Purim / Not Knowing

[Harry J]

bsd
Plural for lotteries.those we choose and those we dont. and knowing yet saying I dont .
h

[Isaac C]

I will probably open three wines from the following lineup - Abarbanel Efron's Cave Jerusalem Hills 2006, Vignobles David Cotes Du Rhone Reserve, Recanati Cabernet Reserve 2009, Dalton Alma SMV, Dalton Petite Sirah 2010, Dalton Estate Shiraz

[David Raccah]

Isaac - Abarbanel Efron's Cave Jerusalem Hills 2006 - red wine - correct, not the rose? It was an interesting blend of GMS - but Merlot instead of Mourvèdre. Loved the wine a few years back - wonder if it is still alive...

2006 Efron’s Cave Jerusalem Hills (45% Grenache / 45% Merlot / 10% Syrah) – Score: A-
This is a truly special ruby colored wine that comes from the complex mix of grapes. The nose starts off with earth, spice, cranberry, and cassis. The mouth follows the nose, with earth, cassis, cranberry, and a nice dollop of spice. The mid palate is oaky with some core acidity that flows into a long finish of nice integrating tannin, coffee, spice, and oak. This is a nice balanced wine with acidity, tannin, earthiness, spice, and fruit that is really a unique and special wine.

[Isaac C]

David - that's the one - I loved the wine as well. Last time I had it was in October and it was still drinking pretty well. Rogov's TN gave it through 2011 but I figured I'd give it another shot at $16.

Rogov's TN:

Asif, Jerusalem Hills, Efron's Cave, 2006: Think of this as a GSM if you like but the M in this case is Merlot and not Mourvedre. Dark ruby towards garnet, a blend of 45% each of Grenache and Merlot and 10% Syrah. Full-bodied, showing generous spicy oak and gripping tannins that are only now starting to integrate. On the nose and palate, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, those supported nicely by notes of Mediterranean herbs, freshly roasted coffee and, on the moderately-long finish, the tannins rising along with a hint of earthy minerals. Drink now-2011. Score 89. K (Tasted 7 Mar 2009) (drink 2009-2011)

[Pinchas L]

David,

The winemaker was Yaakov Oryah, the one in charge of Asif. He experiments a lot, and although concentrating on whites, doesn't neglect reds completely.

-> Pinchas

[Gabriel W]

Some Shirah 2010 Happy Canyon AVA Bordeaux blend - barrel samples, The Coalition, CounterPunch, PttP, maybe some Agua Dulce 2010 Cab, Zin, and/or Syrah, and lots of beer to go with our meat hamantaschen, wagyu burgers, an assortment of sausage, beef jerky, and crown roast of lamb.

Purim Sameyach,
Gabe

[Andrew Breskin]

Where do you get your Wagyu wineman?

[gaston k]

Psagot Edom 2006 (magnum) - insanely good with turkey, steak, kibbe etc.

[Sam M]

Seudat purim at my brothers
Flam Classico. 2010
Bazelet ha Golan cab
Dalton cab reserve 2009 I think.

The Flam was the best. It was more complex than the others. Med to full body. Leather and spice.
Bazelet was ok but not interesting
Dalton is a full body,good nose , I think needs more bottle time.

Sam

[E Segel]

Drank a whole bunch of different wines (it's Purim after all!). Notables were:

Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2001
Yatir Forest 2007
Isaac's Ram

[Andrew Breskin]

Just some old favorites shared with friends: '09 Cardova Rioja, '10 Weinstock PS, '10 Segal's Fusion, '10 Baron Chenin LH

[David Raccah]

Yo Harry,

First it is after purim, and I barely prayed marriv (evening prayers with any concentration). Anyway, these are my wines:

1) 2010 Barkan Pinor Noir - not a single person, drunk or even tipsy could like this wine. I started with it and it failed on all accounts.

2) 2006 Hagafen Merlot - OK that is the best that could be said

3) 2005 Ella Valley Merlot (NOT VC) - truly to me it is time to drink up and it was good. To be fair some liked this and some did not. It went up against some four gates merlot and I think did well, but other thought differently. Hey this i purim and I am having a hard time writing this now. In the end, a fine with blackberry, clear chocolate covered cherry and blackberry, along with good tobacco and green notes. The mouth has enough stuffing to keep your attention along with still mouth coating tannin and raspberry. The finish is long and lovely with cedar, tobacco, and vanilla. DRINK UP!!

4) 2007 Gus Etzion Cab Franc - B+ to A-
The nose on this impenetrable black colored wine is screaming with tobacco, chocolate, rich sweet cedar, licorice, herbs, spice, plum, cassis, raspberry, and blackcurrant. The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine is rich and concentrated with lovely plum, cassis, blackcurrant, soft and mouth coating tannin, crushed herbs, and spice. The mid palate is the weak link with medium acid, spice, cedar, tobacco, and nice tannin. The finish is long and spicy with rich chocolate, herbs, tobacco, spice, cassis, blackcurrant, and vanilla. The wine is in drink now mode, it is throwing sediment, and ready to enjoy. Drink up!!!!

5) 2008 borgo reale primitivo salento - Score: b+
Mounds of floral notes, backed by blackberry, plum, date, and chocolate covered cherry. the mouth is medium body with cooked fruit, and prune. The finish is long and spicy with lots of black pepper, cloves and vanilla from 8 months in wood.

6) 2010 Eagle Landings Pinot Noir - Score: B+
The grapes from this wine hail from northern California, in the Santa Rita Hills. The nose explodes with crazy black cherry, raspberry, coffee, lovely notes of rose petal, and citrus rind. As time passes the nose becomes aromatic an almost intoxicate aroma that grabs you, unfortunately that is where it ends. The mouth is medium bodied with more bright fruit and powdery tannins from light oak influence. The finish is medium to long with spicy notes, red fruit, light citrus, and good cloves, vanilla, and cinnamon.

7) 2005 Four gates Syrah - Score A-
The nose on this purple to black colored wine filled with tar, chocolate, black pepper, licorice, oak, black plum, blackberry, and thyme. The mouth of this full bodied and layered wine is filled with mouth coating tannins, black fruit, blueberry, blackcurrant, bramble, and complexity to keep your attention. The finish is long and smoky, with good spice, allspice, vanilla, and oak. This is a wine that continues to impress and move the needle on good California Syrah.

2007 Galil Barbera - Score- B+ to A-
The nose on this wine explodes with black pepper, date, blackberry, alcohol, ripe screaming plum, black cherry, and tobacco. The mouth starts with more sweet notes, sweet cedar, and lovely soft tannin that fills the mouth. The finish is long and spicy with nice extraction, spice, cedar, vanilla, light leather, and tobacco that linger long. Quite a nice wine to go with cholent, meat, and roasted chicken. It is versatile wine that has a bit of life yet ahead of it, drink up and you will be awarded.

[Harry J]

went very simple; recanati ysmine 09,a prominent licorice flavor medium body and galil mt rose 09 ,dry and still drinkable.h

[Adam M]

It was a true feast this year, thanks in large part to the generosity of "Gary J," one of our many guests, who brought the following wines (other than the Kayoumi Reisling and Ice wine):

Laurent Perrier Rose' Champagne NV
Carmel Kayoumi White Riesling '10
Castel Rose' '11
Tulip White Tulip '11
Carmel Limited Edition '02 (after just a little bit (which is typical for the LEs), this wine was drinking beautifully)
Chateau Montviel '04. (Pomerol, Bordeaux) (probably the best French wine I've had in a long time)
Herzog Haystack Peak Cab '07 (Napa)
Capcanes Peraj Ha'abib '08
Psagot Prat (port style wine)
Or Haganuz Ice Wine

[Craig Winchell]

I had samples of the 2010 Agua Dulce wines as the only wines served. They were indeed very mediocre at this time, having just been pulled and bottled after their last SO2 addition. I plan to open some on Shabbos from the same lot that Raccah tasted from at the winery, hoping they will show as well as those, which was at least closer to the way they will look as a commercial bottling. I also had my second to last bottle of 1997 GAN EDEN Cab Reserve. Excellent.

Of course, there was plenty of other imbibables downed in the name of Purim. My son Gedalia David made jello-shots (for whatever it's worth, he tried various gell-type desserts, and Kojel worked the best) for mishloach manot, many of which found their way down my gullet. Of course, the usual other suspects as well.

[Isaac C]

I ended up drinking the following wines:

Dalton Shiraz Oaked - finished off a bottle I had that was open for a few days and surprisingly I still liked it. This wine is really good and an amazing QPR - Gotham has it for under $14 on sale now.

Abarbanel Efron's Cave Jerusalem Hills 2006 - still very enjoyable, light and fruity, as I mentioned before, Rogov gave it a drinking window until 2011 but I would still drink this one for at least 6 months, it did not show any signs of being too old and this bottle was bought from a store that probably did not have the best storage conditions - I brought this to a friend during the day and we all enjoyed it the most of the wines that were open (Flegman's Merlot 2007, Odem Volcanic (don't remember the year), Yarden Pinot 2007 (that was done by the time I got there), and some entry level wines not worth mentioning)

Purim Seuda:

Vignobles David Cotes Du Rhone Reserve & Recanati Cabernet Reserve 2009 - really enjoyed both these wines, very dry and full bodied, went well with the meats. Also great QPR at just under $20 now.

[Gabriel Geller]

2010 Barkan Pinor Noir - not a single person, drunk or even tipsy could like this wine. I started with it and it failed on all accounts.

Amen to that bro! A couple of folks stopped by the shop the other day and they were but only interested in this wine that I do not sell as it is part of our policy to not sell such wines (let's call them "supermarket" wines to avoid offending anyone...). Couldn't convince them into trying anything else. They walked out.

Thursday night at the huge Purim party (we provided all the wines, all unanimously loved by everyone):

Herzog Reserve Late Harvest Chenin Blanc Clarksburg 2009: A LOT better than at the Tzur's (Royal) tasting 2 weeks ago in TLV. Light gold, medium to full-bodied with on the nose and palate sweet tropical fruits, pineapples and even some hints of mango (!) but also oranges and honey leading to a long and delicious finish. Yummy.

GHW, Yarden Katzrin Chardonnay 2009: Almost deep gold, full-bodied with bright citrus fruit, ripe pears and apples characters and some hints of tropical fruit as well, showing nice minerality and bracing acidity with even almonds and pecan nuts and also light oaky notes on the long finish. Very well made.

Ramot Naftali, Barbera 2010: A very nice wine, dark ruby toward garnet, light to medium-bodied with lots of good forest green notes and some smoke as well on the nose and on the palate fresh earth, black truffles along with red fruit, raspberries and red currants, vanilla, good acidity and a nice lightly tannic and moderately long finish.

Tulip, Just Cabernet 2010: Dark, almost black garnet toward purple. Medium to full-bodied with plenty of dark fruits, especially blackberries showing both on the nose and palate, nice tannins and lightly spicy oak and chocolate on the long finish. Great QPR!

Eden Wild Red 2009: A bordeaux-blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, brilliantly made this year by Eyal Elipaz the winemaker (who studied at Adelaide, Australia). Ruby toward garnet, reminding of an elegant Chateau (Malartic Lagraviere coming to my mind with this one), medium to full-bodied with forest fruits on the nose and palate together with oak, vanilla, spices and hints of tar as well as pipe tobacco and dark chocolate on the long finish. Amazing.

Purim Seuda (hum...):

GHW, Gamla Merlot 2006: Still alive but clearly in drink up condition, throwing quite a bit of sediments. Dark garnet, medium to full-bodied (almost full) with ripe blackberries fruit and some hints of oak, mediterrean herbs and nice tannins rising up on the long finish. Solid.

Recanati, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2008: Dark garnet toward purple, full-bodied with almost jammy blackberries on the nose, a bit less on the palate together with oak, Mediterranean herbs and mouth-coating tannins on the long finish. Very good!

Tabor, Cabernet Sauvignon Adama Terra Rossa 2009: Dark garnet and full-bodied with dark fruit, blackberries and blackcurrants, oak, tobacco and lightly sweet and mouth-coating tannins as well with some oriental spices, on the long finish. Good acidity also that should allow this very well-made wine to age for quite a few years if well stored, my guess being 2016/17. Probably the best israeli CS at this price point (50 shekels, $13).

A great week to all! (Going again, for the 3rd time to Fink's tomorrow night, will probably report back. Planning to bring Dalton Petite Sirah '10).

Best,

GG

[Pinchas L]

Hi Harry,

Hagafen Lodi Roussanne 2010 - Fruit took a back seat to the dominant bitter flavors of green almonds and walnuts. On the long finish low acid citrus flavors, think tangerine, rose to the fore alongside spiciness reminiscent of lychee. The wines opens up as its temperature rises. 13.5% AbV, and $18 directly from the winery. In past vintages I've found the wine to benefit from several years of bottle age.

Hagafen Cuvee De Noirs 2007 - This sparkling wine is blended of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. With beads that are large and persistent, and a beautiful salamon hue, the wine has a tart lemoney nose. On the mouth there is a pleasant mix of white chocolate, lemon tart, with strawberry and raspberry compote. It is not overly yeasty, at most some cooky dough comes through. It came across completely dry, as I did not detect any residual sugar. 12% AbV and $36 at the winery.

Castel Grand Vin 2006 - The wine possesses a lovely weight and texture that contribute depth to the layers of red fruit. At this stage it is very primal, with an abundance of silky tannins, and with restrained oak influences. The brevity of this note belies my enthusiasm. 14% AbV.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[David Raccah]

Pinchas we have had the Cuvee three times, and the last time I was not impressed, I am happy you liked it - or did you?

[Pinchas L]

Pinchas we have had the Cuvee three times, and the last time I was not impressed, I am happy you liked it - or did you?

Hi David,

I used enough positive subjective descriptors for you to correctly surmise that I like the wine. Let me add that I liked it sufficiently to purchase a case and a half, that I've set aside to serve at a reception. Having said that, you understand that the pickings are slim amongst kosher mevushal sparkling wines. But without getting caught up in comparative tastings, I will add that the wine delivers positive enjoyment, pairs very well with food and its flavor profile is different than that of the other kosher sparklers. Not to leave you empty handed, I'll state that it is a much better wine the Yarden's '05 Blanc de Blanc.

-> Pinchas

[Adam M]

Agree with Pinchas (and btw love the tn). In my view, it's the best sparkling wine out there under $40. I will qualify my remarks with the disclaimer that, while I have had this particular wine on many occasions, I haven't had any in over a year. Given that it is a vintage 2007 (which also makes it special because it is rare to find vintage kosher sparklings, whether mev or nonmev), I do wonder how well the wine is holding up, particularly given that is mevushal. Storage is probably key here, and thus i could see how peoples' experiences at this point could start to differ.

[Pinchas L]

Hi Adam,

I still have several bottles of Hagafen's sparkling wine from the '01 vintage, and they are drinking very well. Admittedly, I am more confident of the aging ability of Ernie's wines than most of you, but I think that is because I have more experience with his wines. At least, I put my money where my mouth is. Also, four years from vintage, especially for a sparkling wine of reasonable quality, is very little.

-> Pinchas

[David Raccah]

Indeed, I have had no worries of its life span - what worries me about MANY of Ernie's wines is the bottle variation. I have NEVER really had a consistent experience with any of his wines, and I buy many of them as well, except for the Rousanne, which was always fine for me, until it pooped out.

David

[Pinchas L]

Indeed, I have had no worries of its life span - what worries me about MANY of Ernie's wines is the bottle variation. I have NEVER really had a consistent experience with any of his wines, and I buy many of them as well, except for the Rousanne, which was always fine for me, until it pooped out.

David

Hi David,

How would you explain bottle variation? And if you are referring to bottle variation at the same point in time, that would make it even more puzzling. I did hear from him that some of his wines vary considerably over the course of time to the extent that he decided to refrain from submitting them to competitions, and the specific topic of discussion was his Pinot bottlings. However, I did not understand that to be the case with other varieties, and he was also confident that with age, that variablility will diminish.

-> Pinchas