TNR - Kinor David KPort

[Yossie Horwitz]

I have been hearing great things about this wine from a number of enthusiastic forum members but to date, nobody has posted an actual tasting note for this wine. I have one bottle resting in my cellar from its travels from Israel and would appreciate an actual note from one of the many members who have tasted it recently if possible?

Thanks,
Yossie

[Yossie Horwitz]

My bad - I missed Gabe's review:

Kinor David, KPort, 8 years barrel-aged NV: Deep garnet, with on the nose candied cherries, ripe raspberries, almonds and dates. Full-bodied with on the palate rich candied cherries, raspberry jam, fresh dates and caramelized almonds with a hint of black pepper and honey coated pecan nuts on a long seemingly endless finish. Truly unique, my favorite. And just an FYI (I don't do this usually but I'll do an exception here): I also sell it now.

Anyone else?

[Elie Poltorak]

I have been hearing great things about this wine from a number of enthusiastic forum members but to date, nobody has posted an actual tasting note for this wine. I have one bottle resting in my cellar from its travels from Israel and would appreciate an actual note from one of the many members who have tasted it recently if possible?

Thanks,
Yossie

Open the damn bottle and do your own TN
Gabe's TN is right on but I get a bit more nutty-ness with a slight, pleasant bitterness on the finish. Also, strong cherry-liqueur on the nose. I hope you got the 8 year as it's much better than the 10 year. I'll try to do a TN one of these days but the problem is I have so much fun drinking it (usually after a meal with lots of other wine, I can't be bothered to write a TN!

[Yossie Horwitz]

I have the 8 year old. I will be visiting Edri at the winery on my next trip, hopefully within 2-3 months.

[Elie Poltorak]

I have the 8 year old. I will be visiting Edri at the winery on my next trip, hopefully within 2-3 months.

Oh man, prepare for nirvana!

[David Raccah]

For my friends - I will post outside my blog - ore to come on this soon. Some will argue the score, ignore that and concentrate on the joy and happiness that is the nose.

Kinor David 8 year KPort - Score: B++ to A-
Personally, I love this wine more than the 10 year port as it is more ethereal and captivating like the sherry. It is NOT a port, please do not approach this wine looking for a huge body or a wine that can handle dark chocolate cake. This is a wine that is more of an aperitif or one that would pair perfectly with an apple cobbler or a cherry pie. The nose on this wine is equally unique and ethereal, though not as massively intoxicating as the sherry. The nose starts off with a crazy nose of summer fruit compote, peach, white nectarine, and apricot sweetened compote, along with crazy candied cherry, along with watermelon, and strawberry jam - try to imagine this or better yet - get a bottle! The mouth on this medium bodied sweet wine starts off (fresh from the bottle) blackberry, currant, candied fruit, honey coated pine nuts, nice tannin, along with crazy cedar. Over time the fruit fades with crazy sweet vanilla, chocolate, raspberry jam, marzipan, almond, dried nuts, and dried fruit. The finish is long with rose water blended into an almond cake with sweet fruit compote as a topping.
This is a confounding wine with dark fruit taking front stage in the mouth and finish and then over time giving way to ripe white summer fruits with nuts and dried fruits as the background. Unique as all of David's wines, though this is my preferred KPort of the two.

[Elie Poltorak]

For my friends - I will post outside my blog - ore to come on this soon. Some will argue the score, ignore that and concentrate on the joy and happiness that is the nose.

Kinor David 8 year KPort - Score: B++ to A-
Personally, I love this wine more than the 10 year port as it is more ethereal and captivating like the sherry. It is NOT a port, please do not approach this wine looking for a huge body or a wine that can handle dark chocolate cake. This is a wine that is more of an aperitif or one that would pair perfectly with an apple cobbler or a cherry pie. The nose on this wine is equally unique and ethereal, though not as massively intoxicating as the sherry. The nose starts off with a crazy nose of summer fruit compote, peach, white nectarine, and apricot sweetened compote, along with crazy candied cherry, along with watermelon, and strawberry jam - try to imagine this or better yet - get a bottle! The mouth on this medium bodied sweet wine starts off (fresh from the bottle) blackberry, currant, candied fruit, honey coated pine nuts, nice tannin, along with crazy cedar. Over time the fruit fades with crazy sweet vanilla, chocolate, raspberry jam, marzipan, almond, dried nuts, and dried fruit. The finish is long with rose water blended into an almond cake with sweet fruit compote as a topping.
This is a confounding wine with dark fruit taking front stage in the mouth and finish and then over time giving way to ripe white summer fruits with nuts and dried fruits as the background. Unique as all of David's wines, though this is my preferred KPort of the two.

I can't ague with the score as there's nothing to really compare it against--it really is sui generis--but it is pure hedonisitic pleasure. Since Elchanan induced me into the cult of KD a year and a half ago, I've recommended it to quite a few people--both wine nuts and neophytes. Every single one fell in love with it!
My only qualm with your TN is that it makes it sound sweeter than it is and misses the peppery/spicy notes. But you can't argue over that either!
Finally, I agree that it's a fabulous apertif on its own and pairs wonderfully with LIGHT, DELICATE desserts, it also pairs FABULOUSLY with sharp aged cheese.

Now I can't wait to try another bottle of the sherry as mine was corked! The 10 year was nice but much closer to a conventional port-style. Not nearly as interesting.

[David Raccah]

Indeed the 10 year is a B++ wine to me. The Sherry is A- solid and pure 100% pleasure and hedonism in a bottle. Truly the nose on the sherry, like the 8yr port is what is unique, the mouth is a light let down, but again - if you have the correct perspective and expectations - than the mouth on both are equally lovely.

david

[Elchonon Hellinger]

A few notes...

The 8year port smell / taste often returns to me.. its easy to conjure it up.. its that memorable.

As david says, its not a port.. Adam montifiore says it tastes like madeira: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira_wine

This thread sheds some light http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/355715 in a funny way how madeira is subbed for with port! When Yaakov Bruck gets his butt on here we can get his 2 cents as a chef.

Approaching the port is interesting because the nose is deep, you can sense the depth.. the sweetness is there but so is the strength.. the taste gets me every time..

Polterak speaks the truth.. my 87 year old grandma LOVED IT, she asked for more and I told her sorry gramma but its 19% and you just had half a glass! my mother loves it.. the manager of harbor grill miami etc..

All I can say is, expect the unexpected..

[Yaakov B]

Unfortunately I haven't tasted it yet, so I cant really comment.

[Elchonon Hellinger]

I have the 8 year old. I will be visiting Edri at the winery on my next trip, hopefully within 2-3 months.

let me try to get more port / sherry and maybe feb 5 we can re-taste in NYC.. if raccah goes to israel for jeru tasting and meets us in ny for royal..

You ust understand, Edri as a wine maker is envisioning Ringling brothers circus in the oval office... His day job is head of kashrut and he has his own chesed org.. the winery is the part time and I KNOW he is insane..

Also, he has TONS of barrels there and I have to beg / cajole / plead / threaten to get tastes.. I tasted 3 shiraz's, a petite vardot straight, cab sav straight, cab franc with gab, a cab sav / pinot noir, straight pinot noir, syrah cab franc ?

Only G-d really know what the hell that guy has including a 95 year old port shleped from morocco, craziest is that despite the guy being so laid back, he makes outstanding stuff..

Future of the port ? he has 10k bottles of the 8 year to bottle
Sherry: he says its VERY hard to make and he only made 550 bottles worth of which I bought 3.. if he can make it again and improve he will

Wine: his '09 Cab sav 90% and 10% petite vardot tasted well, time will tell, he needs to focus especially on quality corks

On one hand id say forget edri's wine and just focus on port / sherry, but on the other hand, i think he can really make earth shattering wine

[Elchonon Hellinger]

Unfortunately I haven't tasted it yet, so I cant really comment.

#1 welcome
#2 any thoughts on chowhound of cooking with madeira vs port ?
#3 lets get you a bottle asap!!
#4 post some damn filthy notes dude

[Yaakov B]

I'll tell you one thing for certain, that Kport had better be dynamite. After all the spewing.