The Desert//Ten Commandments /WeeksEnd wine

[Harry J]

Every geographical setting can have its particular charm,The desert reigns supreme in it starkness.The desert thus presents an arena of few distractions culminating in a powerful confrontation of the self. the I Am screams out so vivdly to the point of seeing the thunder and hearing the lightening.Perhaps we come to feel the smallness of self in how much more there is to accomplish and at the same time the greatness in the gift of life we are granted.
Have a good one ; h

[Gabriel Geller]

Hi Harry,

Planning this weekend some good wines but I'm not sure yet of my selection, so the report will follow after chag anyway.

Last night we celebrated the engagement of Chalom, my business partner and thus enjoyed a nice selection of good wines from his cellar.

Binyamin, Avnei Hachoshen Sapir 2006: I really liked this vintage, it has clearly benefited from the cellaring and I think could hang on easily for 2 more years. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 35% Shiraz that has spent 14 months in french oak. Very dark garnet and full-bodied with on the nose almost jammy black cherries, followed on the palate with again ripe black cherries, blackberries with notes of leather and sweet oak as well as prunes, good tannins that have almost completely integrated leading to a mouth-filling and long finish. I was not too impressed with the '08 vintage of the Sapir but this one was a joy to sip.

Tanya, Merlot Halel 2007: Jam night! Dark garnet, a nice nose of jammy raspberries, full-bodied with on the palate raspberries, red currants, blackberries and Mediterranean spices and some oak in good balance with near-sweet and mouth-coating tannins on a fairly long finish. Very nice wine.

Tulip White 2011 and Tulip White Franc 2011 - Both very good, no change since last time. The White Franc is definitely more sweet than off-dry and I like the grapefruit notes and the light fizziness but it's a wine not to be taken too seriously.

Galil Mountains Alon 2009: As good as always, no change in my notes.

And...

GHW, Yarden Brut (2000): The last two remaining bottles of Yarden sparklers from my swiss cellar and those 2 were also in outstanding condition, perfectly alive and very much enjoyable. Bright gold with yeasty notes on the nose along with citrus fruit and green apple, this medium to full-bodied wine shows some toasted bread and citrus fruit with long lasting bubbles with green apple and lemon peel on the moderately long finish.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

GG

[Joshua London]

Hi Harry,

Planning at some point to open the following wines this Shabbos/yuntif:

Capcanes Peraj Ha'abib Flor de Primavera 2000
Château Leoville Poyferre 1999 (maybe more than one as this needs drinking up)
Yatir Forest 2007
Psagot Edom 2009
Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1997 (possibly several of these; the last bottle I served had lost most of its balancing acidity and shifted from truly awesome to merely very pleasant)
Hagafen White Riesling (I frankly don't recall off-hand which vintages I have that need drinking, but this is a crowd pleaser so I'm sure we'll get through them)
Hagafen Prix Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Moskowite Ranch 2009
Hagafen Brut Cuvée de Noirs 2007

And then each meal will of course be followed with an assortment of spirit options (though most typically single malt scotch at our place).

That should just about hold us - though I will certainly open more/other wines if the need arises. If guests bring any wine we'll likely open those too.

Have a good Shabbos and a good yuntif,
Josh

[Jonathan K]

For tonight, with salmon- plan on opening my last bottle of Four Gates NV Pinot Noir.

At some point this holiday I plan on opening an old bottle of a very limited production Tanya Enosh Merlot that is a little funky but I liked it more than Rogov. I think he scored it in the 70's. Alas, I have probably held it too long anyway.

[Isaac C]

These are the wines I will be choosing from for the Shavuos weekend:

Shiloh Legend 2009
Barrail de Zede 2000
Recanati Carignan Reserve 2009
Capcanes Peraj Habib 2008
Recanati Special Reserve 2007
Yarden GHW Botrytis 2004
Galil Yiron 2007
Yarden Merlot 2005
Covenant Red C 2006
Yiron Syrah 2005
En Fuego Cava
Golan Moscato
Herzog LH Orange Muscat
Zion Mihamartif

I'll probably pop open some of these beer as well - a homebrew dubbel, Stone Arrogant Bastard, Rochefort 6, 8, & 10, Westmalle Dubbel, Achel Bruin, & St. Bernardus 6 & 8.

I'll be pairing these wines with a really amazing lineup of food IMHO (Dry aged ribeye roast, Sous Vide Rack of Veal, 72 Hour Sous Vide Short Ribs with beer battered onion rings, Duck Confit Spring Rolls, Mexican Chicken Egg Rolls, Hand Copped Steak Tartare, Beef Jerky, Lamb Chili, Hanger Steak, La Surprise/Crescent Steak, Mango Tuna Tartare, Chocolate Mousse French Macarons, NYC style Cheesecake (gotta have some dairy, right?), and an assortment of homemade sorbets and ice creams. All homemade of course).

Looking forward! Good yom tov and Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all!

[ChaimShraga]

Not exactly over Shavuot or on Friday, not exactly over a very dairy dinner.

Pierre Gimonnet, Champagne, Fleuron, Brut, 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs, 2002

To paraphrase Dylan: "Wine is simple, to coin a phrase, you've known it all the time, I'm just learning it these days". Four years into drinking Champagnes, I can say this is a vivid embodiment of Chardonnay-based Champagnes. And it's very simple to understand, yet merits in-depth contemplation. Green apples, baked apples, walnuts, brioche, minerals, orange blossom. I don't think I left anything out of the Champagne checklist. So once you get Chardonnay, and once you understand how Chardonnay is transformed by the Champagne-making process - and believe me, once the pieces fall into place, this understanding is, like I said, simple - this is a very easy wine to read. But the ease of reading doesn't mean its allure is shallow. This has depth. And forget depth, this is sexy and delicious. Make sure your treat your lover to a bottle.

[Gabriel Geller]

I'll be pairing these wines with a really amazing lineup of food IMHO (Dry aged ribeye roast, Sous Vide Rack of Veal, 72 Hour Sous Vide Short Ribs with beer battered onion rings, Duck Confit Spring Rolls, Mexican Chicken Egg Rolls, Hand Copped Steak Tartare, Beef Jerky, Lamb Chili, Hanger Steak, La Surprise/Crescent Steak, Mango Tuna Tartare, Chocolate Mousse French Macarons, NYC style Cheesecake (gotta have some dairy, right?), and an assortment of homemade sorbets and ice creams. All homemade of course).

Now I'm hungry again! Nice wine selection as well!

[Gabriel Geller]

Hi Harry shavua tov!

Friday night:

Galil Mountain, Yiron 2008: The smell while pouring this into the decanter was already magic! A Bordeaux-blend this time with no "plus", meaning no Syrah in this vintage. Beautiful clean deep garnet, full-bodied with on the nose black currants, violets and vanilla, these also showing on the palate with red cherries and mediterranean herbs as well as a hint of tar, gentle tannins and slightly sweet oak with notes of vanilla and milk chocolate on the long and mouth-filling finish. I found this Yiron to be exceptionally easy to drink compared to the previous vintages. But it was delicious.

Shabbat lunch:

Domaine Ventura, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: WOW! Frankly I was not expecting that. Dark almost impenetrable royal purple, with on the nose black currants and spices, full-bodied with on the palate black currants, blackberries, spices, cedar wood and dark chocolate with mouth-coating tannins rising on the long finish. Thumbs up to David Ventura as I've had yet a chance to say anything bad about any of his 2009 wines! I've tasted recently both the Chardonnay and Rosé and was impressed. His Cabernet Franc is one of the best out there IMHO and while I liked all his wines at IsraWinExpo and Sommelier, I didn't recall them being that good. I've never tasted the Merlot but will do so asap.

Shavuot Night:

Yatir Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: Dark garnet and full-bodied, with on the nose dark forest fruit, leather and spices, the wine is blended with about 12% Shiraz and that shows on the nose and palate. On the palate a hint of roasted meat as well as plums and blackberries, Mediterranean herbs coming along with spicy oak and slightly gripping tannins on the long finish. Saying that I was disappointed with this wine would be for sure exaggerated but while being unable to clearly elaborate here, I was indeed expecting something different. That being said, still an excellent wine.

Tzuba Late Harvest Chardonnay N.V. : Yumm as always and great with the cheesecake!

Shavuot Lunch:

Hevron Heights Jacob 2010 (Muscat dessert wine): Also very good as usual, nothing too complex but surely a crowd pleaser, especially the women.

Wishing you all an excellent week!

GG

[Stephen Weil]

I was out at all the meals so ..
Friday night Teperberg 2007 Cab. My first experience and it was very nice
Shabbat Lunch Clasico 2010 from Flam. I like this blend
Shavuot. Gevurz 2010 from Mony well liked by the public
Batzir 09. Not sure who makes it or what it is exactly. I need some help. On the nose at first a hint of old dirty socks which with time lifted. This was not eveident in the tasting at all. Not very full bodied and no finish. It seemed to be a blend of Cab and Melot with maybe some extras. Pleasant enough to drink but not complicated and would not imagine it was worth keeping for future cellaring. I was happy for the experience.

Have a good week

[Gabriel Geller]

Batzir 09. Not sure who makes it or what it is exactly. I need some help. On the nose at first a hint of old dirty socks which with time lifted. This was not eveident in the tasting at all. Not very full bodied and no finish. It seemed to be a blend of Cab and Melot with maybe some extras. Pleasant enough to drink but not complicated and would not imagine it was worth keeping for future cellaring. I was happy for the experience.

Hi Steve, shavua tov!

Sorry you didn't like the Batzir that much. The 2009 is indeed not very complex and rather medium in body but I never got the "dirty socks" thing. I know that for many wine geeks it is not necessary a negative but it certainly isn't positive in my book... It is produced by Reuven Cohen who is the owner of the shop Sod Hayayin in Tirat Yehuda. He sells all the stuff to make wine at home and makes every year also 2 barrels of his Cabernet/Merlot blend. While the 2007 was a very nice wine though nothing really special, there is not so much to write home about the '09. Whether it will keep for a few more years is a question that I can't answer without tasting it again as I don't have any notes but the 2007 is still drinking well today. That said, I don't know where his grapes come from. Perhaps from Kerem Ben Zimra as Eyal Elipaz the winemaker for Eden Winery make his wine also at the Sod Hayayin facility and that's where his grapes are from.

[Stephen Weil]

Gabbi thanks for the details. It was like a blind tasting and I enjoyed the experience.
Please post or keep us up to date when there are wines shows and public tastings.The Jerusalem one, Tzora, etc etc

Best

[Z Spigelman]

Friday night - Tzora Giv'at Hachalukim 2008 (one of my favorite Cabernets that is unfortunately no longer produced. Last bottle and will miss it even more than the Dalton Viognier) and Carmel Private Collection Emerald Riesling 2011 for our guests.
Shabbat lunch - Recanati Rose 2011 and Dalton Zinfandel 2010.
Shavuot night - Ella Valley VC Chardonnay 2010 and Pinot Noir 2008.
Shavuot lunch - Invited out. Brought Bravdo Chardonnay 2011 and our hosts added Psagot Shiraz 2010.

Zvi

[Jon Tabak]

Drank and ate well this weekend. Nurtured me back to health

2011 Covenant RED C Sauvignon Blanc (x2) - Superb...paired well with ceviche and escarole anchovy salad. When cold, crisp grapefruit in true sancerre style. As it warms up, more buttery with pleasing notes of warm honeydew.
2007 Four Gates Chardonnay - Still going strong. Acidity is in check and found it to be more complex than a year ago.
2005 Galil Mountain Yiron - Well integrated and finally tame. Vivid spice notes - peppercorn, cumin, oregano. Great layering of spice, sugar then fruit. Structure will keep fueling it for another 4 years, possibly longer. Might start to fall out of favor with me because the merlot component is starting to take on a jamminess that I don't enjoy.
2003 Chateau Haut Condissas Prestige - I've bragged about this one enough. Pure bordeaux goodness.
2009 Castel Grand Vin - Second bottle in a month. VERY approachable. Fruit forward with really nice extraction and a beautiful mouthfeel. Again, I don't think that this one will have a long run.
2008 Herzog Special Edition Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 - After about a 30 minutes in decanter this one is a beauty. Fruit forward like most of the 08 Cali vintage but not over the top. Cut with interesting lines of spicy oak, cinnamon and some earth. Great balance with graceful delivery and nearly invisible tannic structure that will let it age.
2009 Shirah McGinley Vineyard Syrah - Entirely different than the last 4 bottles. This one was significantly less concentrated, weak on delivery and spice heavy. No focus. Worried about the variation.
2000 Chateau Tertre Daugay - Watched this one go from earthy and spicy to raisiny and sweet within 2 hours. It's drinkable but didn't agree with me. Best part about this wine is the nose.
2005 Domaine St Benoit Laureline Chateauneuf du Pape (x2) - Finished my last two bottles. They were definitely more tired than the ones I had earlier this year. The lack of oomph in the wine actually worked to its benefit when pairing with dishes like grilled teryaki salamon. The subtly on the palate is gratifying and I can sniff the nose for hours on end.
1998 Langer Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos - Complex and aged. This is dessert wine. Wonderful caramel, flavored honey, maple syrup and candied nut notes mixed with dried apricot, lychee, overripe banana, etc. I think this bottle actually had slight cork taint but, weird as it may sound, it increased the complexity.
2001 Chateau Guiraud - Although I'm a sauternes guy, I have to say that I was not impressed. This wine has a huge chemical character (acetone...I pick it up on most dessert wines), more so than other dessert wines of its class and it's enough to make it seem single dimensional. Sure there's some honey, but not much in the way of dry fruit, caramel, nuts, etc. If the bottle I had is truly representative of this wine, then 2001 Chateau Piada takes the crown for best kosher dessert wine.
NV Drappier Carte d'Or - Excellent apertif. Made an interesting combo with fried mozzarella balls.

Best,
Jon

[Stephen Weil]

Last night Meron Single Vineyard 2008 from Dalton.
The last time I had this wine was the 2004. It was the flagship wine of the winery. It had such distinct eucalyptus and mint.
The 2008 was a full bodied crimson red but not as full as the 2004. The nose is fruity with no distinct smell but was a pleasure to drink. Smooth no harsh tannins and no long lingering finish. If the 2004 had a grade of 91 then this is a 90. I have a number of bottles and I am sure they will be good for at least 5 years

[YoelA]

For Shabbat and Shavuot:

2001 Novy Mendocino meritage
2009 Asif Viognier
2004 Jayer-Gilles Haut-Cote-de-Beaune
2007 Ridge Syrah/Grenache

Pinhas: I really liked the Asif viognier. Has definite and fine fruit nose (not sure what fruits), a solid body, excellent acid and a loooong finish. Based on my memory, I preferred it to the Yatir and Yarden viogniers - it's a more solid wine (have not tasted Dalton for quite some time).

The Jayer-Gilles was tasty but light, symptomatic of the 2004 vintge in Burgundy. The Ridge was 50% of each; first time I have had such a wine from Ridge, whose red wines have been tops for several decades. This one uses the somewhat more lightness of the grenache to dilute some of the heavines of the Lytton Springs are syrah; overall a very nice wine.

[Pinchas L]

Hi Harry,

After several weeks of limited access to wine, I took the opportunity afforded by the long holiday weekend to play some catch-up. The whites I had were varied in style, though the wine that stood out was the Prix Sauvignon Blanc, not only for its flavor but also for how well it paired with food.

Elvi Adar Brut NV - The nose of citrus is followed by a mouth full of yeast and bubbles with a lean and pleasantly bitter finish. 11.5% AbV and about $20.

Hagafen Prix Sauvignon Blan 2008 - The acidity is palate cleansing at times, and the fruit shines through with a brightness to match. But what pulls the entire package together is the weight it took on, perhaps by dint of its oak. The nose is full of lemon, and the palate has a wonderful grassiness that works well with the vanilla brought on by the oak. It paired beautifully with a wide variety of dishes; some fish based and others cheese based. Paid $27 and is worth every penny.

Tzora Chardonnay 2009 - It comes across as a lean Chardonnay, I would even describe as flinty, that is somewhat reminiscent of a Chablis (though I am no expert). It is light-bodied to the point where one must choose the dish to pair with it carefully, so as not to overwhelm it.

Hagafen White Riesling Devoto Vineyard 2010 - The acidity is there to balance the sweetness, but I had thought that the sweetness would not be as dominant in this bottling as it turned out to be. It is fruit forward, and--at this stage--doesn't offer much in the way of complexity. I attempted to pair it with some cheese and other cheese based dishes, but its in-your-face fruitiness and sweetness got in the way. However, it has plenty of attributes that make it wonderful to sip on its own. 12% AbV and about $18.

The reds weren't as varied in style, with just about all of them made from Bordeaux varieties. The wine grabbing my attention the most was the Flam Classico and the reason again was the wine's ability to play along well with food.

Four Gates Merlot Le Rochelle 2005 - The tannins are very soft and well integrated and the berry flavors are vibrant, though not overly so, with just a hint of pleasant bitterness on the finish. It paired will with food.

Hagafen Cabernet Sauvingnon 2004 - If a bottles of wine were judged by the speed in which they were emptied, this wine would be the clear winner. Its appeal is apparent; sun-drenched fruit that is bright and vibrant, coupled with soft tannins and lively acidity. The oak adds layers of chocolate. This wine has Napa stamped all over it, as it is as new world as a wine gets, yet with restrained alchohol. While I won't call it a fruit bomb, I will say that the sweetness implied by the fruit prevents it from pairing well with food. It is still young, and will perhaps gain complexity with time. 13.6% AbV.

Castel Grand Vin 2006 - What surprised me the most about this wine, is the extent to which it reminded me of the Hagafen I just mentioned. Expecting green notes, yet getting none, finding instead an abundance of bright fruit was a bit of an eye opener to me, as this is the most New World bordeaux blend I've had from Israel, with fruitiness that can match the best I've had from California. In truth the wine is a bit more austere than the Hagafen, but it is still too fruity to pair well with food. Nonetheless, it is a very pleasant bottle of wine. And truth be told, if I had to choose between this and those Israeli bordeaux blends that are packed with green pepper and other vegetal notes, I'd go for this nine out of ten times.

Flam Classico 2010 - The is a Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Sauvignon making up half, Merlot contributing 43% and Petit Verdot rounding out the final 7%. This seems to be a wine that was engineered to match with food. The fruit is understated and the tobacco flavors come out begging for food. I had it with french roast as well as with cheese, in both cases the wine shone, enhancing the food without being overwhelmed, nor overwhelming. Having had this wine I understand the reason it is the favourite of chefs across Israel. 14% AbV.

Best Regards,
-> Pinchas

[Pinchas L]

Pinhas: I really liked the Asif viognier. Has definite and fine fruit nose (not sure what fruits), a solid body, excellent acid and a loooong finish. Based on my memory, I preferred it to the Yatir and Yarden viogniers - it's a more solid wine (have not tasted Dalton for quite some time).

Hi Yoel,

Thanks for keeping me in mind, remembering to include your notes on the Asif Viognier. Your notes match mine, but too bad you didn't have Asif's '08, as I think that is even more complex than the '09.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[Harry J]

hi;dalton zin 2010-big and fruity,enjoyed very much and the 15.2% wasnt strongly felt.Recanati chard 2010 mineral flavors not much fruit but ok structure. yatir cab 2007 very nice indeed;almost chewy with a long finish.a question though if this is ablend of cab ,syrah and malbec why is it called cab as opposed to the Forest which is also a blend.The cynic in me makes me think this is just one of those marketing things. h

[gaston k]

Fri Night - Alexander Gaston 2009, solid wine enjoyed by all
Sat Lunch - A pinch of Ramon Cordova Rioja 2009 for kiddush, good wine but I like more spice, and a few hearty glasses of draft Cigar City Munich-style Lager, perfect for a hot day and with meat lasagna
Sat Night - BH Alexander Valley CH 2009 - light meal, just some baked ziti and wine showed well
Sun Lunch - Finished off the Alexander Valley with some fried chicken and kibbe
Sun Night - BBQ, with a little Barkan Petite Syrah 2010 that was fine, and a bottle of Flying Fish Summer Ale
Mon Lunch - Dairy lunch with a Kasteel Tripel

[Yehoshua Werth]

Isru Hag Sameach (Happy Day After Holidays )

Friday Night :2010 Recanati Diamond Merlot
Value value and oh yeah value. Good mouth feel solid fruit a little brooding afterday two which to me it should age well and for a $13 - $15 wine.. YUMM
& :2010 Recanati Chardonnay
another can I say Value..nice and crisp good fruit solid fun and neat little oaky vibe.

Shabbos Day: 2009 Domain Netofa
better than least year.. so subtle and cool. little neat all over the pallete stuff
2009 Carmel Appelation Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz

Saturday Night: 2009 Recanati Reserve Zinfandel / Petite Syrah
2010 Recanati Chardonnay
Some Amazing Japanese Sparkling Sake(Rice Wine)

Sunday: 2009 Kadesh Barnea Red Desert Blend
2010 Gush Etzion Sauvignon Blanc

Sunday Night: 2010 Recanati Diamond Merlot(Finished Bottle)
20?? fell asleep

Monday: 2007 Hevron Heights Special Selection Reserve WOW
Huge and got a lot better as the meal went on Aging potential as the 02's are drinking great now.
2009 Binyamina Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Hard to follow the Hevron Heights yet a solid cab..not my fav though still.
Bernhiem Wheat Whisky. Easy and yummy
Samuel Adams Alpine Beer .. Better than I thought it would be ..find it

[Gabriel Geller]

hi;dalton zin 2010-big and fruity,enjoyed very much and the 15.2% wasnt strongly felt.Recanati chard 2010 mineral flavors not much fruit but ok structure. yatir cab 2007 very nice indeed;almost chewy with a long finish.a question though if this is ablend of cab ,syrah and malbec why is it called cab as opposed to the Forest which is also a blend.The cynic in me makes me think this is just one of those marketing things. h

Glad you liked the Dalton Zin!
As to the Yatir Cab '07, as long as a wine contains at least 85% of one single variety it can be called after that variety under israeli law regardless of the other components. The Yatir Forest 2007 contains only 50% of Cabernet Sauvignon (the other components being Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot) and was aged for 16 months in the barrels, longer than the Yatir Cab which was aged for 12 months "only" if I recall that correctly (too tired now to look it up).

[Isaac Chavel]

Hi,

2008 Psagot Cabernet Franc
2009 Dalton Viognier, last bottle

[Gabriel W]

2009 Shirah McGinley Vineyard Syrah - Entirely different than the last 4 bottles. This one was significantly less concentrated, weak on delivery and spice heavy. No focus. Worried about the variation.

Could be a food pairing issue. Do you remember what you had with the wine?

[Jon Tabak]

Paired it with my glass