather rounds out this smooth and mouth filling wine.

Herzog Winery

January 26, 2011

#147 – November 1, 2010

This week I wanted to discuss the Herzog Winery. Owned by the Herzog family (which also owns Royal Wine Corporation); I was astounded to realize last week that, while I often write about the wines imported or produced by Royal Wine Corporation and have selectively noted a number of their gems, I have never discussed the actual winery on these pages. Given the breadth of their portfolio, the quality of the wines and the winery’s importance in the development of the kosher wine industry (outside of Israel); I felt they had earned an edition all to themselves.

The winery is named for the Herzog family, who has been involved in winemaking for eight generations dating all the way back to the 19th century. Their acclaimed über-tier wine from the famed To-Kalon vineyard reviewed below is named Generation VIII to commemorate this aspect of the family’s rich wine-making history. The patriarch of the family, Philip Herzog, was making wine in Slovakia for Emperor Franz-Josef who, according to tradition, was so enamored with his wines that he bestowed upon him the title of Baron in appreciation of his wine-making skills. After avoiding the Nazi’s during World War II, the Baron’s grandson Eugene arrived in New York in 1948, finding a job with a small kosher winery on the lower East Side of Manhattan to support himself and his family. There he was paid in equity which eventually allowed him to take over the winery which was floundering. In honor of their grandfather the Baron, they renamed the winery the Royal Wine Company and set about revitalizing it. As part of this process, they also relocated to the West Coast in the mid-eighties in order to be closer to the best vineyards and to obtain a higher level of control of the entire process.

The winery is located in Oxnard and also houses what it rumored to be the best kosher restaurant in the United States – Tierra Sur. I have not yet visited but am making every attempt to do so as soon as possible as the lethal combination of amazing wines and incredible food paired together is simply too much for me to resist for much longer.

Needless to say, while the Herzog Winery continues to produce buckets of sweet Kiddush wine under the Kedem label, it is the rich, complex and ageable treats produced under their Special Reserve line and the affordable table wines under the Baron Herzog label by chief winemaker Joe Hurliman, that are of interest to any self-respecting oenophile. The Special Reserve wines include the Chalk Hill wines; the well-known varietals from the Napa, Alexander and Russian River valleys as well as some recently introduced single vineyard “special” wines from premium California vineyards. These include the aforementioned To-Kalon wine, one from Haystack Peak and a premium Chalk Hill wine named Clone #6 (all are reviewed below).

While I am not a major consumer of the wines produced in the Baron Herzog line and find the unfortunately very popular Jeunesse almost on par with the bottle that shall not be named; their Baron Herzog Zinfandel is an extremely good budget wine consistently earning a YH Best Buy rating (in general, kosher California Zinfandel is a good bet). Generally though, I find the best bargains for table wines to be found among the Israeli wineries. That said and depending on my mood, I do enjoy the Baron Herzog late-harvest Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay wines from time to time. As with other large wineries, it is far beyond the scope of this newsletter to review all of their wines and I have focused on a number of the Special Reserve wines enjoyed recently.

Have a great week,
Yossie

Herzog, Generation VIII, To Kalon, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: One of Herzog’s flagship wines and an example of the winery’s relatively new focus on single-vineyard, terrior-focused, wines. When I last tasted the wines (in February at Royal’s annual awesome wine extravaganza); I thought it was still a little young and needed some time in the bottle to be fully appreciated. I recently had an opportunity to retaste this wine (thank you again WH) and, given that I purchased a few bottles for Zevi’s Bar-Mitzvah, was happy to find it evolving nicely with its powerful yet elegant structure intact. With robust tannins that are starting to find their rightful place among the wood and generous fruit and an intense nose; this wine is clearly intended for greatness and solid aging. After an hour or so in the glass the evolving layers of black and red fruits, vanilla, cassis and toasty oak start producing their beautiful and harmonious music, providing a delicious wine to be revered and enjoyed, sip by expensive sip. A velvety and opulent finish of dark chocolate tinged with spiciness rounds out this iron fist in a velvet glove of a wine. Though exceedingly expensive and not a bargain by any means, I recommend picking up a couple bottles even if only because, according to the rumor mill, it is doubtful there will be another To Kalon wine as the grapes are simply too expensive and this might go down in history as the first “kosher cult Cabernet” (to quote the Wine Spectator).

Herzog, Chalk Hill, Clone #6 Edition, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007: While I think the “Chalk Hill” wines are great, I rarely drink them given their high prices, believing there are significantly better values available. Like its other Chalk Hill brethren, I found this one to be a complex, layered and delightful wine. Great structure with the tannins and wood living harmoniously with the blackberries, raspberries, hints of anise and cracked black pepper. A deep, concentrated wine that should age nicely and continue to improve with age (although it is eminently drinkable now – it is not quite yet ready). A long, delightful finish redolent of espresso and dark chocolate tinged with anise and mint rounds out this treat that will continue to age for quite some years.

Herzog, Haystack Peak Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007: The last of the three musketeers among the current single vineyard collection and my favorite of the three. Not as intense as the To-Kalon or mysterious as the Clone 6, but somewhere in between while still maintaining plenty of both. A rich and full bodied wine with plums, cherries and blackberries which are matched with cigar leaf, pencil shavings and bittersweet chocolate. An ever-so-slightly minty finish that goes on for quite some time completes this wine. A wine to be enjoyed with like-minded folks.

Herzog, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007: I have never visited the Alexander Valley (nor the West Coast at all) but, if this wine is any indication, it must be a pretty nice place. Robust tannins that still need some time to settle down will ensure this wine continues to improve and mature over the next couple of years. Plenty of black cherries, raspberries and anise mingled with some cloves and other warm spices make this a warm, rich and complex wine. That said, it’s still a little early to pop the cork on this one. I look forward to retasting this wine in six months and will continue to enjoy the 2005 and 2006 vintages that remain in my cellar in the interim.

Herzog, Special Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel/Syrah, 2006: I last tried this wine from the 2002 vintage and was won over by its pure deliciousness. A great blend in which Joe Hurliman manages to coax out the absolute best characteristics of each varietal and one that the sum is far greater than it parts. Were it not for the high price tag, given its obvious edge in complexity and ageability, it would easily replace the Recanati Petit-Sirah/Zinfandel as my blend with which to introduce new wine drinkers to the wonderful world of wine. The combination of good acidity and balancing fruits make it pretty food-friendly and the wood and tannins combine to make this a real wine with the ability for some nice aging and evolving complexity.

Herzog, Special Reserve, Lodi, Zinfandel, 2006: A great example of American Zinfandel – I love this wine! A full-bodied, delicious treat with an abundance of wood that is well integrated with the juicy plums, black cherries and blackberries. Great structure bodes well for long-term cellaring and hints of spices tinged with freshness culminate is a long, velvety finish.

Herzog, Special Reserve, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay, 2007: While the Herzog’s have accumulated quite an impressive stable of red wines, the same cannot be said with respect to their whites which are primarily found in the lower tiered Baron Herzog line. The Russian River Chardonnay (and some of their late-harvest offerings) is an exception to that rule presenting us with a rich chardonnay that avoids being a California buttery oak bomb with some cool spiciness along with grapefruit, green apple, Meyer lemon and some peaches.

Galil Mountain Winery

January 25, 2011


#150 – November 18, 2010

In honor of the two rapidly approaching holidays – Thanksgiving and Chanukah, this week’s newsletter is actually two for the price of one. In addition to the topic of this week’s newsletter – the Galil Mountain winery, I have written an additional article on appropriate wines to match with your Thanksgiving turkey dinner and accompanying treats, which was published on the Koshereye website. The write-up includes general tips on pairing wines with the plethora of varied dishes typically served at a Thanksgiving feast as well as some specific recommendation so check it out at koshereye.com and enjoy!

I also wanted to remind you that there are just four more days left to sign up for the Leket Wine Club and still be guaranteed delivery of the next shipment in time for Chanukah. Sign up by November 22nd and you will also receive a special welcome gift in the next shipment. I have selected some great wines for this shipment so check out the wine club, which also makes for a great gift for Chanukah or otherwise, and sign up.

This week I wanted to talk about the Galil Mountain Winery. While I frequently recommend their wines, I rarely take the opportunity to talk about the winery itself and it certainly deserves our attention. A joint venture between the Golan Heights Winery and Kibbutz Yiron (the kibbutz on which the winery is physically located and from which its flagship wine derives its name), with the Golan Heights Winery owning two-thirds and the kibbutz the remaining third. The winery was founded in 2000 and with über-talented winemaker Micha Vaadia at its helm, is currently producing approximately 1,000,000 bottles a year, making it the 7th largest winery in Israel.

The winery’s produces three “flagship level” blends. It namesake wine is the Yiron which is a Bordeaux-type blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, named in honor of its kibbutz parent and which has been reviewed here many times in the past. The winery produced a Yiron Syrah for the 2003-2005 vintages which was delicious and which has recently be replaced with the Meron – a blend heavily dependent on Syrah and just as good as its predecessor. The winery also produces the top-notch Avivim wine, which is an interesting blend of Chardonnay and Viognier. These top-tier wines sell for about $22 in the US and somewhat less in Israel. The winery also produces a series of varietal table wines including a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc which are all good, as well as a delightful Rosé that has also been reviewed herein the past. These wines retail for about $11 in the US and slightly less in Israel, and easily represent the most complex kosher wines available for around $10, providing absurdly good value.

Given the quality wines in each of the series’ of this winery coupled with the reasonable pricing, it isn’t hard to say that, Galil Mountain represents the absolute best kosher wine value for your Lirot available today. An additional characteristic of the winery is that they earned all three of my special terms – the majority of their wines are YH Best Buys (a wine that gives exception value for its price); the winery is clearly a Safe Bet Winery (a winery from which you can purchase any wine they produce and be sure it will be good) and their Yiron is a “Super Israeli” (one of the über-premium Israeli wines. The winery recently underwent a management change with Uri Tiroler replacing Ronit Badler as CEO of the winery and it remains to be seen whether this will effect the winery’s solid position as a producer of a plethora of YH Best Buy wines. The winery is also physically beautiful and highly recommended for a visit – it is kid-friendly to boot.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

Galil Mountain, Viognier, 2009: Some of the wine was fermented in stainless steel with the rest spending time in French oak barrels. A delicious wine with loads of typically characteristic fruits, including peaches, apricots, nectarines and blooming flowers on the nose; all leading into a palate with much of the same, all on a slightly creamy background with plenty of acidity to keep the peace with the slightly toasty oak.

Galil Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009: Not as good as the 2007 vintage but still a nice wine with slightly subdued blackberries, black cherries and currants. Interestingly, the wine shows some green notes that may be the result of no oak aging at all. Slightly sweet notes of cedar wood cigar boxes and mint lead into a medium finish.

Galil Mountain, Shiraz, 2009: This wine is medium to full-bodied, and has strong notes of cherries and currants tinged with damp forest floor redolent of autumn. The mid-palate has more of the black fruits, smoked meats and some black licorice culminating in a medium to long finish that lingers nicely. This wine and the Cabernet Sauvignon reviewed above are among the earliest Israeli releases from the 2009 vintage resulting from the fact that they spend no time aging in oak barrels. While this provides a fresh look as the typical characteristics of these wines without any oak influence, it also ensures that they will not cellar for very long (which is fine, as wines of this pricing are rarely meant to cellar at all).

Galil Mountain, Avivim, 2007: The 2006 vintage of this wine was a star and its successor doesn’t disappoint. A slightly different blend of Viognier and Chardonnay (69% Viognier compared to 74% in the 2006 vintage), the wines somehow manages to coax the best out of each of the grapes while inheriting almost none of the lessor qualities from each. The wine was aged in new French oak for nine months which results in notes of toasted oak, vanilla and a not-overpowering buttery texture (almost like a tamed California chardonnay). These provide the background for plenty of summer fruits including peaches, melons and guava as well as tart green apple and hints of honey. Plenty of mouthwatering acidity keeps things lively on the palate and this is a wine that should keep nicely for another year or so (the 2006 is still drinking nicely but it certainly at its peak right now).

Galil Mountain, Meron, 2006: The intended replacement for the delightful Yiron Syrah, this wine has a complex and unique blend of 78% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot has been an interesting blending component in Israel for a long time and seems to be popping up more and more frequently in top-tier wines. While the Syrah is the most prominent component in this wine, both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are clearly pulling their weight and contribute their individual characteristics to this delightful wine. While the wine is relatively high in alcohol, it is nicely tempered by good structure and tannins, acidity and fruit. I’d open the bottle an hour or so before you intend to drink it, or give it about 10 minutes in your glass to fully open up so that you can fully appreciate its delightfulness. With smooth and well integrated tannins, this wine delivers loads of jammy fruit on both the nose and palate including blueberries, raspberries, plums and blackberries along with Mediterranean herbs, cracked black pepper, tobacco and hints of spicy oak and toasted almonds. A wine that is peaking right now and will cellar nicely for another five years or so. A little lighter and less graceful than the Yiron, it is definitely more interesting and fun to drink, and will pair nicely with your meal.

Mission Conversion – Starter Wines

January 24, 2011

#145 – October 14, 2010

The topic of this week’s newsletter is the result of a confession I have to make – my wife isn’t crazy about dry wine! I know – it’s hard to believe that after 11 years of marriage and 144 newsletters, I have not been able to bring her around – but there you have it (at least my children enjoy dry wine). Once in a while I come across a dry wine she does enjoy – as an example, the Louis de Sacy Champagne we had for our 11th anniversary was a huge hit while the Magnum of Chateau Léoville-Poyferré 1999 we had for our 10th wasn’t (needless to say – I enjoyed it immensely).

Given that, I am constantly on the prowl for wines that I think she might enjoy and this week’s newsletter discusses introductory wines that are good bets for showing non-drinkers the errors of their ways and bringing them over to the dark side.

Given that we all have friends, family, random acquaintances or Shabbat guests who seem to prefer diet-Coke, Bartanura’s Moscato d’Asti or any other soft drink to actual wine, this week’s newsletter includes a number of recommendations for wines that are more approachable than some of the great stuff I often discuss and recommend on these pages. Finding these wines is a little tricky, but there are some basic guidelines that may be helpful. First, given their low tannin and abundance of fruit, white wines are going to be a better bet than red ones. Second, the lower tiered wines of any winery are usually going to be more appealing, as they are not intended for aging and thus are relatively free of the tannins and wood influence typical of a wine meant for aging (the trouble is so much wine in these lower tiered series is drek so ask around to make sure the wine is good). Third – go for mellower grapes like Merlot as opposed to Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, given that our palates appreciate sweet over bitter or tannic, sweet wines are a very good bet. The Moscato grape can provide a decent, well-priced wine. There are many delightful Moscato-based wines (other than the blue bottled abhorrence), that will be as enjoyable to the sophisticated oenophile as to the non-drinker.

To help get you started on converting these non-drinkers into future connoisseurs, I have included a number of recommended wines that fit the bill as well as three Israeli Moscato wines that I recommend trying. The majority of wines below are YH Best Buys to boot!

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

Binyamina, Yogev, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2007: The Yogev Series is truly hit or miss, with some of the wines being really enjoyable and others less so. This is one of the good ones.

Binyamina, Merlot, Teva, 2007: As with many other wineries, whose wines in their lowest tiered series are rapidly increasing in quality thus providing us with better value for our money, Binyamina is following suit with their Teva series which is on pace to beat out Yogev as Binyamina’s best bang for your money. Nice red fruit combined with hints of grilled meat make for a nice little wine and at even “littler” price.

Ramon Cardova, Rioja, 2007: Enough plums, raspberries and citrus to freshen the mouth and plenty of mouthwatering acidity make this a good match to food.

Barkan, Classic, Merlot, 2007: As with the Teva series above, some Classic wines such as this are really good, and some are not.

Dalton Canaan Red 2009: I believe this wine is mevushal but you wouldn’t know it – not a whole lot of personality but a consistently acceptable entry level wine.

Yarden, Gewürztraminer, 2009: Definitely one of my favorite wines and not only because it goes so well with almost every difficult to pair food. Even when bone dry, this wine gives off hints of sweetness due to its fruits so that it may be considered a semi-dry wine. Caution though – this wine may be more appropriate for slightly adventurous first-time drinkers given its funky notes of litchi and overly ripe pineapple.

Tishbi, Vineyards, Emerald Riesling, 2009: Truth be told, I hadn’t tried an Emerald Riesling wine in years before I tasted this one recently. Most are dreadful, but this actually has enough acidity to go with its heavy fruits and remain refreshing.

BUILDING A BETTER MOSCATO – THREE ISRAELI ALTERNATIVES

Dalton, Moscato, 2009: This wine recently overtook the Moscato from the Golan Heights Winery (listed below) as my favorite Moscato with its limes, orange peel and generous sweetness balanced by tart acidity.

Golan Heights Winery, Moscato, Golan, 2009: Only slightly second to the Dalton, this wine has fresh grapefruit, limes and peaches making it a wine that will be enjoyed by all.

Binyamina, Moscato, Teva, 2009: Plenty of peaches and Meyer lemons with notes of summer fields make this more of a summer wine to be enjoyed well chilled, but still delightful any time of year.

Champagne (and Sparkling Wines) [Older]

January 20, 2011

#73 – May 16, 2008

While traditionally consumed as part of a celebration, and celebratory occasions being the driving force behind this weeks topic aside, Champagne is an extremely versatile wine which can (and should) be drunk often and can be enjoyed with many types of food.

Champagne is also, like last week’s topic – Rosé, a wonderful brunch wine and can also be enjoyed alone, on any random Tuesday with no special reason or purpose other than a little hedonistic enjoyment. It is truly a shame to leave such a wonderful type of wine to be consumed only at celebratory events; one should feel free to open a bottle at a regular meal. Unfortunately, one of the factors hampering this is the fact that one must finish the bottle in a relatively short period of time as it cannot be closed or stored after opening. I suggest opening a bottle of Champagne at a meal with friends so that, if you followed my recommendations you got a good bottle, the bottle will be gone faster than a regular bottle of wine and thoroughly enjoyed by all – even non-wine drinkers (yes, there are such types lurking about).

Traditionally, Champagne refers to sparkling wines made from grapes grown in the Champagne region in France which is just north of Burgundy. Most Champagne is produced from one or a blend of two varieties of grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The traditional method of making Champagne is known as the Champenoise Method and involves a two stage fermentation process whereby, in the second stage, additional yeast and sugar is inserted in the bottle (Champagne is not aged in barrels – only in its own bottle) to produce the bubbles. After the additional sugar and yeast is inserted, the bottles are rotated to move the yeast ‘waste’ to the top of the bottle where it is frozen and removed, at which point the bottle is capped with the traditional cap, wire and foil we see in the stores.

The majority of the Champagne is not produced from grapes grown in a single year but rather a blend of wines from several years and referred to as non-vintage. Typically the majority of the wine is from the current year but a percentage is made of “reserve wine” from previous years. This serves to smooth out some of the vintage variations caused by the marginal growing climate in Champagne.

The dryness of Champagne varies based on the sugar level and it is categorized based on dryness as follows: the sweetest level is doux, proceeding in order of increasing dryness to demi-sec (half-dry), sec (dry), extra sec (extra dry), brut (almost completely dry), and extra brut / brut nature / brut zero (no additional sugar, sometimes ferociously dry).

The Champenoise Method has been successfully copied around the world and, while not technically Champagne, sparkling wines are produced by a number of countries around the world, many using their own special term for such sparkling wines. Spain uses Cava, Italy calls its sparkling wine spumante or prosecco (depending on the specific region it is from), and South Africa uses the term Cap Classique. While the kosher wine market produces some truly terrible sparkling wines, as you will see from my recommendations below, there are also some great possibilities out there, with the Blanc de Blanc from the Golan Heights being an excellent and well priced option that is consistently good. Please note that some of the listed wines (chiefly the French ‘true” Champagnes) are produced in both kosher and non-kosher versions.

Regardless of whether you are looking to splurge on one of the better French bottles or aiming for the reasonable “mid-market”, there are a few points to keep in mind. Most kosher versions are “n.v” – non-vintage and these have a shelf life of about 3-5 years, so when buying such a wine, avoid those dusty looking bottles that look like they haven’t been touched since the millennium.

Another thing to keep in mind is, if for some weird reason you bought a bottle of sparkling wine not listed here and were unlucky to discover a less than palatable nectar, Gamliel Kronemer (who writes a wine column for Jewish Week) suggests making Champagne Cocktails. Making Champagne Cocktails is very easy and entails only placing a sugar cube and a few dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters in the bottom of a Champagne flute, letting the glass sit for a few minutes, and then filling with the sparkling wine. The sugar cube and bitters add delightful flavors which play off each other perfectly and help to mask any number of flaws that may be found in sparkling wines. Other classic cocktails made with sparkling wines include the Mimosa (sparkling wine with orange juice), the Bellini (sparkling wine with peach puree) and the Kir Royal (sparkling wine with crème de cassis).

I have also included below a quick tutorial on how to open a Champagne bottle without harming yourself or your guests.

Shabbat Shalom and have a great week,
Yossie

French Champagne

Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut, n.v.: My all-time favorite Kosher Champagne and well worth the expense (around $30 in NY). A very dry wine with loads of lime, lemons and some grapefruit tastes along with hints of the traditional toasted white bread flavors with good bubbles that last forever. As I have noted in the past, the kosher cuvee (which is mevushal to boot) is no longer being produced and I am down to my last 2 bottles of this great liquid gold, so if you find this anywhere – load up and PLEASE let me know… 🙂

Laurent Perrier, Cuvee Rose Brut, n.v.: Made by a ‘top tier’ Champagne House, this wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and is somewhat light on the palate. Lots of the expected toasted bread flavors and aromas along with green apples and strawberries coming through. The best Rosé out there (especially as it combines Rosé AND Champagne). This is a fun (although pretty expensive fun) wine and a great wine to crack open to celebrate summer and all the great weather we hope to have here in NY over the next few months. A real treat!

Charles Heidsieck, Brut, n.v.: Notwithstanding the ‘Brut’ title, this wine is slightly sweeter than one would expect and than I like to see. Still a very good wine, especially for those who like their wine slightly on the sweet side and novice drinkers getting used to dry wines. Lots of grapefruit and lime to go with the green apple and yeast white bread aromas and flavors. An easier “softer” drinking wine than others. Good mousse (the bubbly foam or ‘head’) to go with the bubbles.

Louis de Sacy, Brut Champagne, n.v.: The Champagne House of Louis de Sacy was established in the early 17th century. While not deemed one of the Great Houses, it is a great treat! This wine is a relatively new arrival in the kosher Champagne market and a great addition if I do say so myself. Slightly expensive (as French imports tend to be especially these days), full bodied with a creamy and luxurious texture. Toasted challah and yeasty undertones are augmented nicely with aromas and flavors of lime, white peach, apricots and apple topped off by a mineraly finish. Ends with a great mousse and bubbles that tingle on and on.

Sparkling Wines

Golan Heights Winery, Blanc de Blancs, Yarden, 2000: While this Champagne type wine remains good from year to year, this vintage ever so slightly disappoints as opposed to the 1999 vintage which is still available and is well worth picking up a couple of bottles. With the traditional toasted white bread and yeasty aromas one expects from traditional Champagne, this wine has peaches, apples, limes and fresh kiwis with a satisfying backbone of yeast and hints of minerals. The mousse is not as long as one would expect/hope for but nonetheless, a good buy and enjoyable drink!

Hagafen Brut Cuvée, Napa Valley, 2001: While my favorite kosher Champagne remains the Nicolas Feuillatte and the best bang for your buck remains the Golan Heights Blanc de Blanc, as the Nicolas Feuillatte is pretty unavailable, this Hagafen release fills the void very nicely. This dark, straw colored wine is made from the somewhat traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Lots of flavors come right at you including sweet butter, lemons, peaches, apricots and the toasty bread and yeasty flavors traditional to lots of sparkling wines. This wine also has a “Late Disgorged” version which is even better but harder to find.

Opening a Champagne Bottle

As to opening Champagne bottles keep in mind that Champagne and other sparkling wines require special handling because their corks are under a great deal of pressure. If not treated with care and respect, these corks can become dangerous missiles propelled through the air with surprising force. Although the popping of Champagne corks creates a festive atmosphere, it is the wrong way to open a sparkling wine because in addition to being dangerous, it harms the wine. One of the reasons that Champagne is special is the bubbles, and the popping of the cork reduces these.

To avoid this, first, peel off the foil surrounding the cork and neck of the bottle. While applying pressure to hold the cork in, carefully loosen the metal straps holding the cork. After the straps are removed, continue to press down on the cork and gently twist the bottle, not the cork. When you hear the gas begin to escape around the edges of the cork, do not let the cork escape your grip. The gentle hissing sound will be followed by a barely audible pop, this indicating that you have done the job properly. In this way the wine will not foam and suddenly gush out of the bottle and the bubbles will have been preserved.

Tu B’Shevat Seder – Wines for the Four Cups

January 20, 2011

It is the custom of many to have a Seder on Tu B’Shvat complete with many traditional foods as well as four cups of wine.

One of the fun ways to integrate the four cups into the Seder is by having four cups of four different wines in four different categories or colors.

Listed below are some quick recommendations for the four cups in each of the following four colors (categories) – White, Rose, Red and either Dark Red (Port) or Golden (Dessert Wine). I have included some wines in differing price ranges but all are great.

Take a look around the site for plenty more suggestions and detailed notes on all these wines:

White:
Covenant, Red C, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010
Flam, Blanc, 2011
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Odem Chardonnay, 2010
Yatir, Viognier, 2010

Rose:
Adir, Blush Port, 2010
Castel, Rose, 2011
Ella Valley Vineyards, Rose, 2011
Flam, Rose, 2011
Recanati, Rose, 2011

Red:
Castel, Petit Castel, 2010
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009
Recanati, Reserve, Petit-Sirah, Zinfandel, 2010

Dark Red (Port):
Adir, Port, 2010
Carmel, Vintage, Petit Sirah, 2007 (or n.v.)
Porto Cordovero, Ruby Port, n.v.
Porto Quevedo, Ruby Port, n.v.

Golden (Dessert Wine):
Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes, 2001
Yarden, Noble Semillon, 2007
Carmel, Single Vineyard, Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, 2007

Enjoy and Chag Samaech,
Yossie