Yossie's Corkboard

This week’s Crystal Ball newsletter is my attempt to provide some insights into some of the major trends I expect the kosher wine world to undergo over the course of calendar year 2016.  While many of the changes described below has been occurring at a somewhat glacial pace for a while now (and “predicted” in prior Crystal Ball newsletters), the pace of change has picked up dramatically and I believe that 2016 will be a year in which the changes occur fast enough to be recognized by all.  In order to maintain an acceptable level of brevity, I won’t be discussing topics which were prevalent in 2015 and covered in my 2015 “Lookback” newsletter even if I expect them to continue to be relevant in 2016 (e.g. the resurgence of French wines, lack of conflict-free information and the return of mevushal).

While many in the industry abhor change, it is a good thing and the way of the world.  Instead of being afraid of it, people in the industry should embrace it and learn to use it to their (and out) advantages.  To quote a particularly beautiful piece of writing by one of my all-time favorite wine bloggers – Alder Yarrow: “The wine world is a funny place. So many people act like they have a monopoly on tradition, deliberately ignoring the continuity of human experience while glorifying the past.  That’s not to say that things always improve in the inexorable march of progress, but those who idealize an unchanging moment in history blind themselves to one of life’s great lessons: impermanence.”  I look forward to 2016 being a year where we experience much positive and needed changes within the glorious world of kosher wine that we love so much.

So please join me on the third leg of my annual trifecta as we peer into the kosher wine world’s crystal ball and see what the coming year (um, nine months) has in store for us.

************

The Year Wine Explodes

Over the last few years I have often spoken about the growing popularity of wine among mainstream kosher consumers.  Alongside the surging interest in culinary pursuits (i.e. eating), more and more kosher-keeping folk are incorporating wine into their daily lives.  For some this manifests itself with a shift from using semi-sweet red wine or sparkling Asti only at Kiddush to leaving the bottle on the table (and consuming it) throughout the meal, for others it is a shift to “real” wine and for folks who have been enjoying wine with their Shabbat meals for years, wine has found itself on their weekday tables more and more often.  A similar trend is occurring in the non-kosher wine world but for different reasons.  For the wine world at large, this is partially a result of wine ceasing to be elitist, driven in part by a growing cadre of younger wine writers and educators whose views on who “should” be drinking wine is refreshingly different that prior generations.  Among kosher consumers the change is primarily driven by a rising awareness about wine and a growing interest in learning more about it and consuming more of it.

Having something of a front row seat to the phenomenon by virtue of this newsletter, I have seen this growth manifest in a growing interest in wine in general evidenced among other things, by the rapidly growing rate of subscription increases to these weekly missives.  While growth has been surging over the last few years, I believe that 2016 will be the year in which is reaches epic proportions.  Wine events have become increasingly prevalent in all walks of life and the number of charity events where wine plays a primary or supporting role is exploding.  Wine producers, importers and distributors have all recognized this and the number of new wine-related projects in the works is simply astounding.  From the numerous new French offerings currently on the market (and in various stages of production) to new Australian and Italian wineries coming on line and the various niche projects for which the internet is enabling significantly more access, we are experiencing the “Golden Years” of kosher wine production, with plenty more growth ahead of us in the year(s) to come.

However, all this popularity and growth comes at a price and must be managed properly in order to derive the most benefit from it.  Read on for some of the reasons it isn’t completely a Rosé-tinted view.

Drek, Plonk and more Drek

With so much more consumer interest, it comes as no surprise that the number of available kosher wines continues to grow at a rapid pace.  In addition to the extreme difficulty this causes in limiting my annual Pesach Wine Buying Guide to a manageable number of recommended wines, a far more important negative is the astounding amount of bad wine that continues to be produced across the kosher wine producing spectrum.  In today’s day and age, with winemaking knowledge, technology and expertise widely available, there is simply no excuse for so much bad wine.  Despite going from approximately 500 “relevant” kosher labels being produced annually a decade ago to more than 2,500 these days, the ratio of good to bad has not significantly changed, making wine purchasing a perilous endeavor for the casual kosher wine consumer (a rapidly growing market, as discussed above).  To be clear – when I refer to “bad wine”, I am not talking about wines I personally don’t like due to an aversion to the winemaking style or varietal characteristics.  I am not even referring to genre of wines that I don’t hold in high regard such as sparkling Moscato or semi-sweet red wines.  I am referring to an objective standard of flawed and/or poorly made wines where the winemaking (or winery “hygiene”) is sufficiently flawed as to render the wine “bad”.

As such, the difficulty in navigating these treacherous waters continues to grow, making the next point even more important.

The [Extremely] Lowered Bar to Entry

With wine again taking a page form the culinary playbook where the bar of entry to qualify as “expert advice” has sunk so low as to be exceptionally embarrassing, the proliferation of choices has led folks to search for wine wisdom in every available nook and cranny, many a time throwing their own palates and common sense to the wind and lemming-like following any piece of information or recommendation they come across.  In a reversal from 2015 and earlier, more and more information (if it can be called that) about wine is coming online from a wide variety of sources.  In the 2015 Lookback newsletter, we discussed the increasing need for caveat emptor with respect to kosher wine buying, as much of the information is from sources that have at least some skin in the game.  I expect the wine world to undergo the same experience currently occurring in the ever-expanding the world of kosher culinary writing and restaurant “reviewing” where anyone who knows how to eat crème brûlée has become a source of information of where the best can be found and eating out a lot and consuming substantial amounts of food seem to be the main criteria for assuming the mantle of a restaurant and/or food critic.  As such, look for 2016 to be the year in which we will see a new type of wine writing being added to the mix – that of the “everyman” critic.  While truly a magnificent thing and easily one of the most important developments to occur since I was born, the internet has allowed this phenomenon to flourish and we, as consumers, have exacerbated the problem by granting anyone whose information becomes available online with instant credibility instead of demanding at least a modicum of knowledge, expertise or critical eye (not every wine, dish or restaurant can be “the best you have ever had” or even “terrific”).  Relying on information simply because it is available is a dangerous way to make decisions on where to spend your wine-[or food]-allocated hard-earned lirot.

As someone whose primary motto is “the wine you enjoy is the best wine for you”, I believe that the surging interest in culinary and oenophilic pursuits is a great thing and welcome anyone with interest to “join the club”, whether with respect to drinking and enjoying the wine, writing about your experiences with it and especially providing others with valuable information about the wines.  That said, I would suggest to any budding wine writer to take the responsibility of making recommendations to others seriously.  Spend some time acquiring basic knowledge about wine, the wineries about which you are writing and most importantly – the wines you are recommending.  As this mostly means drinking and comparing a lot of wines – it’s not a terribly difficult thing to do!

The “Good Old Days”

The proliferation of available kosher wines, including the near-weekly influx of new labels from new or “renewed” [to the kosher wine world] wine-growing regions like Australia, Washington State, Italy, Chile and others (not to mention an array of new labels from stalwarts Israel, California and the reborn France) will also cause consumers to revert back to certain habits of yesteryear.

A decade ago, when the number of available kosher wines and kosher wine enthusiasts were both significantly more limited, most wine lovers had their “go to” wines to which they returned over and over again, buying multiple cases at a time of individual wines and enjoying them on a regular basis until the subsequent vintage was released and the pattern repeated itself anew.  While for many this list included the most prominent wines of the era including those from Château Giscours, Léoville-Poyferré and Smith Haut Lafitte, Herzog Special Reserves, Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Yatir Forest, Binyamina Cave, Castel Grand Vin; even those drinking more affordable wines had a few wines they consumed on a regular basis and that was that.  Once in a while people would try a new wine or two, but as a whole, people were loyal to their brands with very limited experimenting.  Over the last decade as wine’s popularity grew and awareness about its sheer awesomeness grew, kosher wine consumers became more comfortable venturing out of their comfort zone and trying new things.  Over the years, this took on a life of its own and people soon became obsessed with only tying new wines, losing interest in tried and true wines that had provided value, quality and consistency for years including the vaunted Cabernet Sauvignon in the Yarden series of the Golan Heights Winery.  Wineries started coming up with new labels, designs and even gimmicks to try and retain consumer loyalty and interest in their already very good wines (an issue I discussed often on these pages, especially when referencing some tried and true wineries that cannot seem to get the respect they so richly deserve, like Dalton).

However, label fatigue has started to set in (no doubt helped along by the ever-increasing numbers of bad wine discussed above), and I expect 2016 to see a large number of consumers yearning for the “good old days” where a few wines and wineries provided the bulk of their drinking, while still being interested in new wines and wineries as they come to market.  As it is nearly impossible these days to try every available kosher wine (believe me – I try), consumers will stop chasing every new product and instead stick with their favorite wines and wineries.  As a result of this trend, wineries should spend extra time building up and retaining a loyal consumer base, as wine customers today are likely to be customers for a longer duration in the past, once again providing sufficient ROI (return on investment) for the winery to make such an investment in its customers.  In a similar fashion, the same is going to be applicable for kosher wine stores that invest in the knowledge and expertise of the folks selling their wine (not to mention more carefully curated selections) – consumers will notice and become loyal.

However, expertise, knowledge and customer service are not the entire story.  The antiquated wine industry has finally started to adapt to the change and the kosher industry has a little catching up to do, which leads to the next topic.

Next Stage of Growth

As more and more consumers see the light and shift from enjoying wine only with their Shabbat meals to enjoying it daily, the “problem” of leftover wine has risen to the top of the list for many (if only indicated by the sheer number of weekly emails I receive in this regard).  While the Coravin is a magnificent tool and a perfect solution for those struggling with this mystifying [to me] phenomenon, not everyone can or wants to spend $300 for a gadget that allows you to enjoy a glass a wine from any corked bottle without opening the bottle (or having any detrimental impact on the remaining wine) – and that is before you have to order replacement argon capsules…  For those uncomfortable with my usual suggestion that solves the problem as long as the wine is consumed within a day or two (i.e. pouring any remaining wine into a small plastic water bottle and gently squeezing the bottle until the wine reaches the top [thus eliminating any air which will cause the wine to go bad quickly]), the demand for half bottles (containing 375ml or less of wine, equal to 2-3 glasses and perfect for a couple wanting to enjoy wine without going what they would consider to be overboard).  I expect to see many wineries bottling a number of their wines in smaller formats, despite the fact that they are not economical for the winery (as the separate bottling line and packaging materials add additional cost while the wine remains the same).

Another area is in whine buying and shipping.  As the antiquated prohibition-era wine rules continue to fall (with plenty more work ahead of us in this regard), the g-d of retail – Amazon – has gotten into the wine game and carries over 10,000, making acquiring your day-to-day vino as easy as Prime.  However, the number of kosher wines available on the site varies but it always ranges from miniscule to none, an issue I expect change over the coming year as more and more producers appreciate the efficiency and ease it provides their consumers and the ability it provides them to extend their reach and sell more wine.

One additional required change might take a little longer.  With millennial wine drinking (or lack thereof) taking up much of the wine industry’s time and efforts, we have seen more and more integration of technology and wine especially in the arena of social media and apps.  It is rare that a week goes by without my receiving an email announcing the launch of a new wine app guaranteed to change my life forever.  However, even for rare quality apps or other technological advances (the majority of which are in the area of buying wine); they are of little use to the kosher wine consumer.  Cellar Tracker (the best method of tracking one’s personal wine collection) is one of the only applications that does provide information about [a certain number of] kosher wines and even there, the information is far from perfect with confusion reigning in a number of areas including numerous entries existing for the same wine and vintages being used interchangeably.  The many available wine apps that are intended to provide wine buying advice and coherent and consistent information about the wines contain a minuscule number of available kosher wines, for the most part those that are ubiquitous in nearly every wine store – typically the lowest end wines from Barkan, Recanati and Herzog).

[A Hint of] The Holy Grail

One of the holy grails of the kosher wine industry has long been the recognition by the general / non-kosher wine world that kosher wine is a meaningless term.  While kosher consumers require wine to be made in a kosher manner, for the most part such requirements can be achieved with zero impact on the winemaking itself (a topic for a future, stand-alone, newsletter).  I reiterate to anyone who will listen (and quite a few who won’t) that kosher wine is nothing but wine that happens to be kosher, similar to Hershey Kisses, Heinz Ketchup and other products whose kosher certification is meaningless to the world at large and matters only to the select few consumers for whom such certification is a requirement.  With the abundance of available kosher wines continuing to penetrate mainstream wine media, we are starting to see more and more kosher wines finding their way into non-kosher restaurants (as Israeli or Mediterannean wines) and wine stores (where they are labeled geographically instead of under the “kosher” sign) which results in some of our favorites wines being “discovered” by non-kosher consumers.

While I believe that the vast majority of the kosher wine market will continue to be kosher consumers for the foreseeable future, this is a great development and one I expect to pick up significant steam during the course of 2016.

God’s Year

2015 was a very challenging vintage year in Israel (at least for most of the wine-growing regions) which will obviously impact 2016 in a number of ways.  After somewhat typical growing conditions through August, a massive dust cloud descended on much of the country, lingering for over a week and covering everything in a thick layer of sand and grit.  Following this delightful occurrence, Israel recorded one of the hottest Septembers in its history, where much of the fruit literally baked on the vines.  These two occurrences combined to make for a very challenging harvest with yields down nearly 50% for some wineries.  Other wineries struggled mightily to coax their fruit to sufficient levels of ripeness.  During a harvest in which timing took on a heightened level of importance, 2015 will likely be a vintage in which the importance of having a quality winemaker surpasses that of quality vineyards.

Another “issue” that made growing grapes in 2015 especially challenging was the fact that it was Shmitah year.  In addition to all its usual and inherent difficulties, the fact that, unlike the prior two Shmitah vintages which were great ones for Israeli wines (2001 and 2008), it was an exceptional difficult harvest heavily exacerbated the problem.  Adding wood to the fire was the increased adherence to the rules of Shmitah by much of the kosher wine consuming public and the increased stringency in Israel in legislating those rules.  2015 was easily the year in which the largest number of wineries produced no wine whatsoever.

All of this is going to lead to a shortage of white and Rosé wines this year (the red wines form the 2015 harvest won’t, for the most part, be expected to hit the market until 2017), as many of our mainstay Rosé and white wines are sourced from wineries whose importer is Royal Wines which don’t import Shmitah wines.  That list includes Tabor, Castel, Flam, Netofa and Matar, among many others who typically provide much of the white and Rosé wines we consume.  Obviously this will be a boon to the Californians producing white and Rosé wines like Herzog, Hagafen, Covenant, Hajdu, Shirah and Four Gates but for those that prefer Israeli wines – let the fight for the white and Rosé wines of Tzora, Golan Heights Winery, Recanati, Dalton, Jezreel Valley, Kishor, Bat Shlomo, Lueria and others begin!

Yossie’s Corkboard

Before we sign off, I wanted to mention some expected developments for Yossie’s Corkboard expected during the coming year.  First I wanted to thank you all of your for your continued interest in this newsletter, including the many new subscribers that continue to sign-up on a daily basis.  The growth in this newsletter’s subscriber base continues to be a testament to the growing interest in kosher wine and the desire for more and better information about this God-given product we all love so much.  As most of you know, in addition to this weekly missive I am also active on Twitter were I provide interesting tidbits on a daily basis on the goings on in the wine world with the added benefit of being required to do so in 140 characters or less.  If you don’t already, I would appreciate you following me @yossieuncorked as well.

As the concept of getting together with friends on a regular basis to enjoy some great wines continues to become mainstream, I expect many more RCC (Rosh Chodesh Club) groups to come online this year, joining already existing long list of global “franchisees”.  As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of any help is facilitating such gatherings.

Lastly, I continue to come across interesting and good deals on various wines from time to time which I am always happy to share with those interested.  With the newsletter not being the proper format for such information, I have a separate “Wine Buying Group” email for such items – please let me know if you would like to be added to this list.

#310 – January 9, 2015

Following on last week’s newsletter showcasing the Best (and most Interesting/Exciting) Wines of 2015, this week is Part II of my annual Trifecta, which looks back at the 2015 year of kosher wine and outlines a few major trends kosher wine underwent over the last 12 months. Despite living in a heavily interconnected world, where data can travel at light [if not warp] speed, the wine business remains somewhat of an antiquated business with changing trends sometimes occurring at a near-glacial pace. The impactfulness of a number of these trends is wide reaching and can take some time to be reflected. As a result, a significant number of items discussed this week were also showcased in last year’s “lookback” newsletter. One interesting item to note is that the primary trend of the past year – expansion of the kosher wine consumer base, has been trending upwards for a few years and is expected to continue. Additionally, this macro-trend is at least partially “responsible” for nearly every other item discussed herein.

In addition to the significant items discussed below, other important trends that occurred over the last 12 months include the rise of smaller/independent producers and distributors (some of whose portfolio only includes one or two wines / wineries). While Royal Wines continues to grow voraciously, the expanded consumer base and need to provide much more marketing assistance that previously (due to heightened competition for consumer dollars) has opened the door for hard-working upstarts to penetrate the market and fight for shelf space for their wines. Another issue was the complicated 2015 vintage in Israel where freakish dust storms and late fall heat waves wreaked havoc with winemakers harvesting plans. As the impact of this won’t be felt until 2016, a more in depth discussion of this will be in Part III of the Trifecta.

With so much going on I have tried to be as concise as possible, sometimes sacrificing more in-depth analysis for a shorter newsletter [with people reading all the way through before they give up].

Looking forward to sharing the wonderful world of kosher wine with you during 2016 [and beyond]!

Have a great week and Chodesh Tov,
Yossie

Explosive Growth

After consistent growth over the last few years, 2015 saw a huge leap in the number of kosher consumers turning their attention to wine. As their level of culinary sophistication increased, kosher consumers have woken up to the wonders of wine and are incorporating wine into more and more aspects of their lives. With wine already a de facto requirement for every Shabbat meal, it has been gratifying to see wine incorporated into many more parts of the kosher consumer’s lives. While the road is still long to having wine with every meal, many more restaurant tables have a bottle of wine on them than ever before. The number of charity events that are wine driven has exploded and the desire for a “good bottle” has taken on a life of its own. This exponential growth was evident in the (1) 30% growth in this newsletter’s subscriber base, (2) expansion of the Rosh Chodesh Club to multiple locales around the globe, (3) voracious attendance at the various KFWE events (use THANKSAGAIN for $25 off, the largest discount that will be available) and (4) rapid growth (to nearly 2,000 members) of a new Facebook group, dedicated to kosher wine (which also played a significant part in the prolonged death of Rogov’s old wine forum).

As mentioned, almost every significant trends discussed in depth below is at least partially driven by this consumer base growth including the increasing number of available wines (closing in on 3,000 annually), proliferation of “special” wine projects and the drive for quality wines at decent prices.

Label Proliferation

The most directly correlative result of an increased consumer based in the proliferation of kosher wine offerings being created to service increasing demand. As the number of annual kosher wines has grown from 500 to nearly 3,000, consumers are faced with an increasing plethora of wines from which to satisfy their craving. With more and more folks getting in on the kosher wine game, we are currently in a place where supply far outstrips demand (from a pure numerical perspective). Wine producers obviously bemoan the surplus while it provides a huge boon to the kosher wine consumer, albeit not without creating a few new challenges of its own.

Together with increased sophistication, the kosher wine consumer continues to demand new and exciting wines from around the world and producers are scrambling to meet this need. While Israel continues to hold a steady lead in the sheer number of kosher wines, California and France are no wallflowers with hundreds of kosher labels under their belt (although most of France’s cheaper kosher wines remain within the borders of the EU) and more quality wines are coming from well-known wine growing countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy along with Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Germany, Hungary, Canada, Romania, Georgia, Moldova, New Zealand and Australia (the quality (and quantity) of wines from which seems to have deteriorated recently). The one top ten wine growing not [yet] producing a kosher wine is China, (number nine in 2015 annual production) although I’m sure it won’t be long before some creative entrepreneur changes that as well (and I am hoping to see some kosher Greek wines too). All of this increased diversity has created a problem for the burgeoning oenophile, which wines are worthy of my attention, palate and most importantly – hard earned lirot. That question leads us to our next topic…

The Pen is not “Mightier”

Despite the growing number of different kosher wines being produced every year, many of these wines have limited availability. Some are only sold in certain countries (e.g. the United states, Israel and France), others are made in extremely limited quantities or only for private wine clubs or projects (more on that below) and others are hamstrung by their relevant importer and/or distributor who focuses only on a certain area. This results in a far lower number than the aforementioned 3,000 different wines being available to the average consumer on a regular basis. However, even with this numerous limiting factors, the first world problem of having too many choices looms stronger than ever for the kosher consumer and help is needed.

Even five years after Rogov’s passing, there remains very little unbiased and conflict-free information about kosher wines. There are a number of wine writers in Israel covering Israeli wines but most write in Hebrew and the focus is Israeli wines, which includes many non-kosher Israeli options and excludes the large number of high-quality kosher wines being produced everywhere else. Last year it seemed like hope had arrived and two capable Israeli wine-related individuals took a stab at putting together a mini-book of Israel’s top wines (different from Rogov’s comprehensive guide which listed ALL wines). However, these individuals unfortunately allowed their [misinformed] political views to tarnish their journalistic integrity and decided to exclude any wines from Yehuda and Shomron, not only limiting the quality of wines chosen (given the incredible wines sourced from those regions) but also somewhat deceiving the public by implying that their guide covered all Israeli wines. As an aside, Rogov was also significantly to the left of Israeli politics and refused to visit wineries located in those areas, BUT he would taste any wines brought to him and professed to judge them solely on their merits [based on many of the scores given to top tier wines like Gvaot, he succeeded in doing so, most of the time]. Thankfully this blemish on the Israeli wine world will soon be corrected, as four Israeli wine journalists bonded together to try and publish a comprehensive guide to Israeli wines. This guide is expected to be published in April and will endeavor to include all Israeli wines which will be blind tasted, scored and ranked (although, unlike Rogov who made it his business to visit nearly all the wineries, they will only be reviewing wines that are sent to them). My understanding is that the guide will also be translated into English, so stay tuned.

As discussed in prior Trifecta newsletters, the lack of regularly scheduled information (especially in English) has significantly increased the importance of retailers (and to a lesser degree, sommeliers [or whomever is selling the wine at kosher establishments these days]) in helping the consumer navigate the treacherous waters that are kosher wine shelves. With so much prettied-up but complete drek being pushed these days, the need for advice is greater than ever. Despite my ongoing vociferous pushing for wineries, producers and importers to get together and pay someone to educate their front-line soldiers (i.e. the people actually selling wine to the consumers), nobody has picked up the gauntlet and educated the retailers about the product (I mean seriously, it’s a marketer dream – give the wine seller in depth education about your products and which wines do you think he will be talking about/selling more often). Obviously there are good retailers out there, and even some with more than a passing understanding of wine, but it is certainly not guaranteed and the wine knowledge in a kosher-focused wine store is so far below that of a non-kosher, it is embarrassing.

Even if you are lucky enough to find a well educated and knowledgeable wine retailer, you are almost certainly bumping up against a conflict of interest between you (who wants the best QPR, top-tier, new and/or delicious wine) and the retailer (usually focused on margins, kickbacks, sale, “promotions” and other commercially self-serving endeavors instead of focusing on trying to build a loyal following by providing quality service). Before I get hoisted on my own petard, this is obviously a gross generalization and not directed at anything (or anyone) specific. My main points are (1) wineries, importers and distributors need to allocate resources to educating people about wine (the lack of consumer wine education was recently lamented by my good buddy over at Kosher Wine Musings) and (2) if you like wine, educate yourself by asking questions, tasting a lot of different wines (and obviously reading this newsletter). The more you know, the more you will enjoy. As an aside, the lack of knowledge and education is self evident when a list of “Top 100” wines has the “Blue Bottled Abomination” at #4 and Yarden Hermon Red at #8, while the Flam Blanc is at #80, Yatir Forest is at #84 & none of my top wines are even on the list (although some older vintages of the same wines were)).

The nest three topics showcase two additional trends driven by the massively increased number of kosher wine drinkers, one positive and the other two slightly less so – more white wine, more “Parkerized: wine and finally, more mevushal wine.

A Rising [White] Tide

As I have been discussing quite often recently, the kosher wine consumer has finally woken up to what white wines have to offer. Depending on how far back you go, white wines were bad, condescended to or simply viewed as pleasurable quaffers. It is only recently that we have been fortunate enough to be able to enjoy well-made, high-quality, sophisticated and complex white wines from many different regions around the world. With Israel’s nine months-hot Mediterranean climate it is quite surprising that it took them this long, but at least now some wineries are having huge success with their white wines, whether it is a primary focus for them (Bat Shlomo or Matar) or simply something they believe in and do quite well (Tzora, Domaine Netofa and Capsouto). Even the “big boys” are making significant inroads with Tabor producing a number of terrific white wines and the Golan Heights Winery simply hitting it out of the park with their sparkling wines, Sauvignon Blanc and many others. I’m not sure whether consumers are drinking more white and rosé because the wine quality is at sufficient levels or wineries started making higher-quality wines to satisfy demand but hey – who cares really. The important thing is that there are some really terrific white wines now with more and more becoming available and I look forward to seeing this trend continue (see below on Psagot).

The Consumer is Always Right

With more and more consumers getting into wine, many wineries have been taking long and hard looks at their bottom line and are trying to figure out who their target consumer is. As the viability of a winery as a successful enterprise becomes more and more evident, some wineries are focusing more on selling lots of wine than making the wine they want to make (or think should be made). Despite the romanticism of wine, it is a business and many people’s livelihoods depends on it so the resulting trend, while somewhat unfortunate, is completely understandable. White gratifying to see the number of kosher wine consumers expand (especially since they are signing up for my newsletter), they are mostly “entry-level” drinkers who prefer rich, robust and near-sweet fruity wines, regardless of cost or quality. As such, many wineries are producing wines to satisfy the demands of these customers. While stalwarts such as the Golan Heights Winery have always made [high-end and terrific] wines in this manner (making their Blanc de Blanc all the more a shockingly magnificent outlier), other wineries are changing their style to satisfy “the street”.

What’s Cooking?

While high-end single malt scotch remains the only culinary indulgence in which an Orthodox Jew can participate on equal (or greater) footing with his non kosher-keeping peers, as kosher wine quality (and prices) continue to grow, kosher wine is edging its way into the business arena more and more. As more high-end business meetings occur at presentable kosher establishments, the need for high-end mevushal wines is growing. After nearly a decade of holding a near monopoly in this arena, Binyamina’s Cave is seeing some legitimate competition as nearly every major importer/distributor is pressuring their wineries to produce at least one of their higher-end wines in a mevushal version. While a good idea in principle, the majority of these “experiments” has been unsuccessful to date, with Herzog’s higher end mevushal offerings and Hagafen’s “Prix Reserve” remaining the gold standard by which any mevushal wine shall be judged.

Return of a Class Society

As discussed multiple times in the past, mankind’s constant demand for the new and exciting has not passed the kosher wine world by with every winery constantly looking for new ways to stoke the consumer’s interest and stand out in a crowded marketplace. However, and as I am constantly reminding wineries, exclusivity is valued above all others and many of these kosher wine consumers are looking for hard to find wines that can be used for additional purposes beyond providing drinking pleasure. The easiest route for a winery to take is creating an exclusive wine club that will offer wines only available to those who sign up, guaranteeing them exclusive wines. Some good examples include Covenant’s “Landsman”, Hagafen’s “Prix Reserve” and Herzog’s various “special wines” which include the Eagle’s Landing wines that have been home to quite a few really nice wines recently.

Other special projects include “white labels” (where a winery will take one of their wines and bottle/label it as a private wine), private barrels and a myriad of other special projects (one way to stay appraised of many such things is to sign up for my Corkboard Buying Group) that are available for those who are happy to invest in increasing their wine-related pleasures.   Another aspect of this is the increased interest in high-end wine tourism, with many wineries around the world attempting to service [mostly well-heeled] wine aficionados, interested in truly unique wine-related experiences.   Stay tuned, as my crystal Ball will deal with this topic more in depth given the expected growth next year in this arena.

The French are Coming [Back] [Again]

After going “all in” on the self-described 2005 “vintage of the century”, the reign of the French seemed to be over, as distributors and retailers struggled to move the mounds of over-priced wines they were stuck with (especially with anti-French sentiment then at near-record highs). As evidenced at last year’s Miami KFWE, the French are rearing their aristocratic heads once again with plenty of new labels on the shelves (and many more coming down the pike). As “wine-awareness” continues to penetrate deeper in the psyche of kosher wine consumers, the willingness to shell out the “big bucks” for quality wines has never been higher (with plenty of growth ahead). With hundreds of years of winemaking experience under their belts, proven long-term ageability and tremendous food-paring abilities, French wines are once again providing us with portfolio diversity by showcasing high quality, earthy and mineral laden wines and people are paying for them. I have seen the future – and it is bien.

Cost Issues

Despite all the growth discussed above and a waiting and welcoming not-yet-tapped market, many Israeli wineries continue their relentless pursuit of Israeli Wine’s Holy Grail – penetrating the mainstream wine market with “Israeli Wine” instead of focusing on increasing market share within such relatively “low hanging fruit”. While I agree that this is a valid pursuit (especially in this day and age of global gratuitous anti-Israel behavior), the decision is partially driven by an inherent snobbery that a Japanese non-Jewish consumers is more valuable (i.e. better) to an Israeli winery than a kosher consumer from New Jersey. Putting the political difficulties aside, one of the main obstacles to achieving this worldwide penetration is cost. With the primary expenditures (land, water, grapes and labor) significantly cheaper in other wine growing regions of the world, even [primarily non-kosher] Israeli consumers tend to prefer qualitatively comparable and significantly cheaper foreign imports over local offerings. Until the Israeli wine market can provide wide range of benchmark under $10 wines, their time, effort and limited resources are far better spent expanding their local market and servicing the untapped growth potential represented by the ever-growing [primarily] North American kosher consumer market (which is happy (or at least resigned) to spend a little more and has less options to choose from).

Salvation Lies to the [North] East

As opposed to Warden Norton’s thinking that “salvation lies within”, the needs of kosher consumers to enjoy consistently qualitative wines at prices closer to $10 a bottle than $20 a bottles are not being met from “within” (the mainstays of the kosher wine world – Israel, California and France) but rather by other wine growing regions including Spain, Italy and Portugal. Part of this is based on the simple reality that the primary requirements to produce wine (land, grapes, water and labor) are all cheaper in these regions, making producing quality wine at affordable prices (while still extracting a reasonable profit margin) a far easier endeavor. Israel has a few wines in that price range that are passable, but the more interesting specimens are still primarily coming from afar.

One for the Road

There were quite a few notable occurrences within the wonderful world of kosher wine, many of which will continue to impact us in the coming year (and some of which will be discussed in more depth on Part III of the Trifecta. A few stories to note follow.

After nearly three years of being New York-centric, the Rosh Chodesh Club (“RCC”) finally took on a life of its own with burgeoning franchises opening up on a near-monthly basis at many locales around the globe. Given the low bar for entry (good friends, aged wine and a desire to share with friends), it isn’t surprising to find RCCs being held in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Lakewood, Westchester, Strasburg, London, Paris, Scranton and a few other places with many more expected in the coming few months. Read the newsletter, corral a few like-minded folks and launch one in your neck of the woods. I promise you won’t regret it.

Another noteworthy story was discussed a few weeks ago, and that is the long shadow cast by Recanati’s launch of the long lost [to say the least] Marawi wine. Adding revival of antiquated indigenous Israeli varietals to an increasingly long list of successes, the winery continues to show why it should be on anyone’s shortlist for “Best Of” [anything].

After years of making really great wines utilizing the “winemaker by committee”, Psagot brought on the uber-talented Ya’acov Oryah to be the primary winemaker. After firmly establishing himself as an iconoclast winemaker, with a huge edge in making top-tier white wines [and being a bit of a rabble rouser], his first slew of rosé and white wines indicate that a wise choice was made by the powers that be and I look forward to seeing what else he serves up in the near future.

After bursting on the wine scene in 2013, Greg Lambrecht’s incredible invention really took flight over the past 12 months, muscling its way not only into wine bars and the briefcases of traveling wine salesmen but also into the homes of average consumers. Nicely recovered from a brief hiccup relating to exploding bottles, version 2 was launched this year further improving on the incredible little tool that enables you to pour a glass [or taste] of wine from a [typically expensive] bottle of wine without uncorking it and leaving the reminder of the bottle to continue as if nothing happened [for months on end].

#309 – December 30, 2015

With the Gregorian year of 2015 closing in 24 hours or so, it’s time for the best wines of the year. In keeping with “Yossie’s Corkboard” tradition, in addition to the “best” wines of 2015, I have also included a list of the most interesting and exciting wines I tasted this year – many of which give more pleasure than some of their “near-perfect” brethren who are included in the more prestigious list. Similar to the trend that started last year, there are significantly more white wines on the second list than have been historically; indicative of the increasing popularity of white wines. The “Exciting/Interesting” list is also an indicator of the many new and exciting varietals with which winemakers are [successfully] experimenting with, including the latest such wine from Recanati – the Marawi. When you taste an incredibly large number of different wines every year, a different varietal or flavor profile certainly helps the wine to stand out among the hundreds or thousands of wines that pass through one’s spittoon every year.

While obviously not news to any reader of Yossie’s Wine Recommendations, after tasting over 1700 different wines this year (significantly more than in 2014), I can safely say that the world of Israeli and kosher wine continues to improve and there are great things ahead for the industry. The kosher wine consumer continues to develop and evolve and is learning to appreciate good wine for what it is (a topic that will be discussed in-depth in Part II (the lookback) of my Annual Trifecta). Unlike last year’s list, it was quite hard to whittle the list(s) down to only ten wines for each and as such, I decided to give those additional deserving wines a place to shine and listed them on an “unlisted” page on my website, which can be accessed here.

Obviously the job of compiling these end of the year lists would be enormously easier if I scored wines since I could then simply list the ten wines I scored highest during the year. However, given my well-known abhorrence for the practice of scoring wines (to the constant chagrin and complaint of many wineries and retailers), the task is significantly more complicated and thus, a fair number of caveats are in order (attorney day job, caveats would likely have been involved anyway) as set forth below.

1. The list doesn’t include older vintages of wines I recently tasted including magnificent wines that are now in their prime like the Domaine Rose Camille 2005, the 2005 Château de Valandraud, Tzora Misty Hills 2007 and Yarden’s 2001 Elrom Cabernet Sauvignon. With the third anniversary of the Rosh Chodesh Clubs coming up, the list would have been overtaken completely by the amazing aged wines we have enjoyed over the last 34 months.

2. In keeping with tradition, the list includes only wines I tasted for the first time during the 2015 calendar year (although barrel tastings form last year that I tasted as final wines this year are included) and doesn’t include not-yet-final wines (only wines that have been bottled can make this list (but they don’t have to have been officially “released)) or newly (or soon to be) released wines I haven’t yet tasted but expect them to be incredible.

3. A handful of wineries are constantly producing so many terrific wines that these list could easily be comprised sole of their wines ([Non-mevushal] Covenant, Flam, Gvaot, Hajdu, Recanati, Tzora and Yatir – I’m talking to you). In order to have some parity and properly reflect the wonderful diversity of quality kosher wines, I have limited the number of entries by any specific winery to ensure at least a slightly more inclusive list.

4. In a marked departure from prior years, I have also tried to avoid wines of such exceptional rarity as to render them one-off experiences. This in an attempt to provide a more useful list for my readers (as opposed to a personal report on the best wines I tasted, many of which are non-commercial (like the Napa Valley Reserve), exceptionally rare/expensive (like the 2008 Special-Edition Covenant Solomon’s Cuvee Lot 117) or only available in limited markets (like the delightful “true” 2012 Burgundy from Domain D’Ardhuy, Geverny Chambertin, 2012, only available in France), rendering each of them effectively “unavailable” and thus inappropriate for this list.

5. Reflecting the international nature of this newsletter’s readership, a number of these wines may not be available in either the United States or Israel, as the top tier wines of many wineries are usually made in smaller than usual quantities and sell out fast or are not exported out of their country of production due to extremely limited quantities and high demand for near cult-like wines).

6. Despite my best intentions, with a day job that limits my wine-tasting travel and time and four children limiting my discretionary income, I didn’t get to taste every one of the more than 2,500 kosher wines released this year. As a result, I’m sure I missed a few (not to mention my slowly failing memory), so the list isn’t 100% set in stone.

As a result of these exclusions and the fact that there is much great kosher wine available from all over the world, there are plenty of terrific and/or interesting wines that are not included on this list (or the “almost” list), but are well worth your time, efforts, wallet and palate. That is what the other 40-odd newsletters are for (remember – I only write about wines I recommend).

Below is my list – I’d love to hear from you on your best and favorite wines of 2015.

Have a great week,
Yossie

Best Wines of 2015 (in alphabetical order)

Capcanes, Peraj Ha’abib, Flor de Primavera, Monsant, 2012: Utilizing the typical component, the label proclaims the blend to be the identical 35% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache with 30% of Carignan, but my understanding is that the blend may have been slightly different (as with the 2010 and 2011 vintages), all hailing from the tremendous selection of old vines at Jürgen’s disposal. Rich, meaty and delicious the wine has a slightly closed nose of rich black fruit accompanied by earthy minerals, grilled meat, some graphite, saddle leather, espresso, and a touch of freshly paved asphalt. The full bodied palate shows the impeccable balance we expect from Capcanes, presenting the slightly smoked wood, ripe black fruit, slight herbal notes and more earthy minerals in a harmonious package that still needs time to integrate (and the searing tannins certainly need a few years of “togetherness” to settle down and showcase the true magnificence of the wine (which its structure ensures will come to fruition). A long and lingering finish leaves you wanting more as it comes fully loaded with the rich chocolate and mocha from the oak and plenty of slightly bitter minerals evidencing the pleasurable road ahead. As evidenced by this epic tasting, while doable now drinking it now would be wine-infanticide at its best (or worst, depending on how you look at it), so please wait at least 12 months before opening up and then enjoy until 2023, likely longer.

Covenant, Solomon, Lot 17, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011: While by now everyone has likely heard the story being Covenant’s flagship Solomon wine, named after the Morgan’s business partner – Leslie Rudd who finally acquiesced to Jeff’s request to use his high-end grapes for a kosher wine, far fewer individuals have actually tasted the wine [and even fewer have enjoyed every vintage since 2008, including the “second” 2008 version made especially for the Napa Valley auction in a limited 60-bottle production]. Further labeled as “Lot 70” moniker borne from the numbered tag on the applicable tank (while also representing the numerical value for wine (yayin equal 70 in gematria), and starting with the coming vintage, after using the high-end fruit from Rudd’s Larkmead vineyard, the fruit quality will go even higher with Rudd’s Oakville grapes (kissing cousin to Screaming Eagle) being used for the 2012 vintage and onwards (I’m looking forward to stashing a few 2012 bottles away for Ariella’s Bat-Mitzvah). Similar to the “regular” version, a free-run 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine with rich notes of ripe black fruit, hints of red fruit, dark chocolate, a hint of minerals and caressing tannins providing the structure for a wine that achieves the holy grail of high-end vinogrophy – approachability on release with plenty of room to grow. With a delightfully acidic and mineral core providing added “oomph” to the luscious fruit and slightly toast yet still subtle oak providing an underlying robustness and added character, the wine was enjoyed over a period of three hours while we watched in open up in wonder. Just coming into its own now, give the wine two hours in the decanter or another 18 months in your cellar before opening and enjoying through 2023. As alluded to above, Jeff has produced so many other epic wines this year, he could have accounted for 30% of this list all on his own, between the “Best” and “Most Interesting” parts with the Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Lavan Chardonnay, 2013 Landsman Syrah all vying for a spot along with the newly released Zahav dessert wine, the coming newly crowned flagship Neshama blend and the Morgan’s new project – covenant Israel [have no fear, all will be covered in depth in my coming newsletter focusing on all things Covenant and Morgan] [Only in the US].

Domaine du Castel, Grand Vin, 2013: As crazy a statement as this may be, the 2013 vintage of Castel’s famous Grand Vin Bordeaux blend is likely the winery’s best wine ever (certainly deserving of its many recent accolades, including the 94 points awarded to it by the Wine Advocate’s Mark Squires). Comprised of its typical Bordeaux-blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this exceptionally elegant wine is beautifully made with a tight tannic structure in delightful balance with the 50% new French oak, rich and mostly black fruit while retaining the winery’s old world earthy mineral feel with spicy oak, warm spices, cigar box tobacco, warm cedar wood and dark chocolate while managing to express Israeli characteristics of a herbaceousness and an extracted feel to the fruit which provide it a [welcome] personality all of its own, culminating in a long and lingering finish with rich expressive fruit, slightly smoky oak, chocolate and espresso. Still extremely tight at this point, the wine needs another eight to 12 months to properly come together after which it should cellar nicely through 2023.

Domaine Roses Camille, 2011: Despite having produced two of the “best” kosher wines ever (and appearing on this list for years 2012, 2013 and 2014), after achieving the highest level of critical acclaim with the 2005 and 2006 vintages, winemaker Christophe Bardeau rested on his laurels, reverting back to non-kosher winemaking for vintage years 2007-2010 before coming back with [with a vengeance] and releasing not only the 2011 Domaine Roses Camille but also a second Rose Camille wine the Echo (which made last year’s list) and another wine sourced from a neighboring vineyard. As anyone lucky enough to have enjoyed the 2005 or 2006 vintages would expect, the 2011 is so closed and tight at this point as to render is nearly un-enjoyable. Nearly. Despite requiring nearly 24 hours (!) of decanting, the greatness that lies beneath is already perceptible and the 2011 vintage will be a worthy successor to the 2006 (if coming in slightly below both the 2006 and 2005 quality-wise). Once again, this 100% Merlot wine is sourced from the family’s highest quality plot on their three-hectare plot and aged for just north of two years in new French oak. After opening with a still uber-closed nose of mostly black fruit, delightfully expressive and earthy minerals, cedar wood, fresh-cured tobacco leaf, wet forest floor, lead pencil and some bitter anise alongside a lovely hint of barnyard funk, the full-bodied palate more than delivers on the promise with more of the same and layers of complexity that [ever-so-]slowly open up to reveal the treasures that lie beneath. Searing but well-structured tannins and enamel-stripping acidity combine to provide the promised for [relatively] super-long aging, but at this point it would literally be criminal to pop the cork on the wine. Stock up and forget about the wine for at least five years, after which enjoy it through 2026, likely longer [Only in the US].

Elvi, Clos Mesorah, 2013: Officially sharing the “flagship” moniker with the winery’s El26, this is the Cohen’s finest production yet (with last year’s “most Interesting” Herenza Reserva” remaining the most intriguing of them all). A blend of 50% old-vine Carignan and 30% Grenache along with 20% Syrah, the wine opens with gobs of rich [but tempered] mostly red fruit including raspberries, red cherries, tinted with a hint of boysenberry and slate alongside cassis and subtle blueberry, accompanied by a delightfully earthy minerals, rich dark chocolate, spicy oak, fresh-rolled cigars, notes of oaky vanilla and roasted espresso on a full bodied palate where fresh-turned earth, hints of lavender and grilled meat are added to the mix before culminating in a rich and caressing finish that lingers on and on. With near-searing tannins providing a well-structured backbone that will help the wine age beautifully over the next decade, this is one for the ages and reminiscent of Elvi’s inaugural and almost-obscenely great 2009 vintage. A beautifully elegant wine with a lingering and expressive finish to match, do not let this one pass you by. Despite being the current release, the wine is so far from being approachable at this point that it needs eight-to-ten hours of decanting. Give it the time and respect it deserves and stash it away in the far recesses of your cellar, making a note to yourself to check in again with this wine in two years when it might begin to be approachable. It should cellar well through 2025, likely longer.

Flam, Noble, 2011: A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, the wine spent its customary two years in new French oak (the first 12 months each component on its own and then another 12 months as the final blend) and then an additional two years of bottle aging in the Flam Bother’s delightfully cool and dark cellar. If you want to stop reading all you have to know is that the 2011 vintage is even better than the 2010. Golan meticulously selected the absolute best grapes for each varietal from among Flam’s best plots. More Tuscany than California and reflective of the Flam’s winemaking philosophy, the wine is loaded with rich and extracted flavors while retaining elegance and poise, coupled with power and substantial aging ability. Bigger and more expressive than the overly impressive 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (with whom it shares 61% of its composition), the wine is magical and a must have. With a seductive nose of mostly red fruit including ripe plums, dark cherries and tart raspberries along with a hint of gooseberry, warm herbs and an slight minerality, the wine only gets better on the medium to full-bodied palate with luscious fruit accompanied by earthy minerals, subtle oak, spicy black pepper, a hint of pleasing green bitterness and leathery tannins. Long, complex, dense and exceptionally elegant, the wine easily earns its place on this list [and then some]. Similar to Covenant above, the only reason the unbelievable 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is not on this list was to avoid screeches of nepotism from lesser wines].

Gvaot, Masada, 2012: Somehow Gvaot managed to slip through the cracks with two wines on this list, primarily de to the fact that it felt so unfair to leave either off (although the same could be said for the Flam Reserve 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon) and Gvaot somehow remains somewhat off the average aficionado’s radar screen. Historically the flagship wine and for vintage year representing the flagship label as it was joined by a Masada Pinot Noir (made for 2012 in addition to the “regular” Gofna Reserve Pinot Noir). Maintaining the Bordeaux-blend style Gvaot has been utilizing since it introduced the Masada wine with the 2005 vintage, the wine is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, which spent approximately 20 months in French oak. Showcasing a highly concentrated and extracted full-bodied palate loaded with rich black fruits including blackberries, cassis and ripe cherries along with warm spices, some flinty minerals, cedar, fresh-cured tobacco and rich chocolate all wrapped around a robust core of powerful tannins that lend credence to the long-term viability of the wine. A textbook “Iron Fist in Velvet Glove” wine with an undeniably moving elegance and a lingering finish loaded with more rich fruit and chocolate along with a tinge of green bitterness lending a final bite to the wine, this wine will make you cry (in a good way). At this point, all you would achieve by opening the wine is showing off your good taste but give the wine 12-18 months and then enjoy through 2023, likely longer.

Hajdu, Hajdu, Proprietary Red Wine, 2013: Giving the wine an air of mystery to go along with its utter deliciousness, the varietals and percentages are not officially disclosed with the only information being the Napa Valley Hossfeld Hills source for the grapes. While I personally consider the Petite Sirah to be Jonathan’s flagship wine, this wine is better positioned to be the premier wine by both its price tag and limited production. Despite capitulating to market demand and producing a Bordeaux blend (instead of sticking to his beloved Rhone varietals), the wine easily maintains his characteristic style of highly-extracted rich, dense and near-sweet fruit with searing tannins and oak influence all of which are kept in check with tight control and finesse, exhibiting grace and balance of the epic components he put together. Another “Iron First Wrapped in Velvet” elegant and powerful wine which presents rich notes of blackberries, ripe black cherries, fleshy cassis and tart red fruit are joined by a subtle note of boysenberries wrapped around a robust tannic core that needs some time and air to open up but boded well for the future development of this wine. Freshly-grilled meat, fresh-cracked black pepper and spicy oak add some delightful edginess to the wine and keep the exuberant fruit from overwhelming any food you may enjoy with this tremendous wine. As the wine opens up you are rewarded with green olive nuances alongside some anise, cedar box tobacco, well-worn leather, fresh-turned earth and some minerals which culminate in a chocolate-covered espresso bean finish. Surprisingly approachable now, the wine should be at its peak in 12-18 months which it will hold through 2023, if not longer. Seriously worthy of mention is the 2013 Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah and, like Covenant, Flam and Gvaot before him [on this list] and Tzora coming, everything else this exceptionally talented young man produces is a viable candidate for this list [Only in the US].

Recanati, Special Reserve, Red, 2012: 30% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, 25% Marselan and 15% Carignan (basically blending together their high-end Cabernet Sauvignon from with the best grapes that otherwise make up Recanati’s their elite “Mediterranean Reserve” series). Somehow an underappreciated wine that has been eclipsed by some of the winery’s incredible achievements over the last few years including the Mediterranean Reserve series, Gris de Marselan, Special Reserve White, development of the Manara vineyard and others. An always complex, layered and expressively elegant powerhouse of a wine that is content to let you come to it, while it slowly unwraps its multi-layered complexity. Similar to the Flam Noble listed above, each component spends a few month aging in French oak before the final blend is determined and returned to barrels to age as a blend for an additional 18 months or so. Plenty of rich and mostly red fruit on the deep and brooding nose, the wine reveals roasted Mediterranean herbs, tobacco leaf, cedar nots and spicy oak. The full bodied palate contains more of the same on a bed of well-structured tannins that are already integrating nicely and providing a solid backbone for the well balanced and deep wine. While easily representing Recanati’s [unfortunately more and more unique] philosophy for more subtly and nuance over expressive fruit and noticeable oak, the wine is fleshier and more robust than prior vintages, likely a result of the hotter vintage year many wineries experienced in 2012. As a result, the wine is more approachable than usual early on and is more likely to provide pleasure to a broader swath of wine aficionados than previously. Delicious now (and worth giving the wine 45 minutes to an hour in the decanter) the wine will continue to develop and should cellar nicely through 2021.

Tzora, Misty Hills, 2012: Quoting the Midrash Raba on Sefer Breishit, “Achron, Achron, Chaviv” (loosely translated as “last but not least”), this wine was certainly worth the wait as you read to the bottom of this treasure-laden list. Together with one of its other “Top Five Israeli Wineries” sibling, Gvaot, despite making world class wines for at least five years, Eran Pick and Tzora don’t seem to get the recognition they deserve. While it goes against my own interests to promote it (as opposed to letting it languish on the shelves for me to load up at better prices), I can’t help myself since the wine deserves to be seen, heard and most of all enjoyed! As with nearly every other Misty Hills wine produced by the winery, it ranks among Israel’s best and very much requires some patient cellaring in order to achieve the unbelievable greatness intended for it. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% of the winery’s incredible Syrah, the first word that comes to mind (after “wow”) is elegance. A perfectly balanced wine showcasing earthy minerals and robust black fruit with plenty of acidity keeping the extracted fruits in check and hints of near sweet red fruits in perfect harmony with subtle oak nuances. With layers and layers of complex flavors that unwrap themselves slowly as the hours tick by including rich cassis, luscious black plums, slightly sweet red summer fruits, all on a lush and full-bodied palate that seems nearly viscous at times, this is truly a magnificent wine that deserves as much attention as you can spare. Still very tight, if you insist on opening now, I’d give the wine two to three hours of decanting time or wait 18 months and then cellar through 2021, likely longer. Like its aforementioned brethren, pretty much every wine made by Tzora could be on this list, but certainly 2013 was certainly a huge winner for them with the Or and Red Shoresh along with the 2014 White Shoresh (the 2013 was on last year’s list) all equally deserving of a spot on this list.

Most Interesting / Exciting Wines of 2015 (in alphabetical order)

100 Tropez, Côtes de Provence, Rosé, 2014: With my love for Rosé well documented, it should surprise no one that at least one Rosé made this list (simply not one I had tasted when my annual Ode to the Pink went out in May). Capitalizing on the Rosé-mania that has gripped the wine world, a number of kosher Rosé from Provence was produced including this one, which at ~$22 and 12.5% AbV, was one of the summer’s bigger hits. Rosé the way the French intended it with gobs of bright and tart summer red fruit including strawberries, red grapefruit, cherries, tart raspberries combining with floral notes and pleasing slightly saline minerality with plenty of acid to keep the fruit honest, my only regret regarding this delicious citrus and fruit-laden Rosé was that I didn’t buy enough of it. Drink Now [Only in the US].

Avidan, Fringe, Cabernet Franc, 2013: After the winery’s founder and winemaker, Tsina Avidan, passed away in 2012, the winery sat idle for a vintage before being taken over by the Shaked family, who “turned kosher” and installed Yotam Sharon as temporary winemaker for the 2013 vintage (before handing the reins to Amit Toledo (Trio’s current winemaker) for the 2014 vintage and onwards). I tasted the first four kosher Avidan wines from the barrel in early January (in addition to this Cabernet Franc, a Nebbiolo, Malbec and Mourvèdre) but really enjoyed this wine the most and, upon tasting the final bottled version was happy to find that the wine had retained its qualitative edge along with a vibrant freshness somewhat uncommon among Israeli Cabernet Franc wines (to say nothing of those clocking in at 14.5% AbV). With bright red cherries, dusty plums, a hint of green bell peper and a roasted herbaceousness combining to produce a near classic Cabernet Franc, the wine is well made with good acidity and gripping tannins providing the background for this delicious wine. Well priced and worth seeking out, if only to remember what quality Cabernet Fran can taste like (especially given how many Israeli wineries seem to have left this gem of a varietal by the wayside) [Only in Israel].

Capcanes, Flor de Flor, Samso (Old Vine Carignan), 2013: As you all know, Capcanes has always had (and retains) a very special place in my heart and my most recent [truly epic] visit a few weeks ago was simply a confirmation of the fact [with a full report coming in a week or so]. Continuing to improve and innovate, the winery added a new wine to their upper-tier “Flor de Flor” label; a 100% varietal Carignan (Samso) sourced from 107 year-old vines (I was recently privileged to “meet” in person). With Recanati’s stunning Old Vine Carignan clocking in at around 40 years, the deep earthy complexity and rustic “bite” of Capcanes’ much older vines was an interesting comparison that was delightful to taste. With a brooding nose of near-sweet dark cherries, plums, loamy dirt, minerals, graphite and bracing acidity continuing on a full bodied palate with much of the same along with gripping tannins that need time to integrate, an earthy “edginess” that pleases, a rich spiciness, dark espresso and some slightly smoky oak lending it additional character, the wine is simply delightful and a welcome addition to the portfolio. With the 2014 version as good but with less character, I’d load up on 2013 and enjoy over the next five to eight years.

Cotes de Galilee Village, Jacques Capsouto Vignobles, Cuvee Eva Blanc, 2014: Long renowned for promoting Israeli wines at his Tribeca restaurant; I met and became friends with Jacques Capsouto years ago when we co-judged the Jewish Week’s Annual Kosher Wine Guide. After Hurricane Sandy forced the closure of Capsouto Frères, Jacques turned to the Holy Land for his next pursuit, acquiring vineyards in the Upper Galilee in order to make wines under his own label, the first vintages of which were recently released (this wine, a Rosé and a “reserve-level” red to be released shortly). Stay tuned for a full-blown article on the man, the story and the wines coming soon. Exceptionally well-priced and more reminiscent of Provence than the Galil, both wines are well-made, unpretentious and delicious (with my tasting of the Rosé missing my topical newsletter by two days). An esoteric (Rhone-driven) blend of Mediterranean-suited blends including Grenache Blanc (60%), Roussanne (19%), Clairette Blanche (14%) and Marsanne (7%); this medium-bodied wine is loaded gobs of judiciously utilized acidity that make it surprisingly light on its feet. Loaded with fresh-cut grass, summer stone fruit, Mayer lemon, sweet citrus, a streak of bitter herbs and a whiff of the Mediterranean, the wine is simplistic and sophisticated at the same time, providing both mindless beachside drinking pleasure and armchair contemplation. Near-elegant and delicious, I’d buy all you can find (but beware, the wine is an exceptional YH Best Buy, so that could end up being quite a bit). Drink now [the accompanying Rosé would have made the list over this wine but as it is completely sold out, I didn’t think that would be fair].

Hagafen, White Riesling, Dry, Rancho Wieruszowski, 2014: Similar to a few other wineries (Golan heights winery and Matar immediately come to mind), Hagafen’s recent success with white wines has significantly eclipsed their reds (a good thing given the resurgent popularity of white wine mentioned and linked to above). With three different variations of Hagafen’s delightful Riesling already on the market, one would be forgiven for being slightly incredulous that Ernie decided to try his hand at yet another version. That is, at least until you tasted a welcome addition to the quality and bone-dry kosher Riesling “community” (with the 2013 Kayoumi from Carmel being another). With plenty of ripe tropical fruit and saline minerals on the nose reminiscent of Hagafen’s “other” versions, the medium-bodied and bone-dry palate showcases a completely different and refreshingly austere version of what Ernie can coax out of these grapes. Plenty of tart fruit, saline minerals, a slight viscosity and hint of petrol creeping in on the lingering finish combine to make this a wine I could (and intend) to drink forever [Only in the US].

Mia Luce, Rosso, 2012: Kobi’s current release is 97% Carignan sourced from Recanati’s famous “wild” vineyard and blended with 3% Syrah from the Upper Galilee. While the wine showcases the typical animalistic traits of Recanati’s wine, the Rosso is more dialed-back and approachable, especially at first attack. With dark notes of blackberries, currents and other black forest fruit, grilled meat, warm spices, dark chocolate, white pepper and anise on both the nose and palate keep lively and somewhat bright with great balancing acidity, this medium to full bodied wine has plenty of saddle leather, earthy forest floor and saline minerals to balance out the fruit and oak with a lingering finish that, to quote one of my favorite wine-writers “feels like a love train connecting all the people of the Mediterranean basin”; yielding a personality-laden wine that Kobi can truly call his own. Buy all the bottles you can find. Honorable mention to Mia Luce’s 2011 French Colombard-reviving Bianco [Only in Israel].

Psagot, Moav, 2014: While Ya’acov Oryah’s first slew of 2014 vintage wines at Psagot includes a number of interesting wines including a varietal Viognier and an interesting Rosé comprised of five different varietals, the most interesting version is a continuation of his epic Semillon-driven success at Midbar with this blend of 69% Semillon and 31% Sauvignon Blanc (with Matar producing a similar blend), both sourced from Tzuba and co-fermented (30% of it in new oak) on its lees for four months. With a portion of the grapes harvested early I believe Ya’acov is onto something with re: solving Israel’s hotter growing season “issues” that can lead to flabby and low-acid grapes [to be discussed in greater depth in a coming newsletter. With 12.5% AbV and a rich tropical nose tempered by delightful acidity and a healthy dollop of saline-driven minerals, this was a delicious and intriguing wine that bodes every well for Psagot’s continued development and promising future [Only in Israel].

Recanati, Marawi, 2014: With the background story behind this wine outlined in last week’s newsletter, I wanted to focus solely on the actual tasting note for this list (click on the above link for the details). [Only in Israel]. Despite feeling that the 2015 will leave this inaugural 2014 version in the dust, I enjoyed the 2014 which opened with a distinct nose of tart green apples, white peaches, a hint of honey infused citrus and spicy notes along with floral notes, an interesting funkiness that blew off after a few minutes and an intriguing salty component. The light to medium bodied palate was loaded with much of the same presenting as a simple quaffer with decent acidity, some added bodied from the [older] oak barrel fermentation and the ensuing salinity ensuring a complexity that pleases. Well worth trying for the story and enjoying for the no-thinking-required pleasure the wine provides.

Roger Moreux, Sancerre, Chavignol, 2012: Having enjoyed a number of bottles of the magnificent 2007 vintage (that wasn’t “officially” imported into the US), I was overjoyed to find the 2012 vintage on offer at KFWE back in February and even happier to discover it being commercially available. Not only is this wine one of the only “real” kosher Sancerre wines available, it is also quite delicious and well worthy of your attention, palate and wallet. Leading with a highly aromatic nose redolent of blooming flower, citrus zest, slate minerals, a hint of tropical fruit and warm spices, the medium bodied palate has much of the same alone with intriguing salinity that make this one for the ages. Buy all the bottles you can find and then pester your retailer for more! [Only in the US]

Shirah, Aglianico, 2013: After “discovering” Italy in their 2012 Coalition, the brothers continue to forge ahead determined to expose the kosher wine-loving world to as many varietals that they can comfortably source at a high-enough quality and another Italian grape – Aglianico – was their next target, sourcing the grapes from the acclaimed Paso Robles AVA. While my first experience with the varietal, it is instantly recognizable as a Shirah wine and reminiscent of some of their older humongous favorites. With an impenetrable inky dark color, the wine [finally] opens up to reveal a highly expressive nose of plums, blueberry, tart cranberries, rich floral notes, earthy minerals, smoke, rich chocolate and plenty of spices. The full bodied [yet surprisingly light] palate has plenty more extracted fruit alongside near-sweet herbs and menthol, anise, more chocolate and gripping tannins that still need time to integrate and play nice. A finish laden with more tannins and tart fruit lingers nicely. Even more than usual for Shirah, at this point give it the time it deserves to open up before enjoying it. I’d wait at least a year before opening and then enjoy its development through 2018, maybe longer (with no prior experience with the varietal – better safe than sorry in this case). As an aside, given the grapes trait as an acid-laden and sun-loving varietal, I’d be interested in exploring how the varietal might do in the hands of a few of my favorite Israeli winemakers [Only in the US].

#308 – December 21, 2015
This week’s newsletter outlines the second leg of a recent wine-driven trip, in which I continued to Israel (From Spain) and, over two days, managed to squeeze in visits to eight wineries.  Similar to my prior “Wine Country” newsletter, in order to provide up-to-date information with respect to recent offerings and happenings at the visited wineries, below is a brief summary of each visit, including with respect to the wines enjoyed and those you should especially be on the lookout for (obviously more detailed write-ups for each of the wineries will be forthcoming as well, simply at a later date).   For those who don’t want to read through the entire [somewhat lengthy] newsletter, but are interested in one or two specific wineries, note that this newsletter covers (in order): Castel, Tzora, Teperberg, Agur, Matar, Recanati, Carmel and Domaine Netofa.  I hope you enjoy!

Castel
After landing at three in the morning and spending a few hours catching up on [real] work, my first stop was at the newly erected Castel Winery located in Yad Hashmona just opposite Kiryat Ye’arim (a/k/a Telz-Stone) where I met with Ilana Ben-Zaken, the winery’s export manager and daughter of founder Eli Ben-Zaken.  After a brief tour of the newly erected facilities (including a humongous and gorgeous barrel room (with plenty of room for future growth) that includes the en vogue concrete tanks being utilized by more and more wineries) we settled in for a short tasting.  After over two decades of making wine on the family’s plot in sleepy Ramat Raziel, it was time to move to a larger and more approachable facility where the frequent visitors seeking out one of Israel’s top wineries wouldn’t continue to incur the wrath of the neighbors.

Having had moved into the facility only a week or so earlier, things were slightly disarray but I very much appreciated the time and effort taken to accommodate my request for a visit and tasting, despite all that was going on.  In addition to tasting the newly released 2013 Grand Vin which was recently awarded 94 points by Mark Squires (of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate).  While you all know my personal view on wine scores, medals and awards (and the other wines with which it shared this specific recognition isn’t in the same league), the wine is likely the best one ever made by Castel and certainly deserves the many accolades it has already garnered.  Comprised of the typical Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wine is beautifully made with a tight tannic structure in delightful balance with the 50% new French oak, rich, mostly black, fruit and a slightly earthy mineral feel to it.  While the wine definitely needs some time to integrate, I’d load up and stash many bottles away for future enjoyment.  We also tasted tank samples of the 2015 Rosé which was crisp and vibrant with a delightfully rich pink color.  Time will tell how the final wine will present but for now the wine was showing a little too sweet for my own personal tastes but is a well-made wine in its own right and will certainly be well received by many.  Two other wines we tasted were the 2014 “C” Chardonnay which presented in Castel’s characteristic style with oak influences ever-so-slightly bending the vibrant fruit to its well but in such a graceful manner as to barely be noticeable – another winning wine.  The Petit Castel, Castel’s “second wine’ in name only, is often overlooked and underappreciated given the long shadow thrown by its flagship sibling, and the 2013 was no exception, showcasing the same structure and balance of the award-winning Grand Vin with slightly less extracted fruit and a more approachable style, at least at this [relatively early] point in its life.

After spending years carefully crating and curating it’s exceptionally limited portfolio of wines (with the last addition being the Rosé introduced for the 2009 vintage), Castel will soon have some new surprises, two of which we barrel tasted as the last two wines of the tasting.  All in all, a great visit that showed that not only is nobody there is resting on their laurels, the winery continues to build and plan for a continued bright future – thank you Ilana!

Tzora
After bidding adieu to Castel, I drove a few minutes to my next destination – Tzora (the Judean Hills “wine route” includes over ten wineries within a few minutes of each other, all of which are worth visiting (this map can be helpful in planning your next visit)).  Ever since tasting Tzora’s wines back in 2004 I have been a huge fan of the winery and after anticipating their ascent into the very upper echelon of Israeli wineries back in 2012, I am happy to see them safely ensconced among the top five Israeli wineries – full stop.

Together with the winery’s uber-talented and always enjoyable company Eran Pick, we tasted through eight wines, including a “mystery wine” that turned out to be the 2007 Misty Hills and clear proof (if any is still needed by now) of the absolute necessity of affording wines the aging time they deserve.  Similar to Castel, Tzora has an exceptionally carefully curated portfolio of terrific wines, easily identifiable not only from the outside by their elegant labels but also by their elegant structure and old-world characteristics of rich fruit, subtle oak influence, earthy minerals working together in harmony to provide a delicious and evocative experience.  Comprised of a top-notch team from top to bottom and backed by a wine-loving individual who knows what he has, the wines are usually excellent and always good.

We started with their two 2014 white wines – the Sauvignon Blanc White Shoresh and Chardonnay driven White Judean Hills – both excellent, with the White Shoresh continuing to claim one of the top three slots among Israeli white wines (an increasingly large niche driven by the long-awaited and very welcome “discovery” of white wines among the Israeli and kosher wine-drinking public).  We also barrel-tasted the 2015 Chardonnay which is currently showing so much promise that it might end up getting treated differently than the winery’s Chardonnay has in the past.  We also barrel tasted some 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, both of which indicated that, while not as explosively as the last two Shmitah years, 2015 is going to be a very good year for at least a number of wineries.  After blind tasting the 2007 Misty Hills (which we had just had for Tishrei’s RCC and showcased beautifully integrated and caressing tannins setting up the rich black fruit, incredibly aromatic and slightly floral nose and full bodied and plush “grown up” palate of dark fruit and slightly bitter herbal notes with slightly toasty oak lingering in the background along with baker’s chocolate some warm Mediterranean herbs and plenty of spices, we also sampled the supple and powerfully elegant 2013 Red Shoresh which, while very impressive right now, will continue to benefit from some additional aging time.

After spending some quality time emptying my wallet while looting the wine shop’s shelves for some lingering treasures (including one of my favorites – the 2011 Red Shoresh), I bid goodbye to Eran, Uri and Shula and crossed the road to me next destination.

Teperberg
Despite the many obvious differences between Teperberg and its closet winery neighbor (size, style, history among others), they do share two important common characteristics – quality wines and outwardly modest but highly talented winemakers, with Shiki and Oliver holding the qualitative line on Teperberg’s continuing upward trek to a world in which the majority of wines they produce are quality table wines (the winery currently produces approximately 6 million bottles annually with about 50% represented by the five labels of table wines).  While prior tastings at Teperberg typically include a near-overwhelming 30 wines or so, given the limited time per winery in my frenzied two-day schedule (real work once again intruding), limited our tasting to a more manageable 13 wines which also enabled them to showcase the [once again] newly reorganized portfolio of labels.

Under the newly organized labels, Teperberg’s quality wines are divided into five series.  An unoaked, entry-level (and mevushal) series called Vision which contains six wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and French Columbard and a semi-dry blend of Muscat of Alexandria and Viognier) with a shelf price of around 30 NIS.  Replacing Teperberg’s successful Silver mevushal series is the next label called “Impression” comprised of nine different wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, a semi-dry Cabernet Sauvignon, a Rosé (from Cabernet Sauvignon), Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and a Late Harvest Riesling) with a shelf price of about 40 NIS in Israel.  The next three levels represent what the winery considers its more “serious wines”, with the first of these being a series of blended wines named “Inspire” and comprised of three red blends that spent approximately eight months in oak and two white blends with a shelf price of around 60 NIS.  Replacing the winery’s former top-tier Reserve series is the new “Essence” label which is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, a Port-styled wine and a not yet released (and thus still secret) varietal as well.  The expected retail price for this series will be between 90-100 NIS.  Finally the winery has added a new special/flagship label to house their best wines, including those previously released as Limited Edition wines and currently includes a Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot with an expected shelf price (in Israel) of between 180-200 NIS.

With a relatively limited amount of time for the tasting, we focused on the wines in the higher series, comparatively tasting two vintages of each wine.  After utilizing the colder 2011 vintage year to shift towards more subtle and elegant wines in which the fruit, oak and alcohol levels took at least a side-by-side approach to the tannic structure, earth and minerals in the wine which please many oenophiles including yours truly but was less popular with the mass wine-buying crowd needed to support over 3 million annul bottles of wine; Teperberg has made a strategic/commercial decision to shift back to the heavier, richer and more fruit forward wines and this shift was certainly noticeable in my tasting (the more general shift among many Israeli wineries is a major focal point in my 2015 Year in Review newsletter coming in the next week or two).

After tasting the varietal Malbec from the Vision series which was a nice, soft and approachable wine with fresh black fruit, good acid and 13.5% AbV but a tad off balance we moved on to the three red blends of the Inspire series – “Integritage” (Grenache, Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre), “Meritage” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) and “Devotage” (Malbec and Marselan).  While all showcased the quality winemaking and care we have come to expect from Shiki, the wines all has significantly more sweet fruit than I would have expected and will be well-received by folks who prefer fruity and approachable quality wines.  We followed with a tasting of the Essence Merlot (2012 and 2013 vintages), Cabernet Sauvignon (2012 and 2013 vintages) and the to-be-released 2013 new varietal.  Once again (and especially on the heels of the 2011 Reserve Merlot I loved so much), it took some adjusting to the big, rich, alcoholic and glyceroly-sweet wines.  The wines are well-made and mostly well-balanced and I can certainly understand the sex-appeal of these wines and expect them to sell well but they aren’t the type of wine I would crack open to enjoy on a regular basis.  We finished the tasting with the winery’s “big guns” and went through the Legacy Cabernet Franc (2012 and 2013 vintages) and Petit Verdot (2012 and 2013 vintages) with the 2012 vintages being more subtle and expressive while the 2013 vintage (which still need time to settle down) showcasing bigger, richer and significantly more fruit forward.

I really have to thank both Shiki and Oliver for their time, accommodation and typically delightful company during the informative and fun tasting and would be remiss if I didn’t add a special shout-out thank you to Oliver who went out of his way to ensure I finally got to enjoy the fabled fricassee sandwiches I had heard so much about by having them delivered the next day to another winery I was visiting!

Agur
With the jet lag and 4 hours of sleep over the last two days finally catching up on me, I made the short drive over to Agur Winery to visit with winemaker, friend and delightful human being – Shuki Yashuv.  After switching importers a few years ago to Israel Wine Direct, his wines are more easily available in the United States are seem to be selling well.  While his eclectically delicious Agur Blanca is no more due to the vineyard being infested with a virus, his Rosé is and remains one of my favorites with a stand-out personality to match its creators’, and the 2014 vintage remains a non-pretentious wine that demands your attention while providing a delicious wine-drinking experience.  We also tasted his 2013 Layam, a popular “Mediterranean Blend” (style pioneered by Carmel Winery and emulated up and down Israel’s wine growing regions), 2012 Bordeaux blend-styled Kessem and 2012 flagship Special Reserve that needs some significant time to settle down but had structure and balance that bodes well for its future.

With sleep so desperately needed and after some welcome conversation with the always delightful Shuki, I bid him adieu and headed North where food and wine at Ra’anana’s popular “Brenner Strip” and then hopefully sleep awaited.

Matar
With Matar’s actual winery located in the far Norther part of the Golan and thus usually out of range for my super short hop winery trips to Israel, having their distribution center in Moshav Tsofit right across the road from Ra’anana certainly comes in handy.  I started off the day with an extensive tasting of nearly all Matar’s wines, spread across 2012 (the first vintage of kosher red wines they made), 2013 (the first vintage of kosher white wines) and 2014 (the current [and soon to be released] vintage on the market.  With my recent write up on the winery still very current, there isn’t much to add other than about the wines themselves (but I’d heavily reiterate the fact that the white wines from this winery easily slot into the top tier of Israeli white wines), so I will get right to it.

With Tal up North and Nir traveling, I was lucky enough to snag some time during the tasting with Gil Ben-Yadid, the winery’s marketing manager and very knowledgeable about the winery and wines.  During an interesting discussion about the winery’s direction and philosophy, we tasted 13 wines including the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, all truly spectacular with the Chenin Blanc being my personal favorite from a purely delicious perspective.  Starting with the red wines, we then tasted a mini-vertical of the Cumulus from the 2012-2014 vintages, with the 2014 being a tank sample (bottling is expected in January) followed by the syrah-based 2013 Stratus and a tank sample of the 2104 (also expected to be bottled in January).  We then moved on to their highly regarded Petit Verdot (tasting the 2012-2014 vintages) and finished up with the winery’s flagship CB (for the Cumulonimbus cloud) from both 2012 and 2013 vintages.

While the winery continues to deny any philosophical shift in their style, the exceptionally well-made red wines certainly present closer to the typical [high-end] consumer’s preferences (with the CB and Petit Verdot being clear candidates for some aging before they will show their best [while still being deliciously approachable after a bit of air]), the white wines coming out of Matar are truly special and should all be enjoyed as often as you can afford to.

Recanati
While I don’t typically visit a winery in order to taste a very small number of wines, I made a huge exception for one of my currently favorite wineries and slightly detoured out of my way up North to make a pit-stop at Recanati for the purpose of tasting one wine.  With the tremendous hype providing a medium of global vindication for Shivi’s (of Gvaot Winery) incredible research, the immense winemaking skills house at Recanati were the talent that brought his search to life by producing a viable version of Marawi, a varietal grown in Israel for nearly 3,000 year but utilized as a single [quality] varietal for the first time in many year (there have been 1-2 blends made previously utilizing the grape).

To some degree the wine has been a victim of its own success, with the complaints varying from the usage of a table grape to make wine, to criticism of the quality [for the most part solely relative to the hype] and of course the political idiots making hay out of the über-cool, cloak-and-daggerish”, Israeli-Palestinian storyline (besides the usual crew of peanut-gallery self-styled wine pundits who just like to complain/make noise).

With an exceptionally limited amount of available grapes, the wine was made in a very limited quantity of 2,600 bottles, all of which were designated for local restaurants (with a few presumably held back by the winery for press, trade and other promotional uses), I was privileged to be afforded the opportunity to taste the wine and can simply say to all the aforementioned malcontents – bah humbug.  First, the wine was never intended to be a high-end and complex wine.  Shivi is aiming to have commercially viable wines made from the indigenous varietals yielded by his research (check) and Recanati was aiming to make a wine that would provide pleasure while utilizing the cool story behind the history of the wine (check again).  While the 2014 vintage is a simple little quaffer that is as well made as you would expect having Gil, Ido and Kobi as its creators with a saline backbone and a medley of slightly uncommon notes, the 2015 barrel sample I tasted was amazing. Rich, layered and crisp with plenty of balancing acidity and a luscious vibrancy that bodes well for its release (for which you will have to wait about six months or so), I am already scheming how to increase my meager allocation of one bottle.

With a Palestinian farmer who had been growing the grapes as table grapes for decades, selling them to Recanati through Shivi’s research right-hand man as the middleman and never agreeing to meet the winemakers or even be publically identified, Recanati had zero control over the way the grapes were planted, tended, cared for or harvested, leading the quality of the wine to be an even greater achievement in my eyes.

While I won’t be drinking the 2014 Marawi on a regular basis (not only due to the single bottle I was allowed to purchase), I find the concept, research and viable success to be incredible and think additional successes have the potential to leverage Israel’s wine industry to [much] greater global recognition. Kudos to Shivi and the winemaking team and thank you Noam for making the bottle available for my tasting.

Carmel
Despite the long note above, I was only at Recanati for about ½ before heading north to Carmel where I was going to taste with one of my favorite Israeli wine individuals – Adam Montefiore who had also arranged for a special guest to attend as well.  For the first time in over a decade of writing about Israeli wines, I was finally going to meet Carmel’s winemaker – Lior Lacser; an individual I had begun to believe might be a figment of Adam’s highly tuned and successful marketing machine brain…  I can now safely report that he exists, makes for delightful company and conversation in addition to his great wines.

With over forty wines in Carmel’s well-curated portfolio, Adam usually puts together a lineup representing some aspect of Carmel he is interested in showcasing (as a refresher, last time we focused solely on their lineup of white wines, starting with the entry level stuff which showed surprising quality all the way to the top including their beloved Riesling housed under the Single Vineyard Kayoumi label).  At this tasting we sampled 11 wines including the new 4 Vats wines and the not-yet-released “Rishon” Brandy.

Starting with their two white wines in the upper-tier Single Vineyard label, the Riesling was especially interesting as it represents the first vintage in which the wine was released with no residual sugar whatsoever, representing the level of confidence Lior finally feels with the quality of the grapes (prior progress was elevating the wine from the Appellation Level for the 2010 after six vintages) and it shows. Crisp, refreshing and with a nuanced complexity that is noticeable underneath the vibrant fruit and balancing acidity (representing a welcome addition to the still-quite limited world of bone-dry kosher Riesling wines).  The 2013 Admon Chardonnay is only the second vintage of the wine (which was previously blended into other Carmel Chardonnay wines) and was enjoyable with good balance between the tart green apples and controlled oak influence. I plan on aging 1-2 bottles as part of my desire to push some of the kosher available white wines and see what they can do.

We then moved on to the red wines, starting with the [non-mevushal version of the] unoaked 2014 Selected Cabernet Sauvignon followed by the Private Collection (yes, Private Collection still exists as a label, albeit totally revamped and of higher quality than those wines of yesteryear) version 30% of which spends eight to nine months in oak with the remainder aged in Carmel’s refurbished ancient concrete tanks, which together represent nearly 1.5 million bottles of production for Carmel. Now that is a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon (which unfortunately remains exceptionally popular in Israel despite the attempts of immensely enjoyable offerings of Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Chenin Blanc and others to claim some of its market share).  The intro-tasting was followed with Carmel’s new “4 Vats’ wine, a Mediterannean-blend of Marselan, Carignan and Grenache taken from four (two of Marselan and one each of the other two) cement tanks (Vats does sound cooler).  Envisioned by Carmel as a wine to be sold by the affordable glass in wine bars and restaurants, the wine is bright, loaded with fresh fruit and good acidity and will please many as a good accompaniment to food (but watch the 14% AbV that isn’t all that noticeable but can hit you later if you aren’t careful).  The slightly soft tannins, smoke and hint of minerals give the wine just enough character to ensure its popularity.  Not [yet] sold in the US but well-worth securing a few bottles for your drinking pleasure.  Additional wines tasted included the 2013 old-vine Petite Sirah from the new, intended for restaurant-series “Vineyards” which Lior suggests aging for a few years, the 2011 Kayoumi Cabernet Sauvignon (it’s back!) whose more subtle elegance was quite a pleasure and some older vintages of Carmel’s higher-end wines, the Mediterannean and Limited Edition (both frequent guests at the Rosh Chodesh Club).

We ended the tasting with a sneak peek at Carmel’s newest addition to its delicious line of brandies, with the “Rishon Brandy”.  With Carmel’s move out of their historic Rishon Le’Tzion facility complete (culminating with the “launch” [i.e. traditional fixing of the mezuzah] of the new production facility), Carmel is releasing the Rishon brandy to commemorate the end of the Brandy era that was born in that facility.  With a[nother] extremely limited production and a price tag of ~1,000 NIS, it complements Carmel’s current line which includes the Carmel 100, Carmel 120 and the Special Edition Rogov Brandy, about all of which I have written in the past.  With a gorgeous glass bottle clearly intended as a collector item, the brandy is quite good as well with a deep amber color derived from the oak aging, utilizing barrels ranging in age from 10-30 years the brandy is redolent of warm spiced nuts, dried apricots, slightly toasty oak, warm spices, walnuts, vanilla and honey with a long lingering finish or vanilla, rich honey and citrus along with more spicy nuts.  A contemplative beverage loaded with history that can be enjoyed for years to come.  All in all a fun and informative tasting – thank you again Adam and thanks Lior for your time and consideration.

Domaine Netofa
After bidding adieu to the dynamic duo, I got back in my car and drove [even further] North to my last winery visit of the day (to be followed by a two-hour drive South to Jerusalem for dinner) – Domaine Netofa where winemaker Pierre Miodownik and CEO  Yair Teboulle waited with three surprises.  The first was a “real” blind tasting incurred as a result of losing power within five minutes of my arrival, the second a terrific vertical tasting of nearly the white and red higher-end Latour wines and the last, some delightful nibbles of terrific cheese and the aforementioned d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s fricassee sandwiches so generously arranged for by Teperberg’s Oliver!

We started off with the 2012 and 2014 vintages of the top tier Latour White, made from 100% Chenin Blanc which showcased the wine’s ability (and effectiveness) of some additional bottle aging, with the 2012 showing more nuance, minerals and good viscosity on its full-bodied palate than its younger sibling.  After a mini vertical od the winery’s entry-level Domaine Netofa Red (2012-2014), we then went through a complete vertical of the Latour Red (2009-2014) which further evidenced what a crying shame it is that (1) the winery’s isn’t as popular as it should be and 92) the need to give higher-end wines the bottle time, patience and respect they need in order to present in their full glory, as intended by the winemaker.  Also enjoyed were the winery’s newly released varietal Syrah (the 2013 Dor) and obviously (as no Netofa tasting could be complete without them) a sampling of their Port-styled wines including the 2010 LBV.

Hope you enjoyed this [not-so] mini-report of my recent winery visits. Stay tuned for the end of the year trifecta and reports from Spain coming soon!