Recently, I attended a press release in Tel Aviv of Binyamina Reserve wines for 2012.
First we tasted the 2011 Binyamina Reserve Gewurztraminer with a suggested retail price of 64 NIS. With 12 grams of sugar/liter, this semi-dry wine is proof positive why Gewurztraminer is becoming one of the most popular premium white grapes in Israel, even though its currently limited to small vineyard plantings. Every winery that produces it seems to sell out of what they make very early into the summer if not sooner. Several wineries have suggested they are increasing their plantings dramatically for use in semi-dry or dessert wines. It’s also becoming an interesting component in white blends. Surprisingly, this version had 13% alcohol which seemed a little high for a semi-dry wine but the sugar and alcohol seem to balance each other out. Classic flavors and aromas of apricot, white peach, pineapple and lychee were apparent. It paired well with an assortment of fish appetizers but would also match well with spicy Asian fare. Red or green curry come to mind or Pad Thai. This Gewurz appeared lighter in body than most Israeli versions I’ve had and it made it all the more food friendly.
Besides being a personal favorite, as a consulting sommelier for a few restaurants, I am a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc in general for its one of the most food friendly varietals. Tasting the 2011 Binyamina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (64 NIS), I started to see a trend with this series and seeing a trend with Israeli wineries in general. Some Israeli commercial wineries are queueing up to make their wines more food friendly. Israelis, and Jews in generals, are eaters and will make a whole evening out of a meal so making wines that pair better with food and consumption could and should go up. This Sauv Blanc gave whiffs of lemongrass on the nose while tasting classic notes of grapefruit, lemon, pineapple and melon. Another 13% alcohol white, it still was more reminiscent of a Bordeaux white than a New Zealand release. It had a pleasant lingering citric finish that would marry well with fish like a reservoir of lemon wedges in one’s mouth. Yet, the flavors were nuanced and expressive yet not overpowering by either the grassy or citric direction that most Sauv Blancs veer towards. This one finds the right balance.
Another trend I’m experiencing with Israeli whites is more and more wineries moving away from “New World” Chardonnays towards more “Old World” Chardonnays. There are fans of both camps. The 2011 Binyamina Reserve Chardonnay Unoaked (79 NIS) more closely resembles a Burgundy than most Napa or Australian Chardonnay’s I’ve sampled and more similar to Recanati, Tzuba, Odem Mountain and Lewinsohn than Golan Heights. With the Golan Heights making a wide array of big bold buttery vanilla Chardonnays so well at many price points, it seemed a matter of time where other wineries would try to provide alternatives approaching in quality yet different in style. So as more and more wineries are making their Chardonnays without secondary fermentation which preserves the fruitiness and then using sur lees aging (here four months in stainless steel tanks) to create body and mouth feel and a bit more complexity. These “Old World” style Chardonnays, including this one, will be more food friendly pairing wines and easier to drink multiple glasses with a meal. Green apple and pear give way to grapefruit and lime. A very clean wine with 12.5% alcohol and with a very light and pleasant lingering finish that like their Sauvignon Blanc should help it find its way onto wine lists.
The biggest surprise for me of the evening was the 2010 Binyamina Reserve Zinfandel (89 NIS). Zinfandel is the state grape of California and they tend to be highly alcoholic, big and jammy and/or peppery wines and Californians love them for being just that. This wine had the expected flavor profiles yet came across more as an “elegant” wine and elegant is not a term that often comes to mind when one thinks about Zinfandels. Red raspberries on the nose gave way to black raspberries in the glass. Black pepper notes in the middle gave it that spiciness that Zin fans embrace and should make it great for red meat and BBQ’s. Some mocha, espresso and tobacco notes came through probably from aging in a combination of 14 months in French and American oak but the oak was very complementary and the fruit was the star and the sensation of tannins subdued.
At 13.5% alcohol, the 2009 Binyamina Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (89 NIS) was one of the lowest alcoholic Cabernets in Israel I tried and still liked. It’s not easy to make low alcohol red wines and Israel and still have them more fruity than green. As with the other wines of the series, its an easy drinking wine with typical cassis and plums for this varietal and only light hints of oak influences even though it was aged in French oak for 18 months. A nice variation on the common Cabernet theme in Israel and well worth tasting if you’re looking for a new Cabernet for your dining table.
Last but not least, is the 2010 Binyamina Reserve Carignan (89 NIS). This was the only wine decanted of the six and it proved it needed it and maybe a little more decanting than it got. This is the kind of wine I wish I could try over hours and even the next day or two after opening to see how much it opens up. I’ll try to revisit this wine in the future in an article about Israeli Carignans since they are becoming more and more interesting as better examples emerge from older vines that were often abandoned for decades than rediscovered and nurtured for their potential to deliver interesting and concentrated flavors of black berries, black raspberry here, strawberry and cigar box and cedar with 12 months in French and American oak barrels. With intriguing releases from Vitken, Carmel, Recanati, Somek, Smadar and now Binyamina; Carignan’s reputation as a varietal is experiencing a Renaissance parallel to that of Israel as a wine region.
As a whole the Reserve series from Binyamina delivers a lot of surprises in quality and style that consumers ten years ago wouldn’t have imagined possible. Their huge investment in new vineyards in better locales, expensive new equipment at the winery and their trust in their winemakers seems to be paying dividends that are becoming more and more apparent in their wines.
