Domaine De Latroune Chardonnay (no vintage year)

[Eli R]

Hello,

I went shopping for nice inexpensive local white wines last week.
(see my post at: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=17249#p145712 )

When I was waiting for the cashier, I notice this bottle on the counter: Domaine de Latroune Chardonnay - no vintage, but the label proudly said: deput 1860.
I remembered my past few visits to the Latroun monastery where the monks take vows to remain silent.
That was before I became a wine "freak".

I had to try this bottle for sanity check.
Well, it is not more than what Rogov describes as "average":

indeed to me, and we are discussing my scoring system, average is somewhat faulted...

I would still propose a toast for the long tradition of the Latroun monks.

Eli

[Daniel Rogov]

Eli, Hi.....

Like you, I recall the days when trips to the Latroun monastery were a de rigueur part of many weekend outings, but we are talking about 25 or more years ago when Latroun's wines, along with the "Ordinary Wine" of Segal and Carmel plonk were the standards of Israel .... long before the wine revolution began in the country. We are also probably talking about the days when the very young, Lebanese born Munir Souama, (now the owner-winemaker of Burgundy's Lucien le Moine) was the winemaker there and some of the wines were actually quite good.

Indeed, visiting Latroun even today is a trip to another time and another place, the physical and social setting of the monastery lovely, the reception warm, and the scenery magnificent (indeed reminiscent of Provence). Indeed as well, Latroun was the first winery to introduce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and several other varieties to Israel. For that, indeed, one gives a great deal of credit.

Best
Rogov

[Yariv H]

I have always wondered how come the Israeli wine revolution skipped of this winery...Sad I would say... but than again there are still enough wine drinkers who can't really tell the difference ...

[Daniel Rogov]

Yariv, Hi.....

It is to largely to the monks of pre-revolutionary France and, to a lesser extent those of Italy and Germany, to whom we own the good fortune of the vineyards of Europe. In the case of the monasteries of Europe, either private interests moved in to modernize or the monks themselves stayed up with modern technology.

Here in Israel it was Christian monasteries such as Latroun and Kremizan to whom we owe the first plantings of many grape varieties but like the monasteries themselves at which a vow of silence is still imposed, the times they have not a'changed and with few exceptions the need to change is not felt. A form of guarding tradition and the "olden ways" I suspect.

Interesting side-note and relating to the thread on what makes a wine "Israeli" - Although the Latroun Monastery has always been within the borders of Israel as defined in 1947-48, Latroun is the official wine of Jordanian Airlines and the bottles made for the airlines state "Made in Palestine".

Best
Rogov

[Jan Schultink]

An interesting winery candidate for a "makeover", all that is required is a better wine making infrastructure and the winery has its instant "marketing story".