Even in a smaller wine region such as Israel there are certain wines that have become iconic: Castel’s Gran Vin, Yarden’s Katzrin, Margalit’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve or Yatir’s Forest are a few good examples. These are wines that most experts and those who tasted them agree are some of the best the country can produce. The general consensus and their legendary status didn’t happen over night but as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said “the tree is in the acorn”. To the keen observer, one can gauge the potential of something special in its early stages and I’m going on the record that the 2008 Flam Noble I tasted could be the first vintage of the next iconic wine from Israel. Time will only tell whether I’m right and how keen of a sooth sayer I might be.
As a van full of invited wine writers walked up into the backyard garden of the 200 year old villa turned into one of Israel’s most expensive boutique luxury hotels, the Alegra in Jerusalem, we were greeted with a properly chilled crisply tart glass of 2011 Flam Blanc, the winery’s only white wine made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. This blend of two popular grapes better known as single varietals from other wineries play off of each other nicely. Ceviche featuring diced white fish with fresh pomegranate was well paired and a refreshing match way to awake our senses after a mid day ride from Tel Aviv.
As pleasing as a well crafted tart white wine can be on a reasonably warm afternoon, that’s not the wine we came to taste or the star of the show. We sat downstairs at Alegra’s huge chef’s table in the hotel’s wide open kitchen that seats about 20 for a tasting of the 2008 Flam Noble. This wine, in contrast to their untraditional white blend Blanc, is a traditional red Bordeaux blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot. Although Flam does grow the other two Bordeaux red varietals, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, winemaker Golan doesn’t currently see the benefit of adding them to any upcoming Noble blends at the winery or as single varietals but intends to bolster other single varietals or their Classico blend.
As a special treat we got to compare the 2008 to their more recently bottled 2009 Noble and they were distinctly different although I could easily smell and taste how each might attract an equal share of devotees depending on any aspiring connoisseurs’ preferences. After tasting both on their own with an introductory talk by Golan and Gilad Flam we climbed the stairs to what must be one of the most panoramic views within Israel.
Once again a long table was set out by our hosts for an amazing lunch prepared to be paired to the three wines we tasted earlier and once again we were poured ample amounts for tasting and even enough for savoring. Few if any present resisted more of these fabulous examples of just how good Israeli wines are getting from the right winemaker empowered by well cultivated and situated vineyards in the Galilee and in the Judean Hills. I question why a few wine writers who left early? What could have been better for a wine geek than to get even just one more sip of these wines.
A simply stuffed savory ravioli paired well with the aforementioned Blanc and was a subtle set up to the main event: an ample cut of Filet Mignon cooked in a reduction sauce of Flam Noble from a still aging barrel paired with our second helping of the 2008 and/ or 2009 Noble. Its fairly rare you get a chef or a winery willing to use their 230 NIS (about $60 )bottle of wine as a source of a reduction sauce but it delivered and if you never tried cooking with a wine you’re drinking for dinner this experience would have converted you to the technique even with a wine 1/2, 1/4 or 1/10th the price.
So what went into this special wine to make it so good. Flam is already considered by many to be one of the top ten wineries in Israel so that were capable of an iconic wine won’t a surprise to many. Yet for this wine, winemaker Golan Flam took grapes culled from the best rows of their best vines from three different vineyards. Low yields helped concentrate the complex and expressive flavors and aromas of each grape so that red and black fruits play off each other with cassis, plum, blackberries caressing one’s palette delicately but definitively in balance with the fine grained French oak barrels used for aging 12 to 15 months in the estimated seventeen different barrels that contributed to a modest 5,000 bottles that will surely sell out quickly after release.
Golan doesn’t have any plans in the near future for adding more wine to their now seven wines in Flam’s line-up. He thinks that might even be one wine too many for a winery of their size hovering about 100,000 bottles a year. But like a proud parent, he doesn’t know which wine he would part with and has an affection for all of them as they fit together to offer a wide and differing array to pair with different meals, seasons or even moods, Current releases now include their 2011 Rosé and Blanc each selling for about 79 NIS (or about $20), their entry level 2010 Classico red blend for 85 NIS ( a very popular red wine by the glass at better restaurants in Tel Aviv), their 2008 Syrah, Merlot or Cabernet Reserve which sell for 120 NIS, 140 NIS and 165 NIS respectfully and now their flagship 2008 Flam Noble at 230 NIS. The winery’s wines became kosher as of 2010 vintages and beyond (without any noticeable affect on the wine) as all that changed was who was handling what at the winery rather any way grapes were grown or techniques applied in the winemaking.
The 2008 and 2009 Flam Noble won’t be exported as much as their 2010 vintage and beyond as there’s a far greater demand for Israeli kosher wines than non-kosher wines. But kosher consumers in the US shouldn’t worry that it will be another 2 years before Flam will be sending the 2010 vintage to the US since the winery will be sending it in time for Passover 2013. However, they are sending it in larger quantities for at least that first kosher vintage and Israelis will enjoy an ironically larger supply of their last non-kosher vintages. Either way, with only 5,000 bottles they will be in rare supply and high demand so any purchases now will surely save you money later when it quickly sells out and its reputation inflates prices. I’ll prize my one bottle given to me as a preview but will be eager to see if others agree with me as I may have just planted a seed but it will take others to make the legend grow.
