Purim came and went and with it we had the opportunity to taste many a wine. Some of the wines were mevushal and some were not. On the whole, the mevushal wines did the worst, but hey that is not an iron clad rule, as described on my blog of what is kosher wine.

Also a slight disclaimer, it was Purim after all, and I did drink these wines – so the notes many be a bit light or off, but I would not print it if I did not believe it.

Some of these were mine and some were wines that others brought. In the end, we tasted three Pinot Noir, and the other two could not even hold the Four Gate Pinot Noir’s jockstrap. Instead, the Eagle’s Landing and Barkan Classic just stood around and were not even finished – we are talking about purim! With many people coming over to our table for wine – none could finish those bottles.

The wine notes follow below:

2010 Barkan Pinor Noir – (mevushal) Score: N/A
This tasting was even worse than the previous one – sorry, this is not a wine I could possible serve to my guests. It has a basic nose, but the mouth tastes of stewed fruit – no hope to be enjoyed. Mevushal wine at times really does bite! Not a single person, drunk or even tipsy could like this wine. I started with it and it failed on all accounts.

2010 Eagle Landings Pinot Noir – (NOT mevushal) Score: B
The grapes from this wine hail from northern California, in the Santa Rita Hills. The wine is a special batch of wine that is produced by Herzog Winery for the sole benefit of its wine club and tasting room. The nose explodes with crazy black cherry, raspberry, coffee, lovely notes of rose petal, and citrus rind. As time passes the nose becomes aromatic an almost intoxicate aroma that grabs you, unfortunately that is where it ends. The mouth is medium bodied with bright fruit and powdery tannins from light oak influence. The finish is medium to long with spicy notes, red fruit, light citrus, and good cloves, vanilla, and cinnamon.

2009 Four Gates Pinot Noir – Score: A-
The wine is now had time to sit in the bottle and get used to, since the last time I tasted this wine. It does not start off with that crazy fruit anymore, of boysenberry and the such. Instead it starts off with a bang of blackberry, along with Four Gates Pinot trademarks of rich kirsch cherry and chicken cherry cola. The mouth on this medium to full-bodied wine is richer than the last few Four Gates Pinot Noir. It is round with mouth coating tannin, that is part of a layered attack of fruit, bramble, and crushed herb, along with rich extraction that is just now melding nicely with spicy oak. The finish is long ith ripe fruit from the nose, along with more tannin, extraction and mounds of black pepper that makes for a spicy and herbaceous finish. This was the clear winner of the three Pinot Noir that we tasted this evening.

2006 Hagafen Merlot – (mevushal) Score: B+
Once again this wine tasted watered down and without love – still it is OK. The notes are the same as before.

2005 Ella Valley Merlot (NOT VC) – Score: B+ to A-
To me this wine is in drink up mode. To be fair some liked this and some did not. It went up against some four gates merlot and I think did well, but other thought differently. The wine opens with blackberry, lots of chocolate covered cherry, along with good tobacco and green notes. The mouth has enough stuffing to keep your attention along with still mouth coating tannin and raspberry. The finish is long and lovely with cedar, tobacco, and vanilla. DRINK UP!!

2007 Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc – Score: B+ to A-
We tasted this one back in December of last year, and it is drink up time! The nose on this impenetrable black colored wine is screaming with tobacco, chocolate, rich sweet cedar, licorice, herbs, spice, plum, cassis, raspberry, and blackcurrant. The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine is rich and concentrated with lovely fruit, soft and mouth coating tannin,and cedar that are really coming together nicely. The finish is long and spicy with chocolate and vanilla. The wine is in drink now mode, it is throwing sediment, and ready to enjoy. Drink up!!!!

2008 Borgo Reale Primitivo Salento – (mevushal) Score: B to B+
The wine starts off with baskets of floral notes, backed by blackberry, plum, date, and chocolate covered cherry. The mouth has a medium body with good tannin, cooked fruit, and prune. The finish is long and spicy with lots of black pepper, cloves and vanilla from 8 months in wood.

2005 Four Gates Syrah – Score A-
The nose on this purple to black colored wine filled with blackcurrant, chocolate, black pepper, licorice, oak, black plum, blackberry, and thyme. The mouth of this full bodied and layered wine is filled with mouth coating tannins, black fruit, blueberry, bramble, and complexity to keep your attention. The finish is long and smoky, with good spice, allspice, vanilla, and oak. This is a wine that continues to impress and moves the needle on good California Syrah.

2007 Galil Mountain Winery Barbera – Score- B+ to A-
The nose on this wine explodes with black pepper, date, floral notes, blackberry, alcohol, ripe screaming plum, black cherry, and tobacco. The mouth starts with more sweet notes, sweet cedar, and lovely soft tannin that fills the mouth. The finish is long and spicy with nice extraction, spice, cedar, vanilla, light leather, and tobacco that linger long. Quite a nice wine to go with cholent, meat, and roasted chicken. It is versatile wine that has a very little life ahead of it, drink up and you will be rewarded.