To You /WeeksEnd wine

[Harry J]

bsd
What would you consider more difficult? Detaching any connection to where you came from or not knowing where youre heading?
Answers might be varied however we would like to suggest a shared benefit to both;
Of course one knows feels and connects to their parents and home of birth(ussualy) and of course we wonder what the future will bring.
However on the rare occasion when our focus is totaly directed solely to the day were in without any distraction of what was or will be
our chances are so much more vital and potent in being who we are and even can become.
Have a good one; h

[Gabriel Geller]

Hi Harry, and shavua tov!

I believe detaching yourself from your past is more difficult and while radical change in one's lifestyle might be sometimes necessary, I don't think forgetting your past being a good thing in any case, as one must must never forget his past to be able to focus on how to act and change for a better future...

Back to wine, we must never forget bad vintage years to be more grateful and experienced for the good ones and those to come!

Friday night:

Hosted by close family who, although really nice, warm and welcoming, don't have a clue how good wine should taste like so what we were served was "Piano Nobile", to me a first time-seen label from Carmel apparently made out of their worst junk leftover... undrinkable at best! "Well past whatever peak it may have attained" as I recall one of my favorite Rogov's quotes... Nothing else to write about here.

Today's lunch:

Recanati Shiraz 2010: Dark ruby toward garnet, medium-bodied, with soft tannins and aromas of plums on the nose and palate, with a moderately long finish. Waiting one or two more years before drinking would be probably of better advice.

Galil Mountains Shiraz 2009: Darker and more concentrated than the Recanati, medium to full bodied with raspberries and gooseberries on the nose, hints of tobacco and plums on the mid-palate and some hints of dark chocolate on the finish. Bottom line: great QPR!

Friday, while cleaning up some mess in my cellar, I accidentally broke a bottle of Recanati Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006. I was looking forward to open it soon however at ILS 75, I'll recover better than if it was a bottle of Castel GV and will replace it asap!

Best,

GG

[Yossie Horwitz]

This weekend in Israel, in addition to Carmel's newly released off-dry Rielsing which is great, I enjoyed the Bustan 2007 Syrah, Gat Shomron 2008 Cabernet Franc, Teperberg Terra 2009 Malbec, Yarden's 2005 Blanc de Blanc and Binyamina's Late Harvest 2008 Gewurztraminer.

Hope to see some forumites at Sommelier on Monday!

[Gabriel Geller]

Hope to see some forumites at Sommelier on Monday!

I'll be there Monday afternoon as well!

[YoelA]

Detached myself from my original location, but not from my past, when I moved from New York to SF. Did not have any real idea of where I was going, and to some degree still do not have a solid idea. Have tried to remain a New Yorker despite the change of location but probably have not succeeded as well as I thought. But new directions are almost always needed.

As for the wine, last night we opened a bottle of 1996 Big Horn Napa Valley cabernet, and for lunch today some 2006 Domaine Bunan Cotes-de-Provence and 2003 Don Ernesto Crescendo.

[Isaac Chavel]

Gabriel,

I accidentally broke a bottle of Recanati Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006. I was looking forward to open it soon however at ILS 75

You can still find an 06 recanati cab franc? I gues you mean an 08.

This Shabbat, we drank 2005 Recanati Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. It is drinking beautifully. I had a counter-intuitive experience with it, although far from impossible. We had a bottle of it for Rosh haShanah and it was delicious then. When I reported some disappointment with the 2005 Recanati Special Reserve (over Sukkot), I assumed it had yet to fully develop, presumably requiring more time than the Reserve. On the other hand, YossieH subsequently reported the Special Reserve was past its peak --- which I find strange that the Special Reserve is further along than the Reserve. I'll defer to his judgment as he may have followed the wine more frequently than I, and therefore is more aware of whether the wine is "pre-peak" or "post-peak." I guess the lesson is: do not make the lazy inference from reserve to special reserve --- obvious of course, but easily slipped into.

A good week to all,

Isaac

[Yossie Horwitz]

Issac - I had the Special Reserve 2003 over Sukkot which was past its peak, not the 2005 (which I had originally planned to open).

[Gabriel Geller]

Gabriel,

You can still find an 06 recanati cab franc? I gues you mean an 08.

Isaac hi, no I do mean the '06, A.A. Pyup in Jerusalem still have a few bottles (and, as previously mentionned for only ILS 75) and I'll pick one up this week as a replacement. Based upon the few drops left in the broken bottom of the bottle, it seems to be drinking quite well, no signs of browning nor even sediments and a great nose. Made me feel even more sorry needless to say... That was the 3 third bottle of wine I've ever broken. The first 2 were a Rioja Baron De Ley in 2001 the second a Yarden Mount Hermon Red in 2004... I know, I'm a nutcase...

[Isaac Chavel]

gabriel, not surprised to hear about the quality of the 06. i had a bottle during the holiday season and it was delicious. it is frustrating that their importer (palm bay) is not importing the 08. that is what their sales rep told me way back; they had too much trouble with the stores that did not want to stock the shmitta wines. i am not certain whether they ultimately brought the 08s, just some of them, or none of them .

[Pinchas L]

Hi Harry,

O'Dwyers Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - This wine grabbed my attention with its well focused nose of grapefruit that followed through on the palate. Its bright acidity is refreshing, yet not overwhelming. On day two, the wine lost some of its focus, but added freshly mown hay to its array of flavors. When compared to Israeli Sauvingon Blanc its bright acidity and citrus profile make it stand out. In comparison to Hagafen's regular bottling, it carries more weight, making it more versatile, pairing better with more dishes. This wine hails from New Zealand's Marlborough country, has a restrained alcohol content of 12.5%, and the version I had is mevushal, though their website states that a non-mevushal kosher version exists. I paid about $16 at Tops. If I can figure out when to drink all the Sauvingon Blanc I have lined up, I will buy some more to see if my initial enthusiasm is sustained.

Galil Mountain Barbera 2007 - The nose displays a nice spiciness, but also betrays its fruit as too ripe for my taste. It is not necessarily a bad wine, but one that highlights some aspects of typical Israeli wines that I do not particularly favor, albeit sans the green flavors: particularly overripe fruit that borders on showing stewed. On the positive side, the wine has a light to medium body, with silky tannin and a restrained oak influence, with mint and herbs throughout. I felt a lack of balance, wondering whether its cause is a fruit profile that does not go well with the rest of the package, or a body that cannot support its alcohol content. I paid about $16 at Tops.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[Adam M]

2009 Ella Valley Chardonnay - very nice. Buttery. Remindedme of the Covenant Laval
2006 Yatir Red Blend. I am eating my previously-stated words. It was fantastic. Time is indeed a good friend to this wine.

[Isaac Chavel]

Issac - I had the Special Reserve 2003 over Sukkot which was past its peak, not the 2005 (which I had originally planned to open).

Yossie H

whew! I really thought I had it backwards. But since that was my last bottle of the 2005, I will have to wait for your final verdict.

[Jon Tabak]

Hi Harry,

Here's what I drank this weekend (so far):

Barkan Altitude +624 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - about to fall off the cliff
Carmel Appellation Cabernet Franc 2002 - dead
Bartenura Ovadia Estates Morellino di Scansano 2009 - bad bottle
Chateau Fourcas Dupre 2007 - hollow
Chateau Le Crock 2005 - nice bordeaux...acidity and tannic structure give it plenty more life
Domaine Netofa 2009 - great rhone nose, but the rest is mediocre and fades after 4 hours
Carmel Vintage 2004 - port style, on the sweeter side, brilliant color, not bad
Porto Cordovero LBV 2004 - chocolate and earthiness help balance sweetness nicely...I like!

Yossi - Are you referring to Carmel Kayoumi White Riesling 2010?

Best,
Jon

[Alek W]

Yarden Syrah 2007 - enjoyed it eminently, despite the young age.

[David Raccah]

Hi Harry,

O'Dwyers Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - This wine grabbed my attention with its well focused nose of grapefruit that followed through on the palate. Its bright acidity is refreshing, yet not overwhelming. On day two, the wine lost some of its focus, but added freshly mown hay to its array of flavors. When compared to Israeli Sauvingon Blanc its bright acidity and citrus profile make it stand out. In comparison to Hagafen's regular bottling, it carries more weight, making it more versatile, pairing better with more dishes. This wine hails from New Zealand's Marlborough country, has a restrained alcohol content of 12.5%, and the version I had is mevushal, though their website states that a non-mevushal kosher version exists. I paid about $16 at Tops. If I can figure out when to drink all the Sauvingon Blanc I have lined up, I will buy some more to see if my initial enthusiasm is sustained.

Galil Mountain Barbera 2007 - The nose displays a nice spiciness, but also betrays its fruit as too ripe for my taste. It is not necessarily a bad wine, but one that highlights some aspects of typical Israeli wines that I do not particularly favor, albeit sans the green flavors: particularly overripe fruit that borders on showing stewed. On the positive side, the wine has a light to medium body, with silky tannin and a restrained oak influence, with mint and herbs throughout. I felt a lack of balance, wondering whether its cause is a fruit profile that does not go well with the rest of the package, or a body that cannot support its alcohol content. I paid about $16 at Tops.

Best,
-> Pinchas

Thanks Pinchas I have been wanting to try the O'Dwyers - I am low on SB, so I will add it to my get list. I second the somewhat over ripe flavor in Israeli wine. You call it stewed, I call it almost date driven or oxidized, but it is the same thing. It took me some time to truly differentiate the difference between a truly oxidized wine and some of the fruit driven or overripe wines of Israel.

[Yossie Horwitz]

Jon - was referring to the Kayoumi Riesling

[Harry J]

PinchasL-a few of us have been dissapointed with the galil barbera 07,perhaps because the 06 was a 91er. the same for the galil mt shiraz 09-the 07 was a blockbuster.are there any recanati barbera's around these days(overseas)?
myself had the gilgal merlot and found it very interesting.tannins very much felt,with a tight core.more impressive than the gilgal cab.
also tried the tepperberg cab 2010(new label).nice wine,almost seemed like spicy fruit. h

[Isaac Chavel]

Harry,

I don't think there has been a Recanati Barbera since 05. 2006 was the summer of the second Lebanon war. If I recall correctly, the vineyard was literally on the border, and the owner couldn't tend it. It did not take any hits, but it couldn't be used for a proper varietal. So "instead of lemons they made lemonade" --- Rose.

That is what I recall. I am open to being corrected.

Isaac

[Pinchas L]

PinchasL-a few of us have been dissapointed with the galil barbera 07,perhaps because the 06 was a 91er.

Hi Harry,

On the thread titled "Eighth Day Joy," you write that you've found the '06 Barbera to be a tired wine as of several months ago. A red wine that falls apart less than five years from vintage is flawed and does not deserve a 91.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[Adam M]

PinchasL-a few of us have been dissapointed with the galil barbera 07,perhaps because the 06 was a 91er. h

For those whoo have been dissappointed with the 2007 Galil Barbera (at least relative to the 2006), I would encourage you to try another bottle. I first tried the wine last Spring and didn't like it at all. But tried it again over the holidays a few weeks ago and noticed a marked improvement. So I think this wine may actually climb its way out of the pit after all. I look forward to trying another bottle in 3-6 months.

[Isaac C]

I had the Terra di Seta Chianti for kiddush, not enjoyable (maybe I got a bad bunch of bottles or something). Drank mostly beer this shabbos - Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubble and Affligem Dubbel - both were excellent.

[Shawn Johnson]

Kinneret Muscat Hamburg 2010-used for kiddush and havdalah

Dalton Alma SMV 2009- getting beter and better since it's release here in the states.

Good week to all.

[David Raccah]

I had the Terra di Seta Chianti for kiddush, not enjoyable (maybe I got a bad bunch of bottles or something). Drank mostly beer this shabbos - Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubble and Affligem Dubbel - both were excellent.

I have been seeing a bunch of guys not liking this wine, I think it is because of the espresso or smoky flavors that are throwing you, may be me, I love it.

[Isaac Chavel]

may be me, I love it.

count me in, as well.