TN: Ella Valley Muscat 2006

[Gabriel Geller]

I opened for lunch as an accompagnement to some roquefort cheese a bottle of 2006 Ella Valley Muscat. I was pleasantly surprised that this is quite a fine and complex dessert wine, so much better than the other Muscat wines on the israeli market.

Ella Valley, Muscat 2006: Aged for 17 months in french oak barrels. Deep gold, the nose opens with honey, dried apricots and caramelized baked apples. Full-bodied the palate starts with dried apricots, honey, figs, caramelized pears and on the long finish, walnuts and raisins compote. Delicious.

Rogov z.l. gave it a drinking window till 2011 but we are in the last weeks of December 2012 and IMHO this wine is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Best,

GG

[Lior Yogev]

I had an earlier vintage a couple of years ago. I agree it is an interesting and complex wine, but I found the oak to take the spotlight. Perhaps newer vintages did better...

Lior

[Alexander F]

One of the more interesting Israeli Muscats indeed. According to my several years old TN:

Dried apricots and almonds in the aroma. That would be great if not the appearance of the alcohol. The wine is full-bodied and has a good concentration and long aftertaste. The alcohol is not completely integrated and shows up on the palate. Not my cup of tea, but way better than many other Israeli Muscats.

If my memory is correct, this wine is made by stopping fermentation using brandy. This method traditionally used in Rhone to make Muscat de Beaumes de Venice wines. Typically, this doesn't completely hide the addition of the brandy and I often feel it, which I personally prefer not to.
One thing as some1 who has no knowledge in winemaking I don't understand, why not to stop fermentation by cooling like it is done in other sweet wines. In Israel, we don't have to follow AOC rules. The alcohol level would be lower, wine would be more round and less spicy. What am I missing? Anyone has an idea? Craig?

BTW, I liked Perrin & Fils, Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2007 more than Ella. Rogov rated it as 90. The only minor problem with it is the lack of Kashrus. Hope you can taste it by spitting.
Another interesting Muscat made in the same way that is waiting its turn is Israeli. I tasted it only once. Don't know of Kashrus. It is called Neot Smadar, Muscat Canelli 2009. I searched for it and found it here.
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=32295#p273587 It has 15% AbV.