TNR: 2010 Netofa White (Chenin)

[Andrew Breskin]

Has anyone tasted this? It is very light and dry with barely any fruit let alone ripe?

[David Raccah]

2010 Domaine Netofa – White – Score: B++
The nose on this light gold colored wine shows clean and lovely nose of green apple, peach, grapefruit, kiwi, light quince, and rich/nice loamy dirt and mineral. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is rich and balanced with nice minerality, along with nice bright fruit that mingles well in the mouth. The finish is long and spicy with nice quince, tart green apple, grapefruit, and green tea.

[Jon Tabak]

Andrew - I didn't enjoy this as much as David. I'll post my notes soon.
David - how long ago did you taste?

[David Raccah]

Last year - it will be available again tomorrow.

David

[Jon Tabak]

Tasted it last night. Either I had a bad bottle or the wine is almost dead.

[Isaac C]

I had the Netofa whites at the KFWE and I liked the oaked one - I think this is the same wine you're all talking about - They were pouring 2 Chenin Blancs - the only difference being that one was aged in steel and one was 70% oak.

[Pinchas L]

Hi Andrew,

For what its worth, I'm including the notes I posted in April.

Domaine Netofa Galilee 2010 (whitle) - The first of two wines I had from this producer over the holiday. Pierre Miodownick, is a winemaker for whom I am strongly routing, given that his expert winemaking philosophy echos my layman's intuition, arguing that Israel's climate is more suitable for grape varietals from the Southern Rhone than for the noble grapes of Bordeaux, planted his vineyard primarily with those varietals. This white is produced from Chenin Blanc. This is a round wine, lacking acidity and fruit intensity, and with a long bitter finish. Perhaps, the wine is too young, or maybe its the youth of the vines, and future releases will show better. It carries approximatley 13.5% AbV and sells for $22 at Tops.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[Yehoshua Werth]

Latour Natofa - White.. Found it had a nice creaminess.. decent fruit.. Mildly rich.. Fun.. I dont know about Bad..Hmmm
will have to re-taste right away.

Domain Natofa - White.. interesting, light again yet Bad.. No way... Will have to retaste.

[Andrew Breskin]

I had the Netofa whites at the KFWE and I liked the oaked one - I think this is the same wine you're all talking about - They were pouring 2 Chenin Blancs - the only difference being that one was aged in steel and one was 70% oak.

Didn't know there were two versions of the White. Only saw one at LA tasting.

[Yehoshua Werth]

Domaine = No oak
LaTour = Oak

on the whites

[David Raccah]

Sorry guys - three times I have tasted this wine and each time the notes are consistent. I like it OK, B++ to B+. Either way there is no oak, always quince, lemon, and a bunch of rich acid. I must not have tried the Latour White.

David

[Yehoshua Werth]

Latour Natofa - White.. Found it had a nice creaminess.. decent fruit.. Mildly rich.. Fun.. I dont know about Bad..Hmmm
will have to re-taste right away.

Domain Natofa - White.. interesting, light again yet Bad.. No way... Will have to retaste.

again LIKE the wines

[Gabriel Geller]

I must not have tried the Latour White.

Dave, have you tried the Latour since?

[YoelA]

Opened a bottle of this Friday night (unoaked version). It had a very flowery, almost perfumed nose and fruity/flowery taste. On reading these comments I just tried a bit again. Yes, it does have a somewhat bitter finish that I did not notice Friday and that is not noticeble with food. The label claims it can mature with aging. Any comments or experiencve about this?

[Craig Winchell]

Cannot eve remember having either of these wines, but I do know my Chenins, and it is a very versatile grape. Dry Creek's example was oaked, and was a "poor man's Chardonnay", but it really did tend to lack fruit to overcome the oak, or at least the specific floral and honey fruit components I think of when I think "Chenin". I always felt it was best unoaked, and I daresay that any decent Loire Chenin would be unoaked, whether a dry Vouvray or a Moulin Touchais. Why waste the attributes of a grape like this by oaking it?