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Ella Valley Winery Visit and Wine Tasting

December 22, 2009 by winemusings

Ella Valley SignOn a lovely Friday in August 2009, a friend and I were weaving through route 395 as it winds through the lush Judean Hills, and then descends into the valley of Route 38, which junctions into Route 375.  After driving Route 375 for a few miles, we find the turn off for Netiv HaLamed-Heh, where the Ella Valley Winery is situated.  This was our third trip to the winery.  Our previous visit was very generously hosted by Udi Kaplan.  The winery was founded in 1996 when the Adert Vineyard was first planted.  Soon after, in 2001, the winery was constructed using state of the art wine making technology, that would allow Ella Valley to compete with the world’s best wineries.  The winery was built from the bottom up with a desire to craft the world’s best wines, while keeping to a strict adherence of the kosher certification requirements.  The winery started production with the 2002 vintage, when they produced some 100,000+ bottles of wine, to high praise and acclaim.  Since then, they have succeeded with their vision and are continuing to produce more than 200,000 bottles of top quality wines, even for their non reserve lines (named Vineyard Choice).

Ella Valley Steel VatsThe winery is managed by Uri Kaplan, who runs the day-to-day operations of the winery, while the wine making duties are left to the capable hands of French trained Doron Rav Hon.  Doron has been part of the winery since its inception, and his handiwork is all over the wine itself.  The wine’s signature flavors are clear with every sip.  There is no overripe fruit, clobbering oak, or under ripe green characteristics, that dominate many of the wines in Israel and the world alike now a days.  Instead, Doron’s wines are all well balanced wines that do take advantage of the sun and valley’s cool nights.  He uses French oak predominately, which allows for a more subtle wine expression, and thereby giving the grapes a chance to show their true quality, without screaming it from the rooftop.  When talking with critics and wine experts alike about Ella Valley, the word that comes up is consistency and elegance.  The reds and whites alike are consistently elegant, while keeping to winery’s credo – of traditional elegance with a twist modernization.

So when we drove up to the winery, we were not surprised to find that very credo staring us in the face.  The winery’s lovely traditional structure and facade, was quietly wrapping its modern inner workings.  We were super honored to meet with Doron himself, and he was kind to show us around the winery before, sitting down to a superb wine tasting.  The conversation was varied and fascinating; from discussions around kashrut to Doron’s wine making philosophy.  The wine tasting was equally varied from an Unoaked Chardonnay all the way to a blockbuster Merlot and everything else in between.  If you had to point to a single varietal that defines Ella Valley – it would have to be Merlot.  From 2002 and on, Ella Valley’s Merlot(s) have been the top scoring and most sinewy yet refined wines in their portfolio.  Nothing about our wine tasting changed that perspective, except for the fact that they continue to show exactness and gentle prodding on all of the wines in their fine portfolio.

Ella Valley Tasting TableMost of the conversation, when not on kashrut (one of my current hot buttons) revolved around wineries and viticulture.  Ella Valley has a long history of scientific precision when it comes to their vineyards.  They planted them with exacting precision (using Napa Valley technology), and continue to tend to them with the same exacting tenacity.  I am always fascinated by how Israel with such a varied climate, can be considered a Mediterranean climate, and one that should be mimicking the viticultural likeness of Spain or Italy.  Some wineries in Israel are producing overripe wines and some are producing green styled wines.  Though some of these wineries may have their own vineyards, I do not think that they have the precision, exactness, and knowledge that Ella Valley and the king – Yarden Winery have.   Ella Valley has the great fortune to not only closely control their vineyard, but they are also close enough the vineyard, such that they can control how and when the harvest is carried out.  Looking at the track record of Ella Valley, one is almost sure that they will soon be knocking on Spain’s and Italy’s door, to claim their stake as one of the top wine producers in the Mediterranean countries.

I want to thank Doron, Uri, and the rest of the Ella Valley vineyard for taking the time to meet with us and entertain us with their wines and time.  The wine notes follow below in the order they were drunk:

2007 Ella Valley Unoaked Chardonnay – Score: B+
The nose on this straw colored wine is filled with lychee, grapefruit, lemon, and vegetal notes.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine is filled with bright and ripe grapefruit and lychee.  The mid palate is packed with bright acidity.  The finish is long and tart with ripe citrus fruit and mineral notes.

2007 Ella Valley Chardonnay – Score: A-
This was really fun to taste in parallel with the unoaked Chardonnay.  The effect of the oak comes through clearly and with great effect!  The nose on this light golden colored wine is alive with toasty and rich oak, peach, honeydew, and crème brûlée.  The mouth on this full bodied wine is rich and mouth coating while not being an oak bomb.  The mouth is rich with ripe peach and honeydew flavors.  The mid palate is balanced with enough acidity, oak, and crème.  The finish is long with spice, rich fruit, and oak.  Quite a nice wine and what a difference some oak can do!  To be clear though, the grapes used in the unoaked chardonnay are not exactly the same used in this wine, as this wine has grapes from a newer vineyard.

2007 Ella Valley Cabernet Franc – Score: A-
The nose on this purple colored wine starts with classical vegetal notes, raspberry, blackberry, sweet oak, and tobacco.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine has caressing tannins and rich oak that almost coat the mouth, along with blackberry and raspberry.  The mid palate is balanced and gives way to a long and generous finish of blackberry, raspberry, licorice, and tobacco.  Quite a nice Cabernet Franc and yet more proof that Cabernet Franc may yet be Israel’s signature wine.

2005 Ella Valley Merlot (35% – 40% new oak, 16 months in barrel) – Score: A
This wine is not part of the VC (Vineyard Choice or Reserve) line, but once again showing that Merlot from Ella Valley is never a bad choice.  The nose on this black colored wine is popping with rich loam, spice, a hint of green pepper, blackberry, raspberry, and oak.  The mouth on this muscular full bodied wine is open with caressing tannins, blackberry, cranberry, and rich oak.  The mid palate carries the oak and adds a bit of chocolate.  The finish is long and generous, with blackberry, spice, and a hint chocolate.  This is a powerful and thick shouldered wine that makes use of its oak, while showing its fruit qualities, and one that can be enjoyed with almost any dish.

2005 Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Choice (10% Merlot) – Score: A-
The nose on this purple to black colored wine is super rich and odoriferous with ripe blackberry, cassis, green pepper, sweet oak, and toasty wood.  The mouth on this full bodied wine is ripe, but not overripe, with blackberry, cassis, and a bit of green flavors.  The mid palate is balanced with acid, oak, integrating tannins, and chocolate.  The finish is long, with chocolate, cassis, and nice ripe fruit.  This wine is reminiscent of a California Cabernet Sauvignon, but more refined.

2004 Ella Valley Merlot Vineyard Choice (15% Cabernet Sauvignon) – Score: A
The nose on this purple to black colored wine is ripe with blackberry, raspberry, vegetal aromas, and sweet oak.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine has lovely mouth caressing from integrated tannins, along with blackberry, and cassis. The mid palate is balanced with nice tannins and oak.  The finish is long with red and black fruit, slight vegetal flavors, and a pull of rich tobacco.

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A nice Celler de Capcanes Peraj Petita and a not so great Pasta Sauce

December 14, 2009 by winemusings

I have been trying to make meatballs with less meat and more vegetables, and finally with a binder that is gluten-free.  I started to research the subject on the web, and I found that you could use well sautéed  onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini as a binder.  So I thought this was great, until I tried it and well, let’s say that it was nothing short of a disaster.  I believe I added too many vegetables, and used ground turkey (which is softer and less dense than ground cow meat).  So, we threw it all together and tried to make a meat sauce, and well that did not work for me – but heck I tried.  I am not giving up on my dream of building the perfect vegetable and meat ball with a low-calorie gluten-free binder.

We made some nice fettuccine and a nice fresh green salad to go along with the ill-fated pasta sauce.  We pulled a bottle of  2006 Celler de Capcanes Peraj Petita to pair with the dinner.  The wine does not come close to its bigger brother, but nice all the same.  The quest for knowledge does not stop on failure, but still, I am bummed out.  More trails will be coming, but until then, eat we must.

The wine note follows below:

2006 Celler de Capcanes Monstant Peraj Petita – Score: B+
The nose on this ruby towards garnet colored wine pops with cassis, plum, sweet rich notes, raspberry, an almost enveloping nose, with a bit of pepper. The mouth on this medium bodied wine has plum, cassis, and raspberry, with an almost mouth coating consistency, and integrating tannins. The mid palate is balanced with core acidity, a hint of oak, and mouth coating tannins. The finish is long with bright red fruit, vanilla, and a hint of leather.


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Two fun Rothschild wines and a great dinner out

December 8, 2009 by winemusings

This past week saw us invited to our friend’s house and the first week where I could taste wine!  Yes, I could not taste wine for three weeks – AHH!!!  Crazy stuff.  But, I picked up a wicked cold and needed some heavy-duty anti-biotic to rid myself of a nasty sinus infection.  Anyway, I am back and I really enjoyed the wines we tasted this past week.

Our friends invited us to their house and as usual the food was awesome!  The dinner started with Moroccan fish that was paired nicely with a fresh green salad, a winter green salad, and humus.  Dinner was some awesome roasted chicken and potatoes, gonde and beans, Chicken/prune/Quince stew (Khoresh-E Morgh-O Alu).  The food was clearly Persian and was absolutely fantastic.

We brought a bottle of Haut Medoc and our hosts had one as well.  It was fun to compare them for a couple of reasons.  The host opened the two bottles at the same time, but they did not air out at the same time because they were different vintages, different varietals, and because the second wine was not poured till later in the evening.  Wine will air out faster when the bottle is emptied just a bit, so that the wine level reaches below the bottle’s shoulder.  This creates the largest possible surface area for wine within a bottle.

The wine paired quite nicely with the main course.  The wine notes follow below.  Many thanks to my friends for a lovely dinner and wonderful company.

2003 Barons Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild, Haut-Medoc – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine is popping with blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, and oak. The mouth on this, 60% Cabernet / 40% Merlot, full bodied wine is plush with fat tannins that mellow over time along with raspberry, blackberry, and oak. The mid palate starts off very acidic but calms down quickly and melds with oak and integrating tannins. The finish is long with more tannins, spicy oak, acidity, and a touch of leather.

2002 Chateau Malmaison Baronne Nadine de Rothschild, Moulis-en-Medoc Cru – Score: B+
The nose on this ruby colored wine is heavy with cherry, plum, oak, and minerals.  The mouth starts off over tannic, but it smooths out over time, to an almost mouth coating consistency.  It is followed by rich plum and cherry flavors.  The mid palate starts off very acidic, almost astringent,  but the acidity clams down, into a rich and balanced mid palate.  The finish is long with more red fruit, spicy notes, and slight mineral/earthy finish.

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Tzuba Winery Visit and Wine Tasting

November 22, 2009 by winemusings

Ancient Wine Press at Tzuba WineryOn Friday in early August, my friend and I, drove around the winding roads of Route 3965 (Sderot Hahotsvim) up from Highway 1, past the Sataf junction, and on and up Route 395 to Kibbutz Tzuba.  At the entrance of the kibbutz, drive past the gate and take the second left and follow the sign to Yekev Tzuba.  The winery’s rectangular and unassuming building lies to the back of the kibbutz overlooking a bluff and an ancient wine press from the first millennium.  As you drive up to the building you can see the vineyards to the right and Tzora Winery’s vineyard to the north.

We met Paul Dobb – the head winemaker, at around 8AM in the morning, and we moved upstairs to the understated but quite lovely tasting room that overlooks the ancient wine press.  Paul said, he has plans to spruce up the winery with a deck and a tasting bar, which sounds nice, but I found the current setup quite enjoyable.  The winery is growing since we last visited them, and they are releasing new single varietals.  The first new varietal is the 2007 Pinot Noir.  A lovely French Burgundy look-alike with Israeli attitude.  Besides the new Pinot Noir, Tzuba is shipping some of their wines to the USA through Royal Wines (the largest importer of kosher wines).  Tzuba has sold all of last year’s wines except for their top of the line Metzuda series, which they are in no real rush to sell to distributors, because it is a wine that is just coming into its own, and has more life left in it.  So, the 2005 vintage of the Metzuda blend can be found both locally in the US and in Israel, while the rest of the lineup, which is long and impressive are only available locally in Israel.

Tzuba Winery Barrel RoomThe lineup, which is visible at their website, is quite impressive, with a nice variety of both red and white wines.  When we were last there we had a chance to taste a few of the white wines.  This time around, the white wines were from shmitta (2008 vintage), and so we did not partake of them.  The vines that Paul helped to plant in 1996 are growing well, and the varietals are now starting to show quite nicely.  The Sangiovese is starting to come around, the Pinot Noir is now solid enough to stand on its own and not be plowed into the Red Belmont (their table wine).  Their noble varieties have been solid since day one, Cabernet, Merlot, and Shiraz.  I am really looking forward to the day when they start selling Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  Till then we will be more than satisfied with the current crop of red options.  The white wines are a different story.  Beyond the Chardonnay (both late and normal harvest), none of the whites are standing on their own.  The winery plants many white varieties, but none of have yet to be sold on their own – Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are blended into the White Belmont.  Viognier is lurking, but not yet bottled into anything.  Though we did not taste the Chardonnay this time, the last time we tasted the 2006 vintage, it was quite lovely.  We tasted the 2007 White Belmont at the Jerusalem Wine Festival, and were equally impressed by its tart yet ripe flavors.  Either way, both the red and white wines from Tzuba will keep many a wine connoisseur quite happy.

HPIM2140When talking with Paul while tasting some wonderful wines, he explained to us that the winery’s mantra is about creating value based world class wines.  To that point the wines are priced reasonably within Israel, while in the US, the prices are a bit higher, but that is more about the importer than Tzuba.  Currently, Tzuba is producing 40,000 to 50,000 bottles a year, and they are planting new vineyards to allow them to grow the winery.  On an aside, Kibbutz Tzuba, will be ripping up their fruit trees and replacing them with grape vines, according to the Jerusalem Post.  This is not because of the increased interest in grapes and wine, but rather because of the increased concern over water shortages within Israel.  As the article states, grape vines need a tenth or less of the water required for fruit trees, and since grapes can fetch at least as much on the open market, they will be replacing their fruit trees with grape vines.  I just thought that would be interesting to report.  On the way out of our wine tasting, I took some pictures of the current vines (in the distance), and the fruit trees right next to them.

I want thank Paul and the Tzuba Winery for taking the time to meet with us and to show us how far the winery has come and a wonderful glimpse into its flourishing future.  The wines notes follow below in the order they were tasted:

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Pinot Noir – Score: A-
The nose on this garnet colored wine is reminiscent of a terroir based Burgundy.  The nose is hopping with rich minerals, cherry, strawberry, and a bit of sweetness like Cherry Herring.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine is rich with loamy soil, strawberry, and cherry.  The mid palate is acidic in nature, with more loamy soil, and a touch of coffee.  The finish is long with bright red fruit and spice.  Quite a nice Pinot Noir and one that I hope is exported to the US.

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine has cherry, cranberry, raspberry, spice, and oak.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine has cranberry and plum that lead into a mid palate of oak, balancing acid, and nice integrating tannins.  The finish is long with tannins that coat the mouth and linger long on the palate, along with more spice.

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Shiraz – Score: A-
The nose on this purple colored wine is redolent with pepper, tar, cassis, blackberry, and oak.  The mouth on this full bodied wine follows the nose with blackberry and cassis.  The mid palate has tar, tannins, and tobacco.  The finish is long with elegant tannins, tobacco, and black fruit.  Quite a nice Shiraz that is sure to impress.

2006 Tzuba Hametzuda (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec) - Score: A-
The nose on this black colored wine is deep and brooding with blackberry, oak, and flinty loam.  The mouth on this full bodied wine is deep, brooding, complex, and mouth coating with inky blackberry, cassis, and chocolate.  The mid palate is balanced with oak and tannin.  The finish is long and spicy, with acid, tannin, tobacco, and pepper.  This can be drunk now, but one that will be best enjoyed in a year or so.

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A few mevushal wines, a wedding, a sheva brachot, and a down shabbos

November 15, 2009 by winemusings

Wow what a few weeks.  First we attended a lovely wedding our dear friends of ours.  The wedding was stunning as was the couple and family.  The next week we had a sheva brachot in their honor at our synagogue.  It was a kick cooking for it.  I must say that such things do not occur without crazy amounts of preparation and team work.  Thank goodness I had four families helping me cook for the 40 plus people who attended the Friday evening affair.  The meal was the classical couscous meal we have made tons of time in our home.  It was not only a lovely presentation, with great flavor and texture, but it is also a very economical meal for so many people.  The meal and Sheva Brachot went great (if I say so myself), and this week was nothing less than a complete and total shutdown.  The bug got me (no swine need apply), so it was left over grape juice and a touch of left over wine.

I was lucky to have tasted a few wines these past few weeks and they were all of the mevushal variety.  In the past I have highlighted Mevushal wines that exceeded my expectations, but most are just not so great.  That said, this batch was not so bad, but I could not write down notes, being at a wedding and shabbos and all.  So, you will all have to live with my overall thoughts and overall score, but unfortunately without the usual info I pass along.

Best wishes to all and a germ/bug free winter for everyone :-)

The wine “notes” follow below:

2007 Baron Herzog Sauvignon Blanc – Score: B
This is a wine that I would avoid unless otherwise required.  It is far too astringent, though it does have a nice bit of peach, green apple, and such.  An OK wine, but the deficiencies are too much.

2005 Teal Lake Shiraz/Cabernet (65% Shiraz, 35% Cabernet) – Score: B – B+
This is a nice ruby colored wine that is oaky, rich plum, pepper, and lovely raspberry flavors.  The wine could use some air and time.  Nice with no obvious deficiencies.

2004 Hagafen Merlot – Score: A-
This wine is popping with oak, pepper, chocolate, tobacco, and raspberry.  This is a really nice wine that needs about a four hours of air.  After that, the wine becomes crazy good, rich and full in the mouth with chocolate and tobacco, rich oak, and soft tannins.

2004 Weinstock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Score A-
What a nice wine as well.  Deep flavors of blackberry, cassis, pepper, oak, and tobacco.  The wine needs air as well, and smooths out into an almost silky smooth presentation that most will find quite enjoyable.

2007 Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: B
This was an OK wine that could find itself but not one that I have huge hopes for.  The wine is black in nature, but so heavily fined down that I cannot see how it can move up.  The wine is simple and accessible and works for certain affairs.

2005 Teal Lake Shiraz - Score: B+
This wine is fun and plays with you.  It starts a bit tart and closed with pepper, raspberry, plum, and oak.  The wine opens with time and becomes silky smooth while playful with its lightly biting tannins and acidity.  The pepper and fruit come through as well.  Not a bad Mevushal wine.

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2006 Borgo Reale Chianti Riserva, a lovely parve Spaghetti Bolognese (san fromage), and the Brunello di Montalcino story

November 15, 2009 by winemusings

Two weeks ago saw us laying low and the weather was turning cold and wet.  It was also the night before Halloween (Hallows Eve’s).  We love when the kids come around the house and we get the chance to hand out candy.  This week after shabbos was over, we handed out Halloween pencils and it was a ton of fun.  It was even more enjoyable because last year was a train wreck.  You see Halloween fell on Friday Night last year, and since we cannot hand out food or anything else on shabbos, we were not able to share stuff with the families that came by.  So given the situation, we went with Spaghetti Bolognese (san fromage), which we have had a few times in the past.  A quick aside, we almost exactly copied the past attempt, without even trying – which is cool!  Anyway, to pair with this dinner, I chose a bottle of wine that I have been looking forward to trying, because I love Chianti and it is Mevushal, and further, it is a Chianti Riserva.  You see Italy defines its regions and regulations through an older and somewhat maligned group called the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and the more reputable Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG).  The DOCG was created after many in Italy’s food industry started to raise serious concerns over the DOC’s “loosey-goosey” denomination that it seemed to give to anything that was not moving.

In many ways this is all quite ironic and sad, because the very accusations that were levied on the DOC are now bearing down on the DOCG, like a freight train down the Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Incline Railway (sorry I got caught up with Tennessee – watching the CMAs).  For the better part of three years the DOCG’s reputation has been under fire because of an allegation against some of the top red wine producers in all of Italy, the famed wines of Brunello di Montalcino.  These wines were given the coveted DOCG recognition in 1980, and quickly became one of the best red wines in all of Italy.  But in September 2007, the wine world was shell shocked by acquisitions that one or more percent of the Brunello wineries and some major ones as well, were substituting grape varietals for the requisite Brunello Sangiovese grape!  The very same accusations that were leveled on the DOC were being brought down on the DOCG in late 2007.  But the story only gets better!  A month or so after the accusations were leveled, the consortium of Brunello producers voted to keep Brunello 100% Sangiovese.  To put perspective on this, say U.S. orange juice producers (who placed a label of 100% orange juice on their containers) were to be accused of not using oranges for their juice, and so the USDA started pulling the orange juice containers from the store shelves.  So what contrived answer would they come up with?  Why that is obvious of course, we will just change what 100% orange juice means!  AHH!!!  Are you kidding me!  What a joke!  Well, thankfully, they all voted to keep things status quo, but to me, just the vote alone shows the corruption and ineptitude that riddles the DOCG and the DOC.  Well, if you thought that is where it ended, just you wait!  Man we need to make a movie out of this stuff!  If there were not enough bureaucracies (DOC, DOCG, Siena public prosecutor, etc.), involved in this mess, the USA had to way in!  Yep – we always need to stick our noses where it does not belong.  Under the guise of consumer protection the TTB has demanded that all Brunello bottles have a label reassuring consumers that the Brunello bottles sold here in the USA are 100% Sangiovese.  Well, after two plus years of investigating, the Italian authorities have come back, and have stated that they have magically closed the case.  So, you would think it would be riddled with accusations, charges, fines, etc. – NOPE!  No real data at all.  So in a game of chicken, the TTB has come out saying that they will not play these games, and require a real answer and continued labeling until they have more answers, and as of this pointing it is still the case.  Even if the consumer is not the real story, we have to be happy to see the TTB strut their stuff, and try to get to the bottom of this mess.

So where does all this leave us?  I saw a wonderful posting by Tom Maresca, and it does have its points.  Still, I have serious issues with what lies below the surface.  We as a nation and a country are slowly becoming more and more desensitized to wrong doers.  We are also willing to let things go when they are actually not such a light subject.  You see, the real issue here my friends is that if the DOCG and the Brunello producers were serious about their jobs, and prideful about their history and artistry, they should either fess up to what they really are (or are not) or just admit that they are not doing their job.  The DOCG should maybe rethink their name FDOCG (Forse Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) or DOCG?  Come on, The DOCG cannot guarantee anything it is not scientifically or conceptually enforceable.  It is the classic story of trying to sell yourself as more than you are.  The DOCG should not be selling themselves as more than what they are – an organization that defines the rules, but not one that can or should be attempting to enforce them.  If there is a closing line to this whole thing – I would go with a small Brunello producer, who under a veil of anonymity, spoke with Jeremy Parzen, and came up with an awesome line and story.

As a small producer, we have been treated like we had nothing to say. We felt absolutely NOT represented by the Consortium, neither protected. DOCG means that our Appellation of Origin is Controlled and Guaranteed. This was the only supposed role of the Consortium. None of these things was provided by them: obviously NOT the controls, NOT the guarantee and, sometimes, NOT even the origin. So I am asking myself what is the reason of the Consortium to be. Right now, the Consortium is just a cost for a small producer, and it’s giving no advantages at all. Many people will soon leave, I am sure.

I could not have said it better myself!  I hope I have brought a different angle to this madness and I hope you have enjoyed it.  The wine notes for the Chianti follows below:

2006 Borgo Reale Chianti Riserva – Score: B – B+
The nose on this dark ruby to garnet colored wine is initially hot but blows off soon, rich cherry, raspberry, roasted herbs, and heavy vanilla. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is soft and mouth filling without it being mouth coating, the tannins are integrated nicely, and give the wine a slight lift, along with cherry, raspberry, and plum. The mid palate is brightly acidic, along with coffee and vanilla. The finish is medium long with bright red fruit that lingers long on the palate after the wine is gone. The wine need to be drunk ASAP, it is throwing sediment, and does not last long after the bottle is opened. I opened the bottle Friday night and by Saturday day it was astringent and most of the fruit is gone.

Posted in Food and drink, Kosher Red Wine, Wine | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Three great wines from Spain, Israel, and the U.S.A. (and a dud) along with some great food

November 11, 2009 by winemusings

Three weeks ago saw us hosting a meal with a bride and groom to be, family, the bride’s parents, and Benyamin Cantz as usual.  To us they are all family and we were so honored to have them over a week before the wedding day.  In honor of this wonderful occasion, we cracked open some wonderful wines and Benyamin brought a pair of wonderful wines, one that we have had before, and one that is still under wraps.  We did have one dud that shocked me greatly given Daniel’s rating of it, but so it goes.  For this dinner we started with lovely roasted squash bisque.  Yeah, I said bisque – simply because most of the famous roasted squash soups calls for a ton of cream or soup stock and they render the soup into essentially a thin and boring presentation of such a lovely vegetable.  So we decided that this was not going to work.  Instead we went with a hybrid.  We roasted two sliced squash for 1 and a half hour.  While that was going on, we browned quite nicely a pair of diced/sliced onions while the roasting was going on.  Once that was done, we threw the lightly blackened squash into our large soup pot, and threw in a bottle of white wine.  We then puréed the pot until it was a bit mushy, but not creamy or thinner.   Instead it was thick bisque.  On top of that we threw in, what we thought was, a bit too much orange zest (which worked out in the end), thyme, and nutmeg.  Yes, this soup does match well with the season, but that was not the inclination for making the soup.  Rather, there was a cold spell coming through the area, and we wanted to have a thick and warm soup to start off the meal.

Roasted Squash Soup
2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed into large chunks
Olive Oil Spray
Garlic, Nutmeg
3 onions
Bottle of white wine
Vegetable Stock – if more liquid is needed
Grated Ginger
Orange Zest
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cooked chickpeas
Cayenne pepper (if you can handle it)

Peel and cube the squash and lay them in an oiled baking sheet.  Spray them with olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder and nutmeg over them.  Bake them at 400 degrees until slightly blackened.  While roasting the squash, we browned the pair of diced/sliced onions quite well.  Once that was done, we threw the lightly blackened squash into our large soup pot, and threw in a bottle of white wine.  We then puréed the pot until it was a bit mushy, but not creamy or thin.  Once the soup consistency starts to change, grate the ginger and orange zest, drop in cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.  Honestly, I rarely follow amounts.  I add till it tastes right.  Once the bisque is in motion and mixing well, we throw in the cooked chickpeas to add a cool twist of texture.  I personally love to add in cayenne pepper, but many do not.

After the soup we served meat lasagna, along with roasted green beans, spinach quiche, and fresh green salad.  The dinner worked well, and the wines paired wonderfully.  We had six bottles in total.  Benyamin brought three and we opened three as well.  Benyamin brought two experimental bottles that will remain undefined for now and one bottle of a 1999 Bustan Merlot.  I opened a 2001 Yarden Ortal Merlot, a 2001 Capcanes Peraj Ha’Abib, and a 2002 Capcanes Peraj Ha’Abib.  The Bustan was a massive dud, while the three that we opened up were fantastic – thank you :-) .

I do not have an official tasting note for the 1999 Bustan Merlot, but to say the least it was DOA (Dead On Arrival).  The wine, to be fair, was full in the mouth, but it had almost no fruit and no real complexity at all.  What it did have was a nice mouth and that was about it.  Really a shame.  The other three wine notes can be found below in the order they were drunk:

2002 Cellar de Capçanes Montsant Peraj Ha’abib Flor de Primavera – Score: A
This was either the clear winner or it came in tied with the 2001 Yarden Ortal Merlot. The nose on this crazy black colored wine was screaming with rich tobacco, sweet oak, super ripe plum, blackberry, cassis, and raspberry. The mouth on this full bodied wine has now soft tannins, sweet oak, blackberry, plum, and tobacco. The mid palate is smooth with balanced acidity, and soft mouth coating tannins. The finish is super long and extracted in a polished manner, with more acid, tobacco, black fruit, and licorice. What a wonderful wine, I have no more, but again very happy that I drank it at a nice point in its life curve.

2001 Cellar de Capçanes Montsant Peraj Ha’abib Flor de Primavera – Score: A-
The nose on this deep black colored wine is popping with blackberry, plum, cassis, sweet oak, licorice, and tobacco. The mouth on this full bodied wine is still clearly tannic in nature and far from integrated. The mouth is layered with sweet oak, blackberry and cassis. The mid palate is packed with not yet integrated tannins, bright acidity, and concentrated black fruit that comes at you in layers. Where the 2002 vintage has integrated tannins, this vintage has mouth puckering tannins. The finish is super long and concentrated with dark chocolate, tobacco, more black fruit, and acidity. Quite a nice wine as well, but still not quite there yet. I have scored this bottle a bit lower than our previous tasting, because of the tannins, but the rest is holding well, though I missed the mint this time around.

2001 Yarden Ortal Vineyard Merlot – Score: A
Thank God this wine is back! The last time we tasted this wine it was as close to a dud as this wine can be :-) . Now it is back, it is sleek and beautiful. The nose on this dark purple colored win is alive and talkative, with blackberry, ripe plum, licorice, and rich oak. The mouth on this full bodied wine is mouth coating and plush with layers upon layers of ripe plums, blackberry, and integrating mouth coating tannins. The mid palate is popping with balancing acid, chocolate, and roasted herbs. The finish is luxurious and long with more black fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and sweet oak. Thank goodness this wine is back. It was either a close second place finish to the 2002 Capcanes or it was tied. By score alone it was in second place, but thanks goodness man does not live upon score alone, but by the word, expression, and feelings that a wine leaves you with after it is long gone.


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Macarona Maknekesh, and 2006 Baron Herzog Zin Gris Lodi

October 18, 2009 by winemusings

This past Friday night saw us lying low after a long Holiday (Sukkot and Simchat Torah) and as such we made a nice and simple meal that hit the spot.  It is called Macarona Maknekesh – which is a Tunisian pasta recipe that hails from their earlier Italian roots.  The recipe is really quite simple.  It is essentially a macaroni/pasta and lentil concoction that is served hot.  It melds classic Italian styling with a nice dose of  Mediterranean flavors and textures.

1 oz of olive oil
2 diced onions
8 oz sliced mushrooms
salt
pepper
cumin
basil
1 lb of lentils
28 oz of tomato sauce
1 lb macaroni or pasta of your choice

Fry the diced onion in the olive oil until browned.  Throw in a bit of salt to help the onions release their liquid.  Then throw in the mushrooms and brown them as well, with a bit of salt as well.  Once browned, throw in the lentils and sauté them until all the liquid has been soaked in.  Cover with water and bring to boil.  Once the lentils are totally cooked (some 45 minutes), place the tomato sauce in the pot and let simmer until the flavors meld.  Once the sauce and lentils look right, throw in the pasta/macaroni and add water or wine if necessary.  It takes some tries to get the water content correct, but it is worth the effort.

I had hoped the wine would pair well with the dinner, but it was an unfortunate disappointment.  The wine felt unbalanced and almost muted, with the nose being the shining star of the wine.

The wine note follows below:

2006 Baron Herzog Zin Gris Lodi – Score: B
The nose on this bright rose colored wine is the best part of the wine. It starts with cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, floral notes, and bright acidity. The mouth on this light to medium bodied wine is soft with raspberry, strawberry, and tart unbalanced fruit. The mid palate has a bit of acidity and more tart fruit that do not help to balance the wine. The finish is medium long with tart fruit that lingers on the palate. There is also a bit of almost green tea on the finish that really throws the wine. Quite a shame, as the nose starts off so promising.

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A Few Nice Israeli Wines that compliment wonderful Shemini Atzeret Meals

October 18, 2009 by winemusings

A week ago saw us enjoying meals with friends and on our own.  The Jewish Holiday called Shemini Atzeret is the last part of Sukkot and the one that sometimes gets out of hand, when some mistaken souls confuse Shemini Atzeret with Purim (and think getting drunk is part of the deal).  However, since we did not put up a sukkah and most folks believe that one should eat in the sukkah (without a blessing) on Shemini Atzeret, we ate out for the first two meals.  On Saturday day we went to a friend’s home and were served a wonderful bounty of flavors and textures and some really fun wines.  We brought a bottle of 2003 Galil Winery Yiron, while another guest brought a bottle of 2007 Lambouri Ya’in Kafrisin.  later in the meal the host opened a bottle of 2006 Shiloh Cabernet Sauvignon.

Later that evening we laid low after a long Simchat Torah celebration, with a wonderful meal of meatballs, rice, and fresh green salad.  The recipe for the meatballs were the same we have had before, but this time we substituted a pound of ground turkey for one of the two pounds of ground meat.  The mixture was way off, as the ground turkey meat is soft and sticky, instead of firm like ground meat.  To make the mixture work we added in ground almonds bit by bit until it was he correct consistency.  The tomato sauce was the same and the meatballs came out soft yet firm to the fork.

The wine notes follow below:

2003 Galil Yiron – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine was hopping and screaming out of the bottle with chocolate, figs, ripe and plump blackberry, plum, and mounds of oak. The mouth on this full bodied, extra ripe, and mouth coating wine is filled with ripe plum and blackberry, rich chocolate, and sweet oak. The mid palate is balanced with acidity and soft tannins. The finish is super long with more rich fruit, chocolate, figs, and a hint of tobacco. Quite a nice wine, but would have been better a few months earlier. Clearly over the hill and on its way down – DRINK UP!!!  This is a change from the previous wine note we had on this wine.  This wine has become fatter and plumper and not as tight and concentrated.

2006 Tishbi Estate Pinot Noir – Score: B+
The nose on this ruby colored wine is hopping with strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and a bit of oak. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is almost mouth coating, but needs a few hours of air to show its best. The mouth is soft and lush with nice cherry and raspberry notes. The mid palate is balanced with nice acidity, soft tannins, and a hint of coffee. The finish is long with more bright fruit, light oak, and vanilla. Quite a nice balanced Pinot.  On an aside, Daniel Rogov did not give this a great score, but I wonder if it was a bad bottle, or if the wine has moved past that deficiency.  As usual Daniel tastes the wine a few times, so I can only guess that either the wines here in the US have gone through to another stage in their life, or we had a “good” bottle.  He noted that there was too much volatile acidity, but I did not see anything like that in the bottle I tasted.

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Yarden, Galil, and Delagrave Bordeaux Wines in the Sukkah

October 6, 2009 by winemusings

This past weekend saw us spending time in a Sukkah with our family in Florida.  Yep, pretty hot temperature, but the Sukkah is shaded and we hooked up a pair of fans (attached to a timer), so that the fans are blowing when we are in the Sukkah.  The fans are on opposite sides of the Sukkah, giving us a nice cross breeze.  Further, the Sukkah walls are made of crisscrossing wood slats that have hollow parts.  So the combination of cross breeze fans, open walls, and mesh roof, made the Sukkah a nice place to hunker down.

We did not cook or prepare any of the food for this family occasion, though I did help with the decorating and electrical aspects of the Sukkah.  Beyond that I bought the wines.  I went for a simple combination of whites and reds and I was quite happy with the outcome.  Still, the clear star of the holiday was the food that was magnificently prepared by my sister in-law and a few other family members.  They are always so kind and courteous, fantastic hosts, with a lovely family, and a kind soul.  So, before the holiday (which started on Friday Night), we made our way to Crown Wine & Spirits.  There used to be a wonderfully stocked kosher wine store, called – Corks Kosher Wine Emporium, but they are gone now — just another casualty of the economic times in which we live.  The selection of kosher wines was far smaller than it had been before, because of the business that was taken away by Corks.  So in the end, the economy handed a double whammy to the Boca Raton kosher wine scene, by putting Corks out of business and limiting the selection at the only other purveyor left.  There is a small selection of lower quality wines at the Kosher Market Place, whose owner owned Corks, but not the stuff I was looking for.  The selection may be also small at Crown, but they have a nice selection still of solid wines from Israel, France, and the USA.  A nice mixture of Yarden, Galil, Herzog Reserve, Herzog (plain but good for the basic meal), Herzog Selection from France, Hagafen wines, and a smattering of Alfasi wines as well.  Again, a nice mixture of quality wines at all price ranges, and the prices were very reasonable.  I walked out with six quality wines for less than hundred dollars, which is OK.  The prices were comparable with KosherWine.com, which I use as a barometer for pricing wines at local purveyors.

The meals were out of this world.  The first evening we were served Matzah Ball soup, perfect roast, salad, moist turkey, Capon, and gobs of salads and sides, pairing lovely with some of the 2007 Yarden Odem Vineyard Chardonnay, 2005 Yarden Pinot Noir, and a blue bottle of Bartenura Moscato.  The next day we were served gefilite fish, heavenly cholent, Turkey and gobs more of side dishes, paired nicely with a bit of leftover Yarden Pinot Noir, Yarden Odem Chardonnay, and some 2007 Galil Cabernet Sauvignon.  For Saturday night we had Matzah ball soup, an unbelievable assortment of chicken dishes, and turkey, along with many lovely sides, pairing nicely with the Galil Cabernet Sauvignon.  For the second day we were served gefilte fish, veal, turkey, gobs more of sides, and a killer Sushi salad (which mimics all the components of sushi in a nice salad).  To pair with all of those flavors we had a 2004 Delagrave White Bordeaux and an overkill of a 2003 Yarden Merlot.

I would like to extend my many thanks to tour lovely hosts and the rest of the family which made our stay so comfortable.  Best wishes and a happy and healthy year to all.  The wine notes are listed below in the order they were consumed:

2005 Yarden Pinot Noir – Score: A-
This is a wine that Daniel Rogov rates as one of Yarden’s best Pinot Noirs ever, and I was not disappointing as much as I had higher hopes for it.  The wine reminds me more of the N.V. Four Gates Pinot Noir, with a touch more tannins and attitude.  The nose on this dark ruby colored wine is popping with black cherry, raspberry, black plum, rich oak, and vanilla.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine (once it opens) is layered and rich with not yet integrating tannins, black plum, black cherry, and oak.  The mid palate is crisp and acidic with nice tannins and oak.  The finish is long with red fruit, vanilla, oak, and spice.

2007 Yarden Odem Vineyard Chardonnay – Score: A-
The nose on this dark straw with green hues wine is popping with kiwi, papaya, lemon, peach, rich oak, and violets.  The mouth on this rich and full bodied wine is almost mouth coating with fruit that follows the nose.  The mid palate is tight yet balanced with bright acidity, and salt water – which threw me off!  The finish is long and lovely with rich oak, tropical fruit, acidity, and a bit more salt water.

2007 Galil Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine has blackberry, raspberry, plum, and roasted herbs.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine is concentrated with blackberry, raspberry, and plum flavors.  The mid palate is acidic with nice integrated tannins.  The finish is medium long with more concentrated fruit and herbs.

2004 Herzog Selection Chateau Delagrave White (blend of Sauvignon Blanc and and Semillon) – Score: B-B+
The nose on this light straw colored wine is filled with lemon, green apples, light herbal notes, and floral notes.  The mouth on this light to medium bodied wine follows the nose with green apple, tropical fruit, and lemon.  The mid palate is crisp with nice tart fruit.  The finish is medium long with tart flavors that linger long after the wine is gone, along with green tea, and floral notes.

2003 Yarden Merlot – Score: A-
The nose on this dark garnet to black colored wine is popping and rich with blackberry, cherry, cranberry, green herbal notes, figs, and lovely sweet oak.  The mouth on this full bodied wine is rich, layered, and complex with blackberry, cranberry, and tannins that are still lightly aggressive.  The mouth is complex with layers of fruit, sweet oak, and figs.  The mid palate is acidic and balanced with integrated tannins.  The finish is long with rich ripe black fruit, nice tannins, sweet oak, figs, and vanilla.  The wine is rich and lovely and quite a treat and can easily pair with red meats, but is overkill for the basic food groups.

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