Posted at 10:46h in Wine industry by David Rhodes 0 Comments
Notes & Favorites from Day One of the 2nd Annual Jerusalem Kosher WIne Festival
Even though I just started this year to score wines after spending years writing hundreds of essays and articles, I hope to refrain from scoring wines at festivals since there’s so much additional stimuli to distract from focusing in on the wines. A quiet well lit room and ideally alone without anyone to influence me is the ideal venue to evaluate wines for scoring. That being said New World wines and dessert wines can fair better at a festival (in my opinion) because they rely less on subtlety. Yet, sometimes there’s a nuanced wine I tried that caught my attention and favor at Jerusalem’s 2nd Annual Kosher Wine Festival (without too many elbows in my ribs, readers asking me for tips or a pretty pourer catching my eye). With about 40 wineries presenting about 4 wines each (there was a 4 wine limit per exhibitor which allows smaller boutique wineries to attract tasters on an equal footing with bigger commercial wineries) there’s more than enough wines for the average aspiring connoisseur or partier to investigate or just enjoy . Even though I was at the event for about seven of the eight hours it was open on its first day I didn’t get to try all of the wines and will return for one of if not both of the last two days. I’m not only tasting wines; I’m also meeting dear friends among the presenters and guests and spend as much time chatting, interviewing and hugging as tasting mostly good and great wines.
So to cut to the chase as it were. Here’s some of my favorites either because I thought they were among the best wines or sometimes most interesting and unique at this particular event.
In no particular order
Whites
1)2011 Carmel Single Vineyard Riesling
one of the best examples of White Riesling in Israel
2)2008 Carmel Single Vineyard Gewurztraminer (dessert wine)
One of the best and easiest to find dessert wines.
3) 2012 Lueria Gewurztraminer (semi-dry)
this is the universally released Gewurztraminer that sells out fast. One taste will tell you why. Delicate and and aromatic with just the right amount of sweetness. Canned peaches came immediately to mind but in a good way with notes of lychee and dried apricot and an amazing body for a wine so lightly colored in the glass that when I first glimpsed at a friend drinking it I thought they were drinking water. It should get darker and only better with time
4)2012 Lueria Gewurztraminer “Fleamarket” (dry) A limited release private lable that probably won’t be available the second or third day of the festival but all 1200 bottles were sold (for your potential pleasure and purchase) at the Fleamarket restaurant in Jaffa, a non-kosher restaurant. It’s a weird paradox how some of the best kosher wines end up in the best non-kosher restaurants but that’s just a testament to that kosher certification has much less to do affecting the quality of wine than it does to limit what a chef can do in a kitchen.
There are plenty of semi-dry and dessert Gewurztraminers in Israel, which is becoming one of the most highly in demand white wine grapes even though its production is small its on the rise and this I believe is the only dry single varietal version on the market and worth trying to see the potential for more wineries to explore.
5) 2011 Yarden Heightswine
A play on Ice wine. This Gewurztraminer dessert wine not only is considered one of Israel’s best dessert wines but has won much international acclaim for itself as well as for the Golan Heights Winery, probably the most awarded and recognized commercial Israeli winery.
Reds & Rosés
6) 2010 Bravdo Coupage
A rare Cabernet Franc dominated blend which shows there should or could be more Cabernet Franc dominated blends in Israel.
7) 2009 Segal Argaman
Argaman is a uniquely Israeli red hybrid grape and this is arguably the best example of how well the grape can do on its own when nurtured in the vineyard and crafted at the winery.
8) 2009 Yatir Forest
A blend of Bordeaux red grapes and one of the most widely recognized iconic wines of Israel.
9) 2009 Yator Petit Verdot
one of the best examples of how this traditional Bordeaux blending grape can shine as a single varietal in Israel.
10) 2010 Tulip Mostly Cabernet Franc
This winery joined two of Israel’s other most famous and revered boutique wineries, the Flam and Saslove winery in 2010 putting that and all future vintages under kosher supervision and certification. Cabernet Franc, like Petite Verdot, is a Bordeaux supporting player that is getting more and more popular as a single varietal and where as Petit Verdot can resemble Petit Sirah or Zinfandel in how big and bold it is, Cabernet Franc’s are a more elegant food friendly relative of Cabernet Sauvignon and there are dozens of good if not great examples emerging in Israel. This is one of the better examples.
11) 2010 Tulip Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
just released, from their top tier single varietal series. Better than their 2009 and gets me excited to try their 2010 Syrah Reserve since I was a big fan of that 2009 wine. I acquired a bottle of the Syrah so stay tuned for my notes.
12) 2010 Saslove “Pink”
Speaking of the Saslove Winery, they presented the premier of their one of their rosé to the kosher market and was one of the few available at this festival but this wine shows why more Israeli wineries are and should attempt to make quality rosés in contrast to the tepid rosés of ten or twenty years ago or those resembling Californian White Zinfandel.
13) 2010 Saslove Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Also their launching, like Tulip, of their first kosher reserve Cabernet. These two new reserve Cabernets never shown at an Israel expo for me were worth the price of admission (oh that’s right I didn’t pay as a member of the press). Well they were worth the bus ride from Ra’anana. The new artistic animal inspired labels (various birds, deer and a tiger on the Cab) for all of the Saslove wines also mean the wines aren’t just delicious wines but also quite presentable as gifts.
14) 2010 Binyamina Carignan Reserve
Carignan is coming into its own as a premium grape when harvested from old vine vineyards and this is one of the better examples. Carmel and Recanati also make kosher examples harvested from old vines.
15) 2010 “1848” Cabernet Franc 5th Generation
From one of Israel’s oldest wine families, the Shor family, comes another good example of Cabernet Franc. Each vintage, their wines seem to get better.
16) 2006 Shiloh Mosaic
The top tier red blend from one of Israel’s most prolific award winning boutique winery now being imported into the United States by Royal Wines (as well as Tulip and Flam).
17) 2010 Yaffo Cabernet Sauvignon
A sentimental favorite since its the wine I had with great cheeses on my last birthday but sentiment aside its a Cab worth trying to entice you to try their other wines.
18) 2010 Domaine Ventura Cabernet Franc
Yes, Yes I’m a big fan of Israeli Cab Francs. Here’s another example why.
19) 2010 Galil Mountain Barbera
Barbera seems to do best (or is only planted in mass) in the Galilee and this is a good example of its potential for a fruity yet racy food friendly red.
20) 2010 Dalton Alma Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier
One of the better examples of how Israeli wineries aren’t only good at making their own versions of Bordeaux style blends but southern Rhone inspired blends as well. To compare they also have a Bordeaux inspired Alma blend to try as well.
I apologize to the wineries I didn’t mention including the Adir ,Gvaot and Gat Shomron who had maybe had too many good wines for me to include (so please stop by their booths too) but for the sake of brevity i had to cut off my suggestions somewhere and I hope to write articles on each of these three wineries sooner rather than later.
David Rhodes can be reached with questions and comments at [email protected] or at 052-702-WINE (9463) in Israel.
