Yossie's Corkboard

It is time for my annual rating of the best wines I tasted in 2013.  Being a lawyer by profession (and therefore a stickler for the rules), I am sticking to only to wines I tasted by December 31, 2013.  My most recent visit to Israel including attending the always incredible Sommelier Expo where I tasted a number of top notch new wines including Yarden’s 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Lewis Pasco’s Pasco Project #1 and the Trio Carignan for the first time.  Alas, the expo and my winery visits occurred during the first week of 2014, disqualifying them and a number of others from the list (stay tuned as they may get mentioned in my next newsletter – the 2014 Crystal Ball).

As with prior years, in addition to the “best” wines of 2013, 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.  The “Exciting/Interesting” list is also an indicator of the many new and exciting varietals with which (mostly) Israeli winemakers are experimenting to make success.  As someone who tastes a fair number of wines every year, it is the ones that are truly different that stand out and make you pay attention – a desirable quality in a world of wine that can sometimes be palatably mono-vino-tistic…

While obviously not news to any reader of Yossie’s Wine Recommendations, after tasting over 1400 different wines this year, 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 much discussed in last week’s newsletter summarizing the important wine trends of 2013).  One noticeable thing that stood out for me when I was compiling these lists was that there were far less options for the best wines of the year, especially when compared to last year.  That said, there were more wines vying for a spot on the exciting/interesting list, indicating the creativity and experimentation that continues in the wonderful world of kosher wines and the number of white wines that were eligible for this category has never been higher.  The lack of top notch wines may be partially due to the recent mediocre at best vintages in question, but is nonetheless certainly something to pay attention to in the hope that it isn’t a harbinger of poor things to come.

While there remain many challenges and not all the existing wineries will be around for much longer (more on both these topics in my 2014 Crystal Ball newsletter next week), things are looking good.  My dislike and disregard for scoring wines made the process even more difficult (and slightly more subjective) as scores would have enabled me to compile the list rapidly, simply choosing the highest scoring wines of the past year.

Before we delve into the best wines of 2013 and as would behoove any attorney worth his salt, a few appropriate qualifiers and explanations to the lists below.  First, the list doesn’t include older vintages of wines I recently tasted including magnificent wines that are now in their prime like the Chateau de Fesles, Bonnezeaux, 1997 or the Yatir, Fortified Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005.  Given that my day job limits the amount of time I have to dedicate to wine and my limited wallet puts a damper on the number of wines I get to taste each year, despite my best intentions I don’t taste every one of the approximately 2,000 kosher wines released every year.  The list includes only wines I tasted for the first time this year and excludes barrel tastings of not yet final wines (like the unbelievable Flam, Noble 2010 and 2011), advance tastings of wines not yet released (like the 2004 Domaine Netofa Late Bottled Vintage  Port) and newly released wines I haven’t yet had a chance to taste (like the Montefiore, Kerem Moshe, 2011).  Additionally and reflecting the international nature of this newsletter’s readership, a number of these wines may not be available in the United States or Israel, as the better wines are sometimes made in small 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).  As a result of these exclusions, there are plenty of terrific wines (like the Shirah Rosé ) released that are not included on this list.

Below is my list – I’d love to hear from you on your best and favorite wines of 2013.

Best Wines of 2013 (in alphabetical Order)

Capcanes, la Flor del Flor de Primavera, Montsant, 2011:  The third release of this special wine from Capcanes, creator of one of my perennially favorite wines – the Peraj Ha’Abib.  Despite the slightly higher price point for the La Flor, I consider the Ha’abib the flagship wine, due to its consistency, ageability and my personal affection for it.  A feminine wine, made from 100% old-vine Grenache the wine opens up with an enticing nose of near-sweet red crushed berries with a hint of cassis, warm spices and earth giving the fruit a complexity that tantalizes.  The medium-bodied palate opens slowly to reveal a tantalizing array of red forest fruit, slightly smoky oak and those caressing-yet-powerful tannins that are the hallmark of this winery and its winemaking team.  The fruit, tannins and oak all combine with the impeccable balance and layered elegance we have come to expect from this delightful winery.  Drinking nicely now, the wine will continue to evolve and develop for the next two to three years and should cellar comfortably through 2018, maybe longer. Stay tuned for the coming release of a 2012 Carignan that is made from seriously old vines (some of which are over 105 years old) and was amazing out of the barrel when I tasted it earlier this year.

Domaine du Castel, Grand Vin, 2010:  Despite a somewhat difficult year for many Israeli winemakers, both Castel and Flam (see below) managed to produce some of their absolute best wines, with the 2010 Grand Vin being a truly spectacular wine (and one that justifies the brands near cult-like following).  A powerful nose loaded with blackberries, cassis, plum and some cherries, along with a hint of candied dried fruit, toasty oak, chocolate, wet forest floor and a hint of spice leads into a concentrated medium to full-bodied palate with plenty more rich fruit, oak and earthy minerals that are backed by nicely integrating tannins bold enough to carry this wine through its continuing development.  While velvet covered iron glove is a term not usually used for the Castel wines, the wine clearly fits that descriptor.  A long finish packed with more black fruit, tobacco, cedar, chocolate and minerals lingers for what seems like forever.  Drink now through 2017.

Flam, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010:  As with the newly released Merlot, this Cabernet Sauvignon, now easily competes for the best Cabernet Sauvignon in Israel.  A rich, opulent and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon that provides layers of complexity while maintaining its composure with poise and elegance.  85% Cabernet Sauvignon (split 60-40% between the Dishon and Kerem Ben-Zimra vineyards) and blended with 6% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and rounded out with 3% Petit Verdot, the wine spent 16 months in French oak as components before being blended in stainless steel and then bottle aged as a finished wine for an additional ten months prior to release (similar to the process for the Merlot).  The wine has a rich and opulent nose of ripe red and black berries, Mediterranean herbs, rich dark chocolate, notes of cedar and a nice overlay of spice.  A full bodied palate loaded with more rich fruit including blackberry, cherry, plum, cassis with subtle notes of raspberries and blueberries along with spicy wood, tobacco leaf, anise and caressing tannins that are still tight but bode extremely well for the future.  A lingering finish of minty chocolate, tobacco and more herbs lingers.  I wouldn’t crack this one for another 6-12 months, after which is should cellar nicely through 2020, likely longer.

Four Gates, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009:  I believe this is the first Cabernet Sauvignon Binyamin made, with grapes from Betchart Vineyard on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Four Gates does not grow any Cabernet Sauvignon on its own). Despite the grapes not coming from his famed and acid-packed inducing vineyards, the wine nonetheless manages to be easily identifiable as a Four Gates wine.  A big and bold near-sweet nose of rich blackberries, carries, dried cherries, raspberries, earthy minerals and cigar box with warm spices, a hint of black pepper and some chocolaty mint in the background.  A full bodied palate with big tannins that are beautifully integrated is loaded with more, mostly black, fruit, tobacco leaf, wet forest floor and a hint of bitter green notes combined with spicy oak and rich dark chocolate.  Warm spices come in at the end and lead into a rich and extracted finish that instantly makes you regret polishing off the bottle.  A truly terrific wine and one for the ages.  The wine is drinking magnificently now and may be hard to hold on to, but it should continue to improve and those with patience will be rewarded over the next few years as it comes into its own (but it isn’t going to last as long as his other classic wines).  Drink now through 2017.

Gvaot, Masada, 2010:  After championing this incredible winey for years, the general public seems to have finally realized what a true treasure Gvaot really is.  While its wines are certainly not popularly priced, they actually provide good QPR given their insanely high quality and sheer deliciousness.  The Masada is the winery’s flagship wine (stay tuned for an ethereal and insanely awesome 2012 Masada Pinot Noir as well) and has been well-deserving of this moniker since its inaugural launch.  A Bordeaux-blend styled mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Merlot (30%) with some inky black and dense Shomron-grown Petit Verdot (15%) thrown in for good measure, the wine showcases a dense and rich nose of blackberries, currents, cassis, lavender and rich chocolate and slightly toasty oak from the 22 months the wine spent in French oak.  On the deep, complex and layered full-bodied palate there is plenty more concentrated black forest fruit, rich forest floor and bramble, a tinge of tartness accompanied by a backdrop of more rich chocolate, cigar box-tobacco leaf, spicy oak and still integrating tannins that bode well for the continuing development of this wine.  Approachable now, the wine will be much better in six to eight months and should cellar comfortably through 2018, maybe longer.

Herzog, Special Edition, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, 2009:  Not to be confused with Herzog’s “other” (and no less special) Chalk Hill wine, the Clone #6, this wine has been the flagship of Herzog’s Special Reserve for years with some early versions having truly tremendous ageability (a 1997 was recently very much enjoyed) and is pretty consistently an excellent wine.  A densely rich nose of blackberries, black cherries and plums with freshly cracked black pepper, cloves, baker’s chocolate and some spicy oak.  A full bodied palate has plenty more ripe black fruit, more spicy oak, some earthy minerals and cigar-box tobacco notes along with a pleasing and subtle hint of eucalyptus.  A lingering finish of black fruit and chocolate finished off this treat.  Drinking nicely now, the wine should continue to develop and evolve over the next 2-3 years and should cellar comfortably through 2018, maybe longer.

Lueria, Grand Vital, 2008:  A blend of Lueria’s finest grapes, carefully selected by Gidi, this vintage is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (20%) and Shiraz (10%) with a sense of purpose and elegance about it that seems to have finally come into its own.  Like a number of other wineries, Lueria (whether inadvertently or not) tends to tier its wines depending on how long they spent in oak.  As would befit the wineries flagship, the 2008 Grand Vital spend almost two years in French oak, which is slightly more noticeable like I would have liked but provides a supple backbone for the full bodied wine.  Plenty of near-candied like crushed ripe black forest fruit on the nose, together with currants, cherries, raspberries and a hint of plum is accompanied by sweet cedar and tobacco leaf, lightly-roasted espresso and saddle leather with much of the same on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and fruit and oak seemingly fighting for dominance at first before settling down and allowing the earthy notes to provide a nice addition and depth to this rich wine.  Some high-quality dark chocolate, earthy forest and near-sweet tannins round out this wine all leading into a lingering and caressing finish.  An elegant and well-made wine which is drinking nicely now, the wine needs a bit of airing out before enjoying and should cellar nicely through 2015, maybe longer (Shmittah).

Psagot, Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010:  Commencing with its inaugural launch in 2007, the Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has really earned its place as the flagship of the winery (not an easy task with the usually formidable Edom standing in its way year after year).  A rich, dense and layered wine which continues to reveal multiple layers of aromas and flavors with every passing minute.  If there were ever a wine to p0ur into a glass or decanter and sample every half an hour over the course of a day, this would be it.  The wine opens with a densely rich nose of (controlled) ripe, mostly black, fruit including currents, plums, blackberries and cassis accompanied by dark chocolate, mocha, cedar, mineral and slightly smoky oak, most of which follows though onto the full-bodied palate where its all backed by near-sweet tannins that still need some time to integrate while providing a solid backbone for the wines awesome structure and balance.  Drinking nicely now, the wine should continue to improve over the next 12-18 months and cellar nicely thorough 2018.

Recanati, Mediterranean Reserve, Carignan, 2011:  Starting with its inaugural launch for the 2009 vintage, this wine immediately thrust itself into the upper echelon of Israeli wines, while somehow managing to continue to remain under the radar, likely due to the fact that its flavor profile is very much out of the ordinary with a touch of Brett to boot.  All in, this is an incredible wine and, while remaining off the beaten path may not be good for business – it does mean that there is more of it available for me and other discerning wine lovers such as yourselves.  While the somewhat overpriced MSRP is a bit of a deterrent, this is a truly great wine that is well deserving of your attention.  A nice nose of both red and black fruit with tart raspberries and plums dominating along with notes of baker’s chocolate, garrigue and mocha from the nine months the wine spent in French oak.  Evidencing the creativity of Gil and Ido, this medium bodied wine has plenty more fruit on the well-defined palate where it is accompanied by grilled meat, coarsely ground black pepper, espresso, minerals and a hint of Mediterranean Herbs.  A long and lingering finish showcasing more spice and oak rounds out this treat.  Truly a wine I look forward to opening every time and a great accompaniment to food.  Drink now through 2015.

Recanati, Mediterranean Reserve, Syrah-Viognier, 2011:  Among the most distinctively amazing Syrah wines coming out of Israel these day, with a tremendous style it can truly call its own.  The third wine in Recanati’ newly branded Mediterranean series and just as superb and interesting as the other two, with its own distinctive personality (note that there is a miniscule percentage of Viognier included in the wine).  A vibrant nose that needs a few minutes to open up but is loaded with blackberries, plums, cranberries and some cassis along with incredible savory tannins and notes of grilled meat and freshly cracked black pepper with the Viognier providing a touch of refreshing lightness to the wine.  Elegant and simply delicious.  Drink now through 2015.

Yatir, Syrah, 2009:  After a few vintages where the quality of Yatir’s single varietal wines seemingly took a turn for the worse (other than the incredible Petit Verdot reviewed below), Eran Goldwasser produced this Syrah that is ne of the best wines to ever carry the Yatir label.  A rich and full-bodied wine with characteristically dark fruit, freshly cracked black pepper and freshly paved asphalt with plenty of roasted meat, cigar box and a hint of blue providing multiple layers of complexity.  Big and bold tannins combine with near impeccable balance that effectively guarantee that this wine will continue to tantalize and excite for a number of years to come.  Enjoy now through 2016.

Most Interesting / Exciting Wines of 2013 (in alphabetical Order)

Brobdingnagian, Grenache Blanc, 2012:  Continuing to amaze, Jonathan shows why he should really be on anyone’s shortlist for one of the top winemakers in the kosher wine world.  A delightful treat from an uncommon grape varietal, I went through my stash of this wine so quickly I barely knew what hit me.  With plenty of acidity combining with ripe and luscious fruit, this wine provides that rare combination that is immensely pleasing and highly compatible with a tremendous array of foods.  With a delightful nose of tropical fruits including melons, papaya and a hint of pineapple combined with delightful notes of citrus, the medium bodied palate is loaded with terrific acidity that keeps the fruit from overwhelming and creates a really substantial wine that manages to be fun as well and doesn’t really require much thought to enjoy.  The palate has more tropical fruit accompanied by a slightly herbal note and a creamy lusciousness that tantalizes until the slightly bitter finish reminds you that this is a wine with substance.  While the 14% AbV is going to be too much for some, I say bah humbug – drink and enjoy!

Dalton, Single Vineyard, Semillon, Elkosh Vineyard, 2012:  With Dalton’s excellence continuing to govern its innovation, this wine is yet another brick in their already delightful portfolio, showcasing their ability to make great wines at decent prices.  Together with a soon-to-be-released quality Pinot Grigio, Dalton continues to make rain where other settle for a few drops here and there (see their Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Viognier as other examples). Fermented is old oak barrels where the wine spent four months, it wine opens with a delightful nose loaded with stone fruit, flinty minerals, tart citrus and a hint of tropical fruit, much of which continues on the medium bodied and slightly viscous palate that has plenty of acidity to keep the fruit honest and minerals that provide a subtle bitter complexity that tantalizes along with notes of grapefruit, lemons and a Herbaceousness that pleases.  A lingering finish of white peach, Mayer lemon and bitter minerals rounds out this subtly different and very stylish wine.  Drink now through 2016 and enjoy as the wine ages and takes on more mature notes.

Domaine du Castel, “C”, Chardonnay, 2012:  When I first tasted this wine out of the barrel I fell in love with it immediately and wished that it could have been bottled then and there (I had a similar experience with the Alexander 2012 Chardonnay as well), as the impeccable balance, complexity and sheer deliciousness was quite stunning.  After some additional time in the barrel, the wine retained its balance, structure and complexity and gained a stronger oak profile that, while many will undoubtedly love it, simply has too much toasty oak for my own personal tastes.  That said, this is a great wine and well worthy of your consideration.  The wine opens with a loaded nose of toasty oak, tart green apples, some guava, butterscotch and vanilla and continues onto a medium bodied palate with white peach, guava, a hint of pineapple, warm spices and more vanilla and toasted oak along with a streak of salinity and roasted nuts.  All of this with sufficient acidity to hold the package together beautifully and a long finish dominated by toasty oak, warm spices and roasted nuts. Drink now through 2016.

Domaine Netofa, Fine Ruby Port, 2010: As Port-styled wines sweep the nation, with more and more wineries jumping on the bandwagon of sweet dessert wines; Netofa launched a 2010 Ruby port with class and elegance.  While there remain only three kosher Ports (i.e. made in the Douro region of Portugal) – Royal’s two Porto Cordovero wines and the newly launched Porto Quevedo – both nice), the number of Port-style wines is growing exponentially.  A blend of 80% Touriga Nacional (a varietal the kosher world has been seeing more often, including in the Yarden T2 and wines and the Shirah Coalition) and 20% Tinta Roriz (a/k/a Tempranillo) with 20% alcohol, this is a rich, deep and delicious dessert wine, that gets even better after it has been open for a few days.  Aged in new French oak for two years, the wine presents with cloves, other warm spices, dates, chocolate, stewed plums, raisins, roasted nuts and with just enough acidity to keep things upbeat and long luscious lingering (say that three times fast) finish.  Expect a terrific our-year aged (“LBV”) port to be released shortly.

Domaine Rose Camille, Echo de Roses Camille, Pomerol, 2011:  A “second wine” only by virtue of the greatness of its older sibling – the Domaine Rose Camille, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest kosher French wines on the market (which may have to do with the fact that in vintages when a kosher wine is made (2005, 2006, 20011 and 2012 to date, with the 2012 not yet released) and certainly the top Merlot, the winery only makes kosher wine, enabling its winemaking to proceed in a “normal” course (as opposed to kosher “runs” at non-kosher wineries where the winemaking and fruit availability is more constrained).  A subtle nose of red fruit including tart raspberries and a hint of under ripe strawberries, with toasty oak, pungent earth and mineral are accompanied by lavender and floral notes that grow stronger as the wine opens in your glass.  A medium to- full-bodied palate has great balance between the mostly red fruit, toasty oak and minerals along with a searing tannic structure that bodes well for the wines potential aging.  A nice finish of more wood and tannin along with espresso and tobacco leaf rounds out this complex and incredible treat (which is relatively well-priced as well, and not only in relation to its insanely expensive older brother).  Nearly impenetrably closed right now, if you insist on opening decanting for 5-6 hours prior would significantly enhance your enjoyment of the wine.  Otherwise, give this one the respect it deserves and wait two years before opening and then enjoy through 2023, maybe longer.

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Brut Rosé, 2008:  While the official title of the wine is simply “Rosé” (without the Brut designation), I have included it to avoid confusion and to give the winery a hint that indicating what type of wine it is may be a good idea (especially since it’s a winery and not a Champagne “house”).  However, this minor detail should in no way, shape or form take anything away from the deliciousness of this wine.  With the 2007 Blanc de Blanc taking high honors last year, it is now time for the accompanying Rosé to step into the limelight.  Newly released after much anticipation (rumors of this wine have been swirling for years), it was certainly a wine well-worth waiting for.  A blend of Chardonnay (70%) and Pinot Noir (30%) that spent the last five years aging on its lees which contributed a substantially amount of complexity to this treat.  A nose loaded with all you might expect from a Rosé sparkle, with yeasty notes and toasted brioche accompanied by sun-kissed and freshly picked strawberries, red grapefruit and luscious citrus notes.  With a tight mousse and a medium-bodied palate loaded with acidity, the wine delights with more citrus, subtle red grapefruit, some tart apples and roasted hazelnuts.  A sexy wine that manages to be both serious and fun at the same time.  As of now, this wine is unlikely to be imported into the US so get as much of it as you can – it’s very much worth it.  Drink now through 2016, maybe longer.

Gvaot, Gofna Reserve, Chardonnay-Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012:  The first time I read about this wine a number of years ago I had the predictable bewildered reaction, as these two varietals are not typically combined.  That said, in Shivi’s exceptionally talented hands they yield a delicious and intriguing wine that is well worth trying at least once, even if the resulting wine will certainly not be to everyone’s taste.  Made from 85% Chardonnay and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine spent six months in oak benefiting from a tannic structure that combines with the lovely aromatic chardonnay to provide a singular experience.  Plenty of tropical fruit and spice on the nose with a medium to full bodied palate of tart apple, more tropical fruit, slightly smoky oak and a lingering finish of fruit and wood so seamlessly in harmony that it is incredible to behold.  A really delicious wine.  Drink now through 2015.

Recanati, Mediterranean Reserve, Marselan, 2012:  The newest addition to the truly terrific Mediterranean Reserve line showcases the continued pursuit of both creativity and excellence exhibited by Gil and Ido, with the help of newly crowned assistant winemaker Kobi Arbiv (a talented winemaker who produced his own wines under the “Mia Luce” label).  A relatively new varietal that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache and named for the town in which it was created (Marseillan), the grape is barely used in Israel (I believe its first appearance was in the Tzafit wine from Barkan’s Assemblage series).  The grapes come from a single vineyard and the wine spent eight months in 60% new French oak and it a worthy addition to one of the best “series” of Israeli wine today.  An aromatic nose of mostly red fruit including tart raspberries, cranberries, a hint of blackberries and cassis, some slightly spicy oak, notes of dark chocolate and a hint of green notes with much of the same on the medium bodied soft palate where the near-sweet and nicely integrating tannins caress warmly and they are joined by tobacco, cedar, some warm herbs and some more minty chocolate.  A limited run of 4,000 bottles, it’s definitely worth getting a few bottles and enjoying.  Give the wine six months before opening and then enjoy through 2016.

Shirah, Coalition, 2011:  The second year the Weiss bothers produced this unique blend and, while another successful year, there is a distinct change in style from the 2010 vintage as one would expect from the different blend comprising the wine.  A blend this year of 60% Zinfandel, 12% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot and 8% each of Touriga Nacional and Souza which results in a very different and intriguing wine that I enjoyed very much but may not be to everyone’s tastes.  A ripe and aromatic nose is loaded with strawberries, watermelon, some summer fruit, green pepper, eucalyptus, cigar box, espresso, spicy oak and cloves.  On the full bodied palate there is more oak, near-sweet tannins, more red summer fruits and a ton of spice.  A lingering finish with more spicy wood and minty baker’s chocolate finishes up this wine.  Drink now through 2015.

Tabor, Adama, Roussanne, 2012:  A new varietal from a winery not particularly known for innovation, this Roussanne is a delightfully young and friendly wine and a terrific comparative tasting partner to the quality Roussanne made by California’s Hagafen Winery (Binyamina also released a very nice version this year).  A nice nose of floral notes and pineapple, pear, guava and other tropical fruits together with flinty minerals, plenty of citrus pith and some black tea lead into a light to medium bodied palate with plenty tropical fruit, limes and tart apple with plenty of acidity to keep things lively and a note of honeysuckle lending the perception of some sweetness.  An unassuming great summer wine that pleases all year long.  Drink now.

After a six-week hiatus and with the Gregorian year of 2013 now solidly in the bag (and then some), I wanted to take this opportunity to look back at the last 12 months and discuss the occurrences and trends that impacted the wonderful world of Israeli and kosher wines (“KIWW”).  While Jane Austin’s philosophy of “think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure” is a valid one and I usually try to focus on the positive aspects of the prior year, the KIWW of 2013 suffered from a number of negative trends from which a lot can (and should) be learned, especially if we want the massive improvements in the KIWW of the past few years to continue.  This newsletter is the first in my annual three-part Year-End Series, which also includes the best wines of 2013 and my predictions for next year (both of which should come within the next week or so).  For those interested in review (and score-keeping), feel free to check out my end-of-year newsletters for 2012 including the “Best Wines of 2012”, a look back at the year that was and some predictions for 2013).

Before we dig in, a quick reminder that we are entering the busiest season of all for kosher wine events.  Rapidly approaching is the always-worthwhile KFWE at Chelsea Piers, which will be held this year on Monday, February 24^th (use CORKBOARD for $20 off tickets).  The West Coast IFWF is hot on its heels on Wednesday the 26^th of February at the Hyatt Regency of Los Angeles (tickets + coupon from kosherwinemusins.com here).  Monsey’s Grapevine Wines is holding their annual wine tasting extravaganza on March 2^nd, followed by one of the largest and all-encompassing wine tastings – Gotham Wine’s annual bash on March 23^rd.  Last, but certainly not least is the annual Jewish Week tasting held on Monday March 31^st at the awesome City Winery in connection with the publication of their annual Kosher Wine Guide of which I am one of the founding judges.  Great events – all worthy of attending and I hope to see you at one or more of them!

There are two major issues I have not covered in this newsletter – price and storage, mainly as they deserve a newsletter of their own.  With the increasing visibility of kosher wines, Israel is going to have to figure out a way to be competitive on the lower end of the scale.  Outside the kosher wine world, once you cross the $200 threshold, you enter a substantially better realm of quality wines. For the kosher wine consumer this number if much, much closer to (if not over) $30 and there are barely any high quality kosher wines under $15.  The other issue is one I have been discussing for years, but recently seems to have been noticed by a growing number of individuals.  Many wines that are imported, primarily from Israel, taste markedly different in the US than they do in Israel.  While I believe this is a worldwide issue relating to shipping/importing in general and not limited to kosher or Israel, it is more highly visible with Israeli wines for a simple reason.  Israel is one of the only wine-growing regions with a relatively large number of wine drinkers sampling the same wines in both the country of origin (Israel) and export (the United states).  Due to its unique place in the Jewish world, Israel has a hugely disproportionate number of wine drinkers visiting it annually and bringing wines back with them.  I have received over a hundred emails this year from different readers complaining that wines they enjoyed in Israel tasted differently when they were purchased here in the US (not always necessarily worse, but certainly different).  As I said, to be discussed soon in a separate newsletter and now onto this week’s topic!

Shabbat Shalom,
Yossie

More Wine, Better Wine & New Drinkers

A positive trend that has been relatively consistent for the last few years is that more and more kosher consumers are “getting into” wine.  As the sophistication of the kosher consumer continues to develop, we are witnessing unprecedented interest in higher-quality, more interesting and typically expensive wines from a much broader audience of consumers than ever before.  The industry is rising to the occasion and providing these consumers with new wineries, wines and labels which seem to be popping up left and right, making this writer’s job even more difficult.  If historically one could theoretically taste every new kosher wine from every vintage, every year, these days it is a nearly impossible Herculean task.  In addition to the proliferation of wines and wineries, recent years have shown a massive increase in private label wines made by wineries or individual winemakers for different interests and adding to the confusion are the “relabeling” efforts many wineries are undergoing.  Relabeling typically occurs in connection with revamped efforts at export (discussed in detail below) or in connection with a rebranding – an exercise most wineries seem to enjoy throwing money at every few years in an effort to boost sales (for less-than-great wineries, it is sometimes beyond me why this money and effort isn’t simply utilized towards making better wines).  As such, there are individual wines from a few wineries that are bottled under three to five different labels – but are exactly the same wine.  Tracking down the wine and producer of many of these private label wines (most of which end up for sale in some capacity or another) is not always an easy task.  While I make a valiant attempt to taste all the new wines including visiting almost every kosher winery every other year, in recent years I find that I invariably miss a few here and there.

The flip side of all these new potential customers is that many of them aren’t interested in complex dry wines but rather the sweeter semi-sweet wines that seem to have taken America by the storm and heavily contributed to it being the largest wine-consuming country in the world.  Presciently forecasted back in 2007 by Gary Vaynerchuk while tasting the Herzog Jeunesse Cabernet Sauvignon, this segment has exploded in popularity, comprising a substantial part of newbie drinkers’ increased consumption.  While I am happy people are drinking more wine, these aren’t the wines I am hoping for.  While bone dry and acidic wines can take some getting used to, there are many wines that provide a soft, supple and fruity drinking experience that is an easier entrée into the wonderful world of “real” wine and semi-sweet Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t going to get you there.  Additionally, and as discussed in detail below, with the somewhat wretched 2009 and 2010 Israeli vintages, many of the dryer and more complex wines have taken on an overly sweet flavor profile that will be easier to swallow (no pun intended) than in the past.  As such, when you encounter newbie wine drinkers looking for recommendations, gently remove the blue bottled abomination or Jeunesse from their clutches and suggest they pick up a bottle of Recanati Petit-Syrah/Zinfandel, Dalton Petite Sirah or even the Capcanes Peraj Petita instead.  They will be in your debt forever.

The Year(s) the Weather beat the Winemaker

As discussed in detail in my recent vintage-related newsletter, after many years of relative consistency across Israeli vintages, 2009 and 2010 were relatively bad vintages in Israel in which the weather showed man whose boss.  While these vintages are already a few years “old”, 2013 was the year in which the vast majority of better wines on the market were from these vintages (as you know, the better wines typically require more time in the barrels or bottles before they are ready to be released to market).  After many years in which upstart wineries and less talented winemakers where able to produce high-quality wines (“anyone can make good wine in a great vintage”), the difficult seasons stymied many wineries (including some of Israel’s best) and resulted in a large number of sweeter and “structurally confused” wines.  Despite some discernable trends among regions that were harder hit than others, wineries with a “riper style” like the Golan Heights Winery suffered more from the hotter and riper vintages that wineries focused on subtler wines including Castel, Tzora and Flam who are all located in the Judean Hills, which seems to have borne less of the brunt than Israel’s Northern wine-growing regions.  Additionally, the latter wineries are all smaller wineries and it is easier to control the winemaking process with a smaller portfolio and substantially lower production

Besides the obvious problems with a slew of relatively poor and uninspiring wines being unleashed on the market, I believe that damage was done to Israel’s reputation as a quality wine producer.  After many years of upward trajectory in quality, where wineries across the board where creating better and better wines, utilizing innovative techniques and experimenting with more and more grape varietals better suited to Israel’s Mediterranean terroir, the downward shift with these vintages has put a damper on the party.  Happily this downward shift ended with the 2011 vintage which was more of a mixed bag, with many of the country’s better winemakers churning out the high-quality and interesting wines we had become accustomed to in recent years.  2012 and 2013 were even better and are already spoken of in nearly the same reverent terms as the mythical (and unfortunately for many) Shmittah year of – 2008. Based on the my own barrel and advance tastings of many 2012 and 2013 wines, all this lavish praise may actually be insufficient, as we are looking at a large number of very special wines.  Besides the boding of general good fortune for all us oenophiles, personally it is sweet music to my ears, as it is my youngest daughter Ariella’s birth year and I am looking forward to drinking some amazing 2012 wines over the years at her future (B”H) smachot (life-cycle events).

Rise of [Potential] Conflicts

As discussed in depth in last year’s newsletter, the passing of Daniel Rogov left the kosher wine consumer with no widely known and accepted professional critic.  While there are many wine writers writing about Israeli wines, there are less than a handful (including yours truly) who write in English and an even lower number who cover kosher wines outside of Israel.  Additionally, many of these writers are hobbyists (like myself) or involved in the industry in one-way or another.  While we have discussed the potential benefits of losing the strongest voice in the room (many of which have come true), one of the downsides is the increasing importance of the industry’s voice.  With no impartial and universally accepted critic, people in the wine trade are gaining substantial influence with the ordinary consumer.  This list includes wineries, winemakers, retailers, distributors, importers, wine waiters, sommeliers and marketing folk.  While this list includes many with extensive and impressive wine knowledge (especially winemakers and sommeliers), each have commercial interests that may influence their opinions with respect to which wines they recommend.  With more and more people seeking advice on how to advance their wine knowledge (and consumption), advice and recommendations are taking on ever increasing importance and having someone who opinion you trust is more important than ever.  Winemakers may know a ton but they are obviously biased with respect to their own wines (and that of their competitors) and (as discussed in depth below) restaurants have commercial interests in the wines they chose to serve, making the Sommelier less than a fountain of unbiased knowledge with respect to the quality of the wines on his list (how do you think the “wine of the month” is typically chosen?).  Before my sommelier friends jump down my throat and never speak to me again, this is a generalization and there are plenty of great sommeliers out there whose greatest pleasure is to introduce you to a their favorite wines.  My point is not that a commercial interest in the wine industry automatically renders you unable to give an honest opinion but merely lamenting the fact that the majority of people given their opinion these days have a potential conflict of interest and, as always, caveat emptor.

As I have discussed in-depth in the past, there will not be an all-powerful and market moving successor to Daniel Rogov. The world and kosher wine market has simply changed too much for one person to have that much influence, especially in the world of Israeli and kosher wine in which the primary consumer think he or she knows better than everyone else.  That said, in addition to yours truly, there are a few others who write about kosher and/or Israeli wine on a somewhat regular basis and multiple Israeli wine writers who write in Hebrew.  Ha’Aretz recently appointed someone to write about wine, there are a number of Israeli wine-focused wine publications in the works (books and magazines) and, with the ever-increasing interest, this will continue.  As always, find a writer or critic whose palate agrees with yours and continue to drink and enjoy the wines you like, not the ones someone else tells you that you should like.

Increasing Importance of Restaurant Sales

As many of you know, in addition to being the home of the vast majority of quality kosher wine being produced today, Israel is also at the forefront of another, no less important revolution – that of a quality dining experience.  Other than folks who limit themselves to only Glatt kosher establishments, Israel plays hosts to the largest concentration of high-end and terrific kosher restaurants in the world.  As such, after a tough day of winery visits and barrel tastings I usually seek solace in one of the many incredible dining establishments the country has to offer.  One observation I have from my last few visits is that more and more Israelis are drinking wine with their meals than I have ever seen before.  Nearly every Israeli restaurant I have visited over the last two years has a decent wine list, many with surprisingly respectable pricing – a pre-requisite for growing wine sales and encouraging a non die-hard drinking public o consume more wine.  As discussed in more detail below, due to the unfortunate constraints relating to [perceived] requirement for mevushal wines, this trend hasn’t yet materialized in the United States but the increasing availability of higher quality mevushal wines (more on this below) will hopefully help in this regard (a silver lining if you will).  Partially as a result of this increase, restaurant sales provide a substantially increasing percentage of a wineries revenue, further increasing the importance of wine buyers and sommeliers (both from direct sales from the winery and also in their capacity as ambassadors of the winery to the public (as discussed above).

Reverting to the Mainstream Consumer

After a few years of positive progress towards more subtle wines, many wineries seemed to have reverted back to bigger, bolder and sweeter wines. Whether this is merely a reflection of the last few overly sweet vintages or a shift in philosophy remains to be seen but in my opinion, it is a little bit of both.  There are certainly wineries and winemakers who have made a conscious decision to cater to the mainstream market by making more fruity wines but others have simply gotten there as a result of the harvest.  With the large influx of newbie wine drinkers, many wineries have made a business decision to cater to these consumers and sell them the wine they like.  While wineries are obviously a business first and need to sell wine, I am somewhat disappointed that what I perceived to be a hugely positive trend has had the proverbial wind taken out of its ales.  While many wineries like Tzora, Recanati and Flam seem to be sticking to their guns, others have “jumped ship”.  Obviously, the larger wineries that have to sell millions of bottles of wine every year are more susceptible to this pressure than those making 100,000; I believe that the trend of educating the consumer is an important one.  Hopefully, with the vastly improved vintages of 2011, 2012 and 2013, wineries will regain their confidence and reverse the trend.  Thankfully the other side of the same coin – the continued growth of varietals such as Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Roussanne, Marselan, Touriga National, Carignan, Petite Sirah and GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) blends over Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay continues to gain momentum with many new varietals and vineyards expected to come online in the next year or so.

Lack of Strong Israel Advocate & Strong Headwinds

While the lack of an all-powerful trendsetter has some positive aspects, many of which I have discussed on these pages, the Israeli wine industry is certainly suffering form the loss of its loudest and most prolific cheerleader – Daniel Rogov.  While he may have also benefited from his tireless promotion of Israeli wines on both the local and international stage, it is undeniable that Israel is suffering from the lack of a fearless promoter of its wines (unfortunately the government cannot seem to get its act together on this front, despite wine having the potential to improve Israel’s economy, diplomatic standing and general well-being in one fell swoop).  With the ever-increasing importance of export facing the increasingly challenging aspects of the high cost of Israeli wine, Israeli wine could use a promoter now more than ever.  Additionally, along with the increasing calls for “economic disengagement” from Israel as a whole, recent months have seen the left-wing vitriol against wines and wineries from Judea and Samaria rise to unprecedented levels.  The worst part being that a substantial amount of negativity is coming from within Israel’s own boundaries.  This is a problem that we should help fight by voting with our wallets (especially since so many of the Shomron region wines are awesome).  Tongue-in-cheek, this works for me as it leaves more incredible wines from Gvaot, Psagot and Shiloh for me…

More Israeli Export and the Rise of Mevushal Wine

Despite the increasing consumption of the Israeli mainstream market, it is insufficient to support the continued production growth of Israeli wineries whose reliance on export continues to grow.  More and more wineries are targeting increased exports as a significant part of their projected growth.  Some wineries like Montefiore are targeting 75% of their production for export.  While such a high percentage s a relative outlier, 40% continues to be a recurring number I am hearing, a substantial increase from the 15-25% of the last few years. While the main driver for this initiative is providing additional (and more high-end) options for restaurants and caterers, I believe that these wines will be highly sought after by the more observant crowd (an increasingly discerning group of kosher wine consumers) for home consumption.

Due to the continued (and incessantly frustrating) refusal of mainstream US kosher supervising organizations like the OU and OK to allow non-mevushal wines to be served in restaurants, the primary options for the kosher wine consumer in restaurants has been the wines of Herzog and Hagafen, with the entry-level Barkan Classic wines providing some uninspiring at best Israeli options (my go-to wine has traditionally been Herzog’s Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley ).  Recent years have seen the wines from Shiloh added to that list as the winery slowly shifts towards a largely mevushal US-portfolio and a few wines from Spain’s Elvi. As part of the efforts to increase (US) exports, many of the major US importers have convinced their Israeli winery clients without any mevushal wines in their portfolio to create one or two higher-end mevushal wines, which are intended primarily for export.  Among the first to jump on this trend was Recanati, with a mevushal Shiraz in their “Diamond” series.  In the last year or two, the list has grown to include the Quadro from Bravdo (a blend similar to their Coupage with the addition of Merlot), Capcanes’ Peraj Petita and Peraj Ha’Abib, Psagot’s flagship Edom blend and their Cabernet Sauvignon, among others.  The common denominator of these wines is that, as opposed to the wines from Shiloh, Hagafen and others, these wines are made as non-mevushal and only undergo flash-pasteurization process at bottling which typically results in a lesser, but certainly different wine.  With both mevushal and non-mevushal versions of the same wines available, consumers should be aware of which wine they are purchasing (especially since some of these wines can be purchased non-mevushal at your local wine shop and mevushal at your favorite steakhouse).  I have conducted side-by-side tastings of all these wines, comparing the mevushal and non-mevushal versions and in every single case, there are discernable differences between the two, with the non-mevushal version being the superior wine in almost every single case.

General Wine Developments

Another year went by and there have been many upheavals and changes, with wineries being sold (Carmel and Saslove), wineries becoming non-kosher (Israel’s Midbar and California’s Agua Dulce), other wineries close up shop (Bashan and others), new wineries open (Kishor, Rota, Tamir, Abuhav, Dubkin, Shoham, Zimbalista, Pasco Project & Jezreel Valley – most worthy of your attention) and others become kosher (wineries like Dadah and Trio or specific kosher wines like Pelter).  Covenant Wines added a “Landsman” wine club and will have a number of additional exciting changes coming soon as well.  Many new wineries are being imported into the United States including Yaffo, Montefiore, Pasco Project, Ben Haim, Agur, Ramot Naftaly and Gat Shomron; with nearly every other non-importedwinery looking for importers as well.  Many wineries are ripping out vineyards that have been affected by viruses, which is going to result in some old favorites no longer being produced – stay tuned.

2013 was also loaded with personnel changes at many of the wineries including Binyamina (which lost Assaf Paz who replaced Avi Feldstein at Segal – and I just heard Sasson as well) and Ella Valley seems to have become a revolving door with Lin Gold being the only remaining person there (hopefully she will continue as winemaker and they won’t make her CEO).  On the commercial side, kosherwine.com was sold and Internet sales continue to represent a rapidly growing percentage of sales within the kosher wine market.

Yossie’s Corkboard

After the longest period of non-writing I have experienced to date, I expect Yossie’s Wine Recommendations to continue on its regular, more-or-less, weekly trajectory and hope that you continue to enjoy them.  As always, please feel free to add anyone you think might enjoy to the mailing list (either by signing them up directly or sending me their contact information).  To the extent there are specific topics, questions or inquiries you would like to see covered on these pages, please let me know.

As a reminder, I am fairly active on Twitter, where I provide current information on trends, wines and wineries throughout the day, including many informative articles beyond the scope of this newsletter.  If you don’t already do so, I’d appreciate you following me there, where I also respond to specific requests for information and recommendations.  With the continued lack of alternative English-language information about Israeli and kosher wines coupled with the increasing interest by the kosher consumer, I expect the subscriber growth of the past year to continue and look forward to continuing to share this journey with you.

#262 – December 21, 2013

The recent bought of drastically cold weather, snow and sleet in both the US and Israel (20 inches in Jerusalem!) had me seeking the refuge of warmth and comfort all week long so.  As I sometimes do, I turned to wine for this and, despite the current (record at least in NY) reprieve from the frigid cold we are experiencing, I wanted to talk about the most brooding and comforting of all grape-based beverages – Port (and so called Port-style) wines.  Starting next week I hope to commence my annual year-end newsletter, starting with a review of the wine world in 2013, followed by the best wines I enjoyed in 2013 and finally ending with a peek into the industry’s crystal ball for what is coming down the pipeline in 2014.  As always, if you know of others who might enjoy this newsletter please let me know (or have them sign up directly on my website)

Port is fortified wine that is made by adding a neutral, grape-based, spirit to the wine (usually a form of industrial brandy).  The introduction of the alcohol to the fermenting must prematurely stops the fermentation process (pursuant to which yeast converts the natural grape sugar into alcohol) which results in a higher percentage of residual sugar and a higher alcohol percentage than a typical wine (as the added spirit raises the alcohol level, more than compensating for the stopped fermentation).  The added alcohol “fortifies” the wine giving the family of wine its name which also includes Sherry (in which the spirit is introduced at the end of fermentation resulting in a dry fortified wine (although “sweetness” can be added later to make a sweeter sherry)), Marsala, Vermouth and Madeira).  As with the other sweet wines I love and often discuss, this isn’t your grandma’s Malaga, but rather a deep, rich, sweet and complex wine that can be enjoyed with many decadent desserts or even as dessert on its own.  The fact that Douro’s yields are amongst the lowest in the world is a contributing factor to the wine’s richness and depth of character.

As with Champagne, Port is a protected designation and, under EU laws, only wine made in the Douro Valley region of Northern Portugal.  The region is one of the oldest appellations in the world dating back to 1756.  Chianti (1716) and Tokaj (1730) are the only earlier appellations, however they aren’t regulated by a standardized set of regulations the way Douro, Champagne, Napa Valley and others are.  While some related terms like “Oporto” and “Porto” are protected world-wide and allowed only on Douro-made wine, under the labeling laws of the United States (and other countries), wine from anywhere in the world can be labeled “port”.  Port became popular in the 18^th century when trade restrictions between England and France due to the War of Spanish Succession prohibited the importation of French wines.  This led English wine merchants to seek wine in Portugal, a nearby, English-speaking country with whom they had good trade relations.  The name came into being in the late 17^th century and was derived from Oporto, the port-city (no pun intended) city in Northwest Portugal from which most of the wine at that time was exported around Europe.

Port is usually a blended wine made from over a wide variety different varieties of very foreign-sounding grapes and includes both red and white versions, although red Port is far more common.  While over 80 different varietals are used in making different port wines, the vast majority are blended from the “big five” – Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cao, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz (a/k/a Tempranillo) and Touriga Francesca with port-style wine being made from any number of varieties.  However, the majority of vineyards, especially the older ones, contain a mix of grape varietals, often 20-30 different grape varietals co-mingled together.  Even the vineyard owners are unsure exactly of which grapes are being grown in each vineyard.  Since fermentation is relatively short (due to the introduction of brandy), maceration needs to be as effective as possible.

In general there are two types of Port, separated by the type of aging they undergo – either cask or bottle aging.  Wood aged ports are aged in casks (or sometimes cement) and are ready to drink once bottled (after they have been fined and filtered).  The more expensive Ports are designed to continue their maturing process in the bottle and are typically bottled without fining or filtration and then spend 20-40 years in the bottle before they are ready to be enjoyed.  Within these two primary styles of making Port are numerous different types as follows:

Ruby Port is the simplest and least expensive version.  The wine is aged for two to three years and bottled very young while retaining its bright rich color (that gives it its name) and a relatively strong personality.  Wines from multiple vintages are aged together and then bottled after fining and filtration.  There are two kosher versions of ruby port – Porto Cordovero and Quevedo, both quite nice and well priced.  The next level up is Tawny Port which is aged in casks for substantially longer than Ruby until such time as it loses its rich red color and takes on an amber-brown (or tawny) hue (resulting from oxygenation from the wood aging).  Much tawny Port sold today hasn’t actually been aged for much longer than Ruby Port, obtaining its distinctive color from lighter grapes, various vinification processes or prolonged heat exposure.  This lack of discrepancy has given rise to an additional type of Port called Aged Tawny which require at least seven years of aging but typically carry designations of 10, 20, 30 or 40 years (which are all approximations, as the wine is spread across multiple vintages).  These wines are typically made from the highest quality grapes that would have been utilized for vintage year had they been from a “declared year” (see below).  Late Bottled Vintage (“LBV) is bottles from a single vintage and bottles between four and six years following harvest.  The most common version of LBV port is bottled is fined and sometimes filtered, resulting in a somewhat “stripped down” version of LBV which can be quite delicious in its other, less common versions which include those bottled without filtering or fining which require serious decanting (similar to Vintage Port).  There is one kosher LBV on the market, also Porto Cordevero and reviewed below.

Vintage Port is the most expensive type of Port and, ironically the easiest to make.  These wines are made from a single and spectacular “declared” vintage (usually occurring only a few times a decade as opposed to many Israeli “special” wines which happen suspiciously often).  Only the best grapes, picked at their optimum ripeness make it into Vintage Port.  The wines are blended and bottled after only two or three years in wood and then sold to the consumer who is expected to age the wine for 30 years or more until the wine reaches maturity.  Unfortunately, we have not yet been blessed with a real kosher vintage port, which is obviously the type of Port the satirical Evelyn Waugh was referring to when he said, “Port is not for the very young, the vain and the active. It is the comfort of age and the companion of the scholar and the philosopher”.  Additional types include Colheita, Single-quinta vintage, Crusted Port, Garrafeira and White and Rose Port.

Port is typically consumed after a meal and is fantastic when slowly sipped and matched brilliantly with strong cheeses like Gorgonzola, aged Cheddar and Gouda.  Matching a good Port with a top notch Blue Cheese will change your life forever and provide an experience you will not forget.  Some other traditional accompaniments to Port and port-style wines wine are walnuts and apples.  While I prefer sipping port as a stand-alone experience, it can match nicely with berry or cherry-based deserts or other rich, chocolately-filled goodness.

In the world of kosher wine, port-styled wines are far more common than true Port (of which there are only a handful), with many wineries utilizing less than superior grapes to make their versions.  The number of Israeli Port-style wines is extremely long and includes (among other and those listed below) Bashan, Carmel, Kinor David, Odem Mountain, Psagot, Shiloh, Teperberg, Tishbi, Tura and Tzuba.  As you know, I am a sucker for dessert wines and am always open to trying any type of dessert wine, while usually being disappointed.  That said, there are a number of truly delightful Israeli port-styled wines that are well worth seeking out an enjoying in addition to the “true” Port kosher wines available, a number of which are reviewed below.  Historically these wines were made from a wide-range of grapes being grown in Israel including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, these days a number of wineries, including Domaine Netofa and the Golan Heights Winery, are experimenting with Port-styled wines made from a few of the Portuguese varietals, which seem to have taken a liking to Israel’s terroir (not an unexpected result given the relative similarity in climate).  I have included below tasting notes for a number of these wines I have recently enjoyed and hope you will find them as delightful as I have.

Adir, Port-Style, n.v.:  Historically with only a few exceptions, Israeli port-style wine  was viewed as somewhat of a cash cow for wineries who would leave their less-than-desirable grapes to “develop” in barrels under the unrelenting Israeli sun then bottle and sell the results as port.  While this practice still persists, along with the general increase in the quality of Israel’s wine industry, many wineries are now producing quality port-styled wines that are highly enjoyable.  Adir has been producing a port-style wine for a while and recent releases have shown a marked improvement in quality (I like the Blush version reviewed below even better).  A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40 % Shiraz, the wine spent almost 30 months in French (50%) and American (50%) oak.  Plenty of rich, ripe raspberries, plums and cherries with plenty of nice wood and hints of raisins and oriental spices on both the nose and palate.  Despite the 18.5% alcohol, the wine remains fresh and lively and was delightful both on its own and as an accompaniment to several desserts.

Adir, Blush Port-Style, 2010:  I was introduced to this wine a few years ago by the delightful folks at Avi Ben (who, over 20 years, have rarely steered me wrong) and was delighted to make its acquaintance.  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with a clear and gorgeous salmon color, this wine is a bit lighter on the palate than the “regular” port-styled wine reviewed above, with refreshing acidity keeping the jammy fruit, near delicate sweetness and 18.5% alcohol from becoming overpowering.  Nice stewed fruit, raisins, warm spices and dark chocolate contribute to a uniquely delicious wine.  Sold only in Israel and well worth your efforts to bring back a few bottles.  Opened in honor of Ariella’s birth, the wine was consumed over a three-day period and actually improved each day.

Domaine Netofa, Fine Ruby Port, 2010:  As Port-styled wines sweep the nation, with more and more wineries jumping on the bandwagon of sweet dessert wines; Netofa launched a 2010 Ruby port with class and elegance.  While there remain only three kosher Ports (i.e. made in the Douro region of Portugal) – Royal’s two Porto Cordovero wines and the newly launched Porto Quevedo – both nice), the number of Port-style wines is growing exponentially.  A blend of 80% Touriga Nacional (a varietal the kosher world has been seeing more often, including in the Yarden T2 and wines and the Shirah Coalition) and 20% Tinta Roriz (a/k/a Tempranillo) with 20% alcohol, this is a rich, deep and delicious dessert wine, that gets even better after it has been open for a few days.  Aged in new French oak for two years, the wine presents with cloves, other warm spices, dates, chocolate, stewed plums, raisins, roasted nuts and with just enough acidity to keep things upbeat and long luscious lingering (say that three times fast) finish.  Expect a four-year aged (“Vintage”) port to be released shortly.

Porto Cordovero, Fine Ruby Port, n.v.:  A joint effort between Royal Wine Company and the highly respected Port lodge of Taylor Fladgate, this wine is a rich, sweet and fruity wine with hints of black fruit along with tantalizing hints of spices, vanilla and caramel.  Especially chilled, the 20% alcohol isn’t as noticeable as you might think (primarily due to the delectable sweetness), so take care when drinking.  Loads of dark prunes, cherries and hints of tantalizing burnt caramel leading into a long finish with hints of oriental spices.  Definitely worth trying and once opened, the bottle will last for 2-3 weeks if kept in a cool place.

Porto Cordovero, Porto Cordovero, LBV, 2004:  Rumors of this wine abounded for quite some time but it was well worth the wait.  As a Late Bottled Vintage should be, this wine is deeper, darker and significantly more complex that its younger sister – the Fine Ruby reviewed above.  Another joint effort with Taylor Fladgate provided this delicious treat of a wine offering an insight into the wonderful world of “aged port” as this wine will evolve nicely, if not for the more traditional 30 years, for at least some time.  Lots of the same aromas and flavors as the ruby including raisins, jammy blackberries, spicy wood, caramel and vanilla but somehow all presenting differently – more maturely- than the prior wine.  There is also a 2005 vintage of this wine.

Quevedo, Ruby Port, n.v.:  True port, under $20 and delicious, this wine is a YH Best Buy to boot!  Made from a blend of typical Portuguese grapes including Touriga Nacional (30%), Touriga Franca (25%), Tinta Roriz (15%), Tinto Cão (5%) and Tinta Barroca (5%) (with the remaining 20% fleshed out with a host of other varietals).  Made by a relatively new house founded in 1991, the family has winemaking traditions going back decades.  While not a highly sophisticated Port, nor as complex as the Porto Cordovero LBV (2004), it is delicious and was very much enjoyed by the entire table – wine aficionados and “newbies” alike (an easy-drinking Port if you will).  Plenty of bright red fruit on both the nose and rich palate with hints of dates, hazelnut, spices, vanilla and crème brûlée with some nice dark chocolate, more spices and ripe currants on the lingering finish.  This improves massively over time; so open the bottle a few days before you plan to serve it for best effect.

Yatir, Fortified Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005:  Despite having been tasted and reviewed by the late Daniel Rogov, I somehow missed this wine and was surprised to learn of its existence only eight months ago.  Given the winery’s reputation, I did however jump at the opportunity and acquired the last six bottles the winery had without first tasting the wine – a rare occurrence for me but one that certainly paid off with the delicious and relatively rare wine.  Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was fortified with brandy and aged in neutral oak barrels for approximately eight months, the full-bodied wine is simply dark and delicious.  Plenty of sweet berries, prunes, hazelnuts, lavender on the slightly oxidized nose with much of the same on the robust and sweet full-bodied palate, where they are joined by dark espresso coffee beans, rich bittersweet chocolate, a hint of smoke and still integrating tannins that lend the wine plenty of power, stability and character, all balanced by plenty of acidity holding the sweetness very much in check.  Delightful.

Older Tasting Notes (April 2010)

Carmel, Vintage, Fortified Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2007: While not “true” Port, this wine is a nice alternative to the Porto Cordovero wines. Aromas of raisins, plums, chocolate and spices come at you with first sniff but not overly aggressive. On the palate, a rich, deep and very sweet wine with flavors of mocha, coffee, sweet (and slightly tangy) jammy berries with enough acidity and pleasant spiciness to balance the sweetness from becoming overpowering and flabby on the palate. Hints of slightly bitter almonds do a good job of keeping the sweetness honest and the entire wine in good balance. As opposed to the Cordovero wine, I often enjoy this wine with food as it matches nicely with most sweet desserts.

Tzuba, Red Dessert Wine in Port Style: Despite the weird name of this wine and its interesting composition of late harvested Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, it is a truly enjoyable wine from a great up-and-coming Israeli boutique winery about whom I have written in the past. With a heady nose bursting with aromas of ripe and jammy cherries, blackberries, spicy oak and tantalizing figs and yummy spice, you almost don’t need to drink this wine to actually appreciate its deliciousness. However that would be a crying shame if you stopped there as the luscious and caressing palate is loaded with sugar and spice and all that is nice including cherries, black forest fruits, figs and hints of raisins and spicy oak leading to a long, spicy finish showing the extra alcohol without being overwhelmingly “hot”.

Porto Cordovero, Fine Ruby Port, n.v.: A joint effort between Royal Wine Company and the highly respected Port lodge of Taylor Fladgate, this wine is a rich, sweet and fruity wine with hints of black fruit along with tantalizing hints of spices, vanilla and caramel. Especially chilled, the 20% alcohol isn’t as noticeable as you might think (primarily due to the delectable sweetness), so take care when drinking. Loads of dark prunes, cherries and hints of tantalizing burnt caramel leading into a long finish with hints of oriental spices. Definitely worth trying and once opened, the bottle will last for 2-3 weeks if kept in a cool place..

Porto Cordovero, LBV, 2004: Rumors of this wine abounded for quite some time but it was well worth the wait. As a Late Bottled Vintage should be, this wine is deeper, darker and significantly more complex that its younger sister – the Fine Ruby reviewed above. Another joint effort with Taylor Fladgate provided this delicious treat of a wine offering an insight into the wonderful world of “aged port” as this wine will evolve nicely, if not for the more traditional 30 years, for at least some time. Lots of the same aromas and flavors as the ruby including raisins, jammy blackberries, spicy wood, caramel and vanilla but somehow all presenting differently – more maturely- than the prior wine.

Katlav, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dessert Wine, 2006: Another up-and-comer about whom I usually refrain from writing about primarily due to the ridiculously and unwarranted, high-cost of their wines. Lots of rich, ripe and flavorful black cherries, plums and other jammy fruits on both the nose and palate tinged with spice and wood all coming nicely together to create a well made and balanced wine that matches well with dessert. Somehow different that your typical Port wine in both the flavors dominating your palate and the lively finish that lingers.

Tishbi, Barbera-Zinfandel, Dessert Wine, 2006: Another wine showing that you can make a port-style wine from any type of grape, this wine coming from an equal blend of Barbera and Zinfandel. A muscular wine whose abundant sweetness makes this wine for sipping after a meal as opposed to with it. Fruits that are more tangy than jammy including gooseberries, blackberries and raspberries matched by raisins, bitter almond and hints of Crème Brule. Not in the same class as most of the other wines listed but an interesting =wine that make for pleasant side-by-side comparisons.

For Kicks Only

Carmel, Partom, n.v.: Daniel Rogov’s note: “Carmel-Mizrachi’s Partom is a sweet, red, reinforced wine that has been aged in wood casks for ten years. Unfortunately, the winery’s claim that the wine can compete with the best Port wines in the world simply does not stand the test of reality. Unlike really fine Port wines, which are blends several varieties of grapes; Partom is made entirely from Malvasia grapes. What makes this odd is that these grapes, which are sometimes also known as Malmsey, are the major variety used in Madeira and not Port wines. More seriously, however, whereas fine Port wines are rich, smooth, luscious and full of character, the Partom is rather sad in its character, lacking robustness, richness or intensity. Sticky both to the fingers and in the mouth, Partom, whose alcoholic content has been elevated to 18% by the addition of brandy, is best categorized as a stimulating and aggressive rather than a satisfying or complex drink”.