Shiloh Legend

[jgpersky]

Has anyone tasted the new Shiloh Legend 2009?

[Adam N]

Great wine! Remember when drinking it that there is no Cab whatsoever in the wine. In Israel, each grape in the mix, by itself, often grows heavier then cab. Really dark color. The wine is a med -to-full body, with nice deep, forest and black fruit. Pleasant tanins that will mature nicely. Well made and worth a 99nis retail.

[Yossie Horwitz]

Sounds great Adam - thanks. I have a bottle winging its way to me and will hopefully post a TN shortly. How do you feel it compares to Carmel's Mediterranean?

[David Raccah]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKqDvGzTxOs

Very nice article and at the end, a "tasting note" for the Legend

David

[Jon Tabak]

I'm going to hold her to that TN

[Gabriel Geller]

Hi Gedalya, It was nice meeting you this morning at the wine shop, thanks for the tasting and I'm looking forward to see you soon at IsraWine Expo.

I've tasted the Shiloh Legend while visiting Cellar18, Gedalya's shop in Ramat Bet Shemesh this morning and here is what I thought of it:

Shiloh Legend 2009: An uncommon blend of Shiraz, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, deep garnet with some purple reflections, very aromatic on the nose with red fruits and freshly tanned leather coming through, those showing again on the palate with red cherries, ripe blackberries and hints of blueberries, and some smoky wood on the background with very soft and round tannins rising on the moderately long finish.

Shabbat shalom to all!

GG

[Gabriel Geller]

[...]I think the wine has the potential for 5 to 12 years of aging and with the Merlot making it more accessible earlier than if it had been left out...though his Merlot isn't a Shrinking Violet either...

I do look forward to giving this wine a more in depth tasting and decanting to explore its potential...

I am curious on how those of you providing aging windows are deriving those estimations...I'm always willing to learn...I have my own way that others have suggested but they don't seem to jive with what's being said in the forum so you've sparked my curiousity

As I've stated it already, I don't think being really ready yet to truly deliver reliable cellaring predictions but I'm trying... Personally, I base myself on how the wine is drinking now so if I feel that the wine is drinking well and doesn't need any waiting to be fully enjoyable, and that's exactly the feel I got with Shiloh's Legend, therefore it will probably not really improve so much with more aging, leading me to the conclusion that it will remain as good as it is now for a little while, perhaps will slightly improve over the next 2 years, but then in a not-too-distant future will start to decline as well . So 5 years? Maybe. But 12? I really don't think so but we shall see anyway. I was not always agreeing with Rogov's notes and aging predictions of course (although I would and could certainly not compare myself to him, never!), and the Tishbi Merlot '05 is much much better than what's described in his 2010's book but like you say David, we all experience a wine in a different way and one can hardly speak for others. With that said, so far so good, Raccah's and Yossi's recommendations have never caused me any disappointment, so thanks guys!

Best,

GG

[Gabriel Geller]

As David Rhodes and I have exchanged text messages about this, I just wanted to say that I don't and didn't feel attacked whatsoever. This is what a forum is all about, sharing thoughts, discussing wines and points of views, if we all agreed on everything this place would certainly not be interesting. And thanks to David Rhodes getting more and more active here, it remains the most interesting forum online with regards to both the kosher and Israeli Wine Industry in general.

Aside from this, I had the pleasure to catch up today with my old friend and fellow forumite David O., staying in Israel for a few days. We had a very thorough important business and wine related discussion that will lead in a not-too distant future to some (so I believe and hope) really good and original news for the Worldwide Kosher Wine World.

Best,

GG

[Yakov F]

Gabriel,

I have to agree with you on the drinking window for the Legend. 12 years or even close to that is preposterous. Also agree on your comments for the potential for improvement.

As far as Rogovs drinking windows, I found him to be well within an acceptable margin of error given the inexact nature of the matter, and that's all he ever claimed to predict. But he was also often on the mark. Different bottles will often age slightly differently and certainly in different storage conditions. I would also check the forum to see how a given wine was drinking and many of the posts generally bore out Daniel's windows. I also found him often on the mark with the his "best from 20XX" recommendations.

p.s.

I don't and didn't feel attacked whatsoever.

But you may well agree that comments by others such as

sometimes reading posts on this site are more amusing or annoying than educational depending on who's posting... generally speaking

do not flatter those who post on this forum.

[Gabriel Geller]

Drinking windows... Like you say Yakov, Daniel's DWs were mostly accurate but also reasonable, I mean that in my experience, most the wines I had that were 1 or 2 years past his DW were still fine, sometimes just drinkable but also sometimes outstanding which is, IMHO, a very good thing. I don't know if whether Daniel was or wasn't doing that on purpose to avoid being "attacked" for predicting unreliable DWs but I like it that way rather than the other.

But you may well agree that comments by others such as

sometimes reading posts on this site are more amusing or annoying than educational depending on who's posting... generally speaking

do not flatter those who post on this forum.

As of that quote, I personally never find any post by anyone on this forum as being annoying, quite the opposite. I think we all have our own experiences, knowledge, palate, taste, preferences etc but also our own writing style, sense of humor and our own character as well of course, all of those being reflected in our comments and/or Tasting Notes and all of us should respect each other regardless if whether we agree or not on what has been said or how it has been said. But amusing? That yes, even my own comments, while I read them after having posted them may amuse me at times (I'm thinking "who is that snobbish full of sh** wine geek and what has he done to the real Gabriel Geller?!" : )... but also for example Raccah's notes can be both interesting, informing, entertaining and amusing (reminder: the "oompa-loompa case"). So were sometimes also Daniel's notes and I believe that being a great attribute! I'm also a fan of Gary Vaynerchuck tasting videos, that says it all!

Best,

GG