I hope you all had a wonderful Gregorian Calendar New Year! This will be my last post for my blog’s Calendar year. As usual, my QPR posts are a hodgepodge of wines but thankfully we have some nice QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) wines.

For all those asking for my yearly Four Gates Winery post – that will have to wait till after my year-end posts. No worry, the sale will end in 14 minutes so get your wines, everyone!!

QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Wines

It has been three months since my last QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) post and many people have been emailing me about some unique wines I have tasted and some lovely wines that are worth writing about.

Thankfully, no matter how much garbage and pain I subject myself to, we are still blessed with quite a few wonderful QPR wines out there. This post includes some nice wines and some OK wines with the usual majority of uninteresting to bad wines.

The story of 2021 Israel whites and roses is very unfortunate, it started with a bang. Matar and a couple of others showed very well. Sadly, after that, every other white and rose wine from Israel was not as impressive. They all show middling work and product, very disappointing indeed. Since then, there have been more hits and misses, but overall the 2019 and 2021 vintages look good enough.

My thanks to Ari Cohen for helping me again with some of these wines! The 2007 Chateau Peyrat Fourthon La Demoiselle D’Haut Peyrat, 2013 Porto di Mola Aglianico Roccamonfina, Aglianico, and the 2021 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Mendoza were all thanks to him!

We have a nice list of QPR WINNERS:

1. 2021 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Mendoza – Fun, cheap, and enjoyable wine! Bravo!
2. 2013 Porto di Mola Aglianico Roccamonfina, Aglianico – Maybe this was the first kosher Aglianico ever!
3. 2007 Chateau Peyrat Fourthon La Demoiselle D’Haut Peyrat, – this has been popping up all over Paris – DRINK UP!
4. 2019 Chateau Royaumont, Lalande de Pomerol — A little too ripe for me but solid, BEWARE there is no 2020
5. 2019 Barons Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild – Another solid wine!
6. 2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, Red, Galilee – A lovely Rhone-style wine that shows finesse

There were also a few wines that are a slight step behind with a GREAT or GOOD QPR score:

1. 2021 Chateau de Cor Bugeaud, Blaye-Cotes de Bordeaux (M) – A nice 2021 wine that is mevushal
2. 2021 Barkan Chardonnay, Galilee (M) – A good Barkan Classic
3. 2019 Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc, Lone Oak Tree, Judean Hills – A solid Cab Franc, with balance and a bit of elegance
4. 2022 Rimapere Baron Edmond de Rothschild Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough – A sad shadow of the 21 vintage
5. 2021 Pescaja Solei’ Arneis, Terre Alfieri (M) – A nice wine but the acidity is lacking
6. 2019 Rocca di Frassinello Le Sughere di Frassinello, Maremma Toscana – Nice enough wine but lacking acidity
7. 2021 Bat Shlomo Sauvignon Blanc, Israel – Nice but expensive and simple SB
8. 2021 Dalton Sauvignon Blanc, Fume, Galilee – A nice enough SB
9. 2021 Eola Hills Wine Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon – A nice enough New-World Pinot
10. 2021 Rothschild Flechas de Los Andes Gran Malbec, Mendoza – A ripe mess but many will like it
11. 2019 Domaine du Castel Raziel, Judean Hills – A solid wine but too expensive

There are a few wines that got a QPR Score of EVEN – meaning expensive or average:

1. 2021 Vitkin Pinot Noir, Judean Hills – A simple Pinot Noir
2. 2020 Chateau Le Crock, Saint-Estephe (M) – One of those bad years for the Crock, such is life!
3. 2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, White, Galilee – It is here because of the price, nice wine but too expensive
4. 2021 1848 Winery Cabernet Franc, Judean Hills – A ripe wine that will make some happy
5. 2017 Capcanes La Flor Del Flor Samso, Montsant – A ripe but controlled wine that is too expensive
6. 2021 Chateau Le Petit Chaban, Bordeaux (M) – A simple enough but pleasant wine

The others are essentially either OK wines that are too expensive, duds, or total failures:

1. 2021 Cantina Cignozza il Generoso, Toscana – A poor wine that is also expensive
2. 2021 Raziel Rose, Judean Hills – A good enough rose that is crazy expensive
3. 2017 Villa Mangiacane Magnificus, Toscana – A Super Tuscan that is oaked and overripe
4. 2020 Domaine Du Castel Grand Vin, Judean Hills – An average wine that is far too expensive
5. 2019 Flam Noble, Israel – Another Israeli wine that is simple enough but crazy expensive
6. 2021 Tzora Shoresh, Blanc, Judean Hills – Another Israeli wine that is too expensive for its quality

Some things that made me stand up and take notice (AKA QPR WINNERS):

In this group, the best wine is the Chateau Royaumont, though this vintage is ripe, and will take a long time to calm down. There is no 2020 Chateau Royaumont, FYI.

The 2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, Red, is a lovely wine and one that will be here for a while.

The 2019 Barons Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild, Haut-Medoc is the mevushal version they sell here in the USA and is quite lovely, with great balance and enough complexity.

The 2021 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Mendoza is the TRUE WINNER to me, it is available in a few places here in the USA and it is lovely! Throw in the fact that it can be found for 12 dollars here in the USA and BRAVO!

The other two wines, 2013 Porto di Mola Aglianico Roccamonfina, Aglianico, and 2007 Chateau Peyrat Fourthon La Demoiselle D’Haut Peyrat, are in France, popping up here and there in shops, nice wines, drink NOW!

Other wines of note (AKA QPR GREAT or GOOD):

This group is not a group of wines I would buy and some are not even wines I would drink if given the chance. They are Ok wines but there are far better options out there. The two that did surprise me were the 2019 Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc, Lone Oak Tree, and the 2019 Domaine du Castel Raziel, Judean Hills, both were solid wines that I did not expect.

Wines that are either good but too expensive or average (AKA EVEN):

Three wines need a comment here. The 2017 Capcanes La Flor Del Flor Samso, Montsant, finally had a decent vintage, it is a nice wine but I would buy limited to none and drink it soon.
The 2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, White, Galilee is a lovely wine, nothing like the 2017 or 2018 vintages, but the price lands the wine here.
Sadly, the 2020 Chateau Le Crock, Saint-Estephe is just an average wine and that is why it is here.

The rest of the wines are not interesting to me and are on this list because of either quality or price.

Wines that are either OK but far too expensive or bad wines (AKA POOR/BAD):

This round this list is just duds and I will just leave you to peruse the names and scores down below.

Roundup

Overall another nice list of QPR WINNERS. I can always look at these kinds of lists and say there are only 6 wines I would want to buy from this entire list, but that would be a defeatist attitude. The correct way to classify this list is we have 6 more wines available to us and in the end, as I have stated many times now, I cannot buy all the WINNER wines even if I wanted to. There are just too many good wines out there and that is what we should be focused on!

The wine notes follow below – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

2019 Chateau Royaumont, Lalande de Pomerol – Score: 92.5 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 70% Merlot & 30 % Cabernet Franc. At the opening, the wine shows its femininity, with lovely floral notes, violet, and ripe fruit, shortly after it shows a far riper expression with an intense perfume of fruit, nice loam, dirt, green notes, eucalyptus, roasted mint, and minerality. This shows you that some wines can be fruity but you can see the reality of the makeup and understand its final place. This contrasts Israeli wines whose nose and mouth are so over the top that it never comes around. With even more time the wine does return to its feminine side with lovely floral notes, still, the ripeness is there and while it is controlled it does worry me, with plum, rich loam, smoke, earth, mint, eucalyptus, and lovely fruit. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe and balanced, yet also lovely and feminine with expressive floral notes, violet, plum, cherry, rich and dense mouthfeel, not extracted yet complex, somewhat layered, mouth-drying tannin, elegant, and complex, nice sweet oak, menthol, more mint, basil, and lovely smoke. The finish is long, dirty, earthy, smoky, and ripe, with more tannin, mineral, scraping graphite, green notes, violet, and leather. BRAVO! Still, the ripeness abounds and takes over the mouth and nose it is scary. Drink from 2024 until 2032. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, Red, Galilee – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, it starts a bit slow but with some air, the wine opens to show bright fruit, herbs, smoke, roasted meat, tar, blue and red fruit, and a lovely floral bouquet, jasmine, violet, bravo! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, and controlled, with lovely acidity, ripe boysenberry, juicy strawberry, raspberry, and rich saline, with lovely sweet oak, mouth-draping tannin, and nice minerality, nice! The finish is long, tart, ripe, balanced, and refreshing, with watermelon, root beer, floral notes, and coffee. Drink by 2028. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2019 Barons Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild, Haut-Medoc (M) – Score: 91.5 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 85% Merlot & 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose of this wine starts with lovely notes of ripe red and blue berries followed by rich loam, funk, rich mineral, wet dirt, tar, and green notes/foliage. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is less weighty than the 2018 vintage with lovely notes of smoke, dirt, loam, dark raspberry, currants, blueberry, Elderberries, rich funk, foliage, lovely mouth-coating tannin, a bit too many green notes, and searing acidity. The finish is long, dirty, earthy, and mineral-driven, with lovely smoke, toast, pencil shavings, graphite, more green notes, dark chocolate, and lovely tension. Drink until 2028. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Domaine Bousquet Alavida, Mendoza – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is floral, ripe, balanced, and enjoyable, with violet, rosehip, saline, green notes, dark cherry, raspberry, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is very fun, floral, ripe, well balanced, fun, with good mouthfeel, organic and without added sulfites, showing ripe plum, blackberry, raspberry, with nice mouthfeel, great acidity, balanced and fun, with lovely ripe and jammy fruit. The finish is long, ripe, balanced, and good, with smoke, mineral, roasted meat, and more floral notes. Lovely! Drink by 2024. (tasted November 2022) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2013 Porto di Mola Aglianico Roccamonfina, Aglianico – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER: France)
This wine is crazy, it has almost no fruit on the nose or the body but it has fruit in the structure to keep it alive with rich acidity and a lovely mouthfeel. The nose of this wine is lovely, dirty, earthy, smoky, with lovely barnyard, and rich mushroom, with hints of violet and rose. With time the wine opens to a new world. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, with dark fruit, blackberry, raspberry, smoke, elegance, rich tannin, smoke, mushroom, and lovely tea. The finish is lovely, tannic, and herbal, with lovely barnyard and floral notes, lovely. Drink now!!! (tasted November 2022) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2007 Chateau Peyrat Fourthon La Demoiselle D’Haut Peyrat, Haut-Medoc – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER: France)
This wine is 15 years old and it does not evoke happiness in me, sure it is a perfectly good wine, it is not dead, not oxidized, but it has also not evolved. This reminds me of a recent post by my friend, Avi Davidowitz, where he said something I said often to Benyo about the early day Baron Herzog wines, they survive, but they do NOT evolve as time passes. The wine is enjoyable, but I would prefer another option.
The nose of this wine is perfectly balanced, well made, and professional, but also just OK, at this point, showing little to no evolution into tertiary notes, there are mushrooms, and there is no barnyard, but the tertiary is more in the background.
The nose is nice with good mushrooms, nice dirt, earth, with red fruit, and nice smoke. To me, the nose is dominated by dirt and the surprising fruit, and the rest is in the background.
The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is where things become far less interesting, sure the acidity is impressive, and the mouthfeel and tannin cover the palate with the aid of good acidity, but the wine is just there, it has not evolved, the raspberry and cherry are nice, with good minerality, and more rich loam.
If one was, to sum up, this wine, dirt, and mushroom with some fruit would be a solid descriptor. The tannin is devolving. The finish is long, and green, with enough tannin to keep it interesting, with nice mushroom, and graphite. Drink now!!! (tasted November 2022) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2019 Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc, Lone Oak Tree, Judean Hills – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe and starts uncontrolled with black and blue fruit, vanilla, milk chocolate, cedar, and sweet smoke. With time, the nose shows more elegance, with oak and smoke, but now the fruit is calmer and the minerality is there as well. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, with lovely acidity, ripe blackberry, ripe and juicy blueberry, strawberry, green notes, sweet oak, loam, mint, sweet basil, mouth-draping and almost elegant tannin, and sweet roasted herbs. The finish is long, ripe, and green with more smoke, toast, oak, mint, vanilla, and leather. It starts a bit ripe but calms with time, I just wish it had more grip, but it is a solid wine! Drink until 2027. (tasted January 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Barkan Chardonnay, Galilee (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is nice, and simple, with kumquat, lavender, orange, apple, lychee, and nice lime. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is simple, and nice, with good acidity, nice focus, apple, quince, lemon, orange, kumquat, and good saline. It feels like it is a bit hollow and slightly exaggerated acidity, but nice enough. The finish is long, tart, and salty, with saline, and some minerals, nice! Drink now! (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Chateau de Cor Bugeaud, Blaye-Cotes de Bordeaux (M) – Score: 88 (QPR: GREAT)
This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The nose of this wine shows ripe fruit, with lovely mango, followed by tart and juicy citrus, gooseberry, mineral, nice funk, and orange blossom. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has enough acidity, followed by tart and juicy fruit, guava, mango, gooseberry, citrus, orange, and grapefruit. It is more round than it is lean and mineral-driven. The finish is long, green, and ripe, with passion fruit, slate, saline, flint, and funk. Drink now! (tasted December 2022) (in Miami, FL) (ABV = 12%)

2019 Domaine du Castel Raziel, Judean Hills – Score: 91 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Carignan. The nose of this wine starts nicely, with controlled fruit, mushroom, earth, loam, tar, roasted meat, and licorice. With time, the Israeli fruit emerges while keeping some controlled fruit, oak, milk chocolate, and blue/black fruit. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is brooding from the start, with deep rivets of charcoal, loam, blackberry, somewhat overripe boysenberry, lovely acidity, mouth-drying tannin, classic Israeli blackcurrant, candied strawberry, nice loam, and good sweet spices. The finish is long and controlled, and the acidity helps to “control” the fruit, with more milk chocolate, tobacco, charcoal, leather, vanilla, cloves, and sweet baking spices. Drink by 2028. (tasted January 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.%)

2021 Eola Hills Wine Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe and hot, and the fruit is candied with nice dirt, earth, hints of forest floor, with candied cherry, plum, and but the main focus is too fruity and too ripe. After some time it stays the same, though the oak and milk chocolate takes center stage, with floral notes of violet and jasmine. The mouth of this wine is pure oak juice, with candied cherry, plum, and pomegranate, with enough acidity, with more oak, toast, green notes, and no balance whatsoever. With time the wine does calm down, but the mouth now is pure oak juice, with more milk chocolate, and enough acidity, the pomegranate is gone, but dark plum, blackberry, and more toast from the oak take center stage. The finish is long, astringent, painful, and green, with ripe and green notes fighting each other, very strange. Drink until 2025. With time the finish opens up and shows saline, more milk chocolate, more oak, green notes still abound, and floral notes in the far background. It is nice but not for now. Drink from 2023 until 2026. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.4%)

2022 Rimapere Baron Edmond de Rothschild Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
While I truly enjoyed the previous vintage, the first kosher vintage, this vintage was ok. The nose of this wine starts very nicely, almost a WINNER, but with an hour the wine turns into orange juice, now I say that partially in jest, but the wine showed far better, with nice gooseberry, but there is too much fruity orange and nectarines, without a balancing minerality. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can either be highly tropical, with all that comes with that or it can be flinty and deep, like the 21 vintages of this wine. This wine is caught in the middle and has no clear path. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, with too much orange, some nice acidity, good saline, and gooseberry, with lime, and smoke. The finish is long but also not all the way there, in the end, while I like this wine I would not invest in it, the 21 spoiled us! Drink by 2023. (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Pescaja Solei’ Arneis, Terre Alfieri (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
There are two versions of this wine, one is Mevushal and one is not. This is the Mevushal version.
The 3rd kosher vintage now comes in mevushal and non-mevushal formats. This was the tasting for the mevushal. The nose of this wine shows nicely with ripe orange, lemon, lemon blossom, nectarine, flint, violet, and sweet ripe pear. The mouth is medium-bodied wine is nice, with enough acidity, nice mouthfeel, pear, orange, nectarine, and lemon/lime. The finish is long, green, sweet, and ripe, sadly the Mevushal is missing some acidity. Drink now (tasted December 2022) (in Miami, Florida) (ABV = 13%)

2019 Rocca di Frassinello Le Sughere di Frassinello, Maremma Toscana – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, & 25% Merlot. The nose of this wine is ripe, but balanced, not very complex, with red fruit, herbs, tobacco, and smoke.
The mouth of this medium plus-bodied wine is nice, with enough acidity, but this is more about what is not than what is, with good enough fruit, nice texture and mouthfeel, green notes, roasted herbs, garrigue, plum, nice integrating tannin, raspberry, dark cherry, and cloves. The finish is long, nice, and ripe, with green notes, tobacco, spices, and roasted herbs. Drink until 2028. (tasted December 2022) (in Miami, Florida) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Bat Shlomo Sauvignon Blanc, Israel – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe with notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, gooseberry, ripe peach, and ripe pear. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice enough, it has good acidity, but feels a bit out of sorts, the fruit is correct, but the ripeness is out of bounds with the acidity, showing guava, melon, honeyed pear, gooseberry, and citrus. The finish is tart, and ripe, with a hint of flint. Drink now. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.1%)

2021 Dalton Sauvignon Blanc, Fume, Galilee – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine starts flabby, it feels right but the fruit is not balanced with the wine, with ripe guava, melon, oak, smoke, and ripe pear. After a bit, the nose cleans up to show oak, guava, citrus, and good control. The mouth of this medium-bodied is nice enough but it lacks the acidity to make it work, to start, with time the acidity appears, with nice sweet oak, candied fruit, sweet pomelo, lemon/lime, and Asian pear. The finish is long, sweet, and ripe, with enough acidity to balance out the ripeness. Drink now. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Rothschild Flechas de Los Andes Gran Malbec, Mendoza – Score: 88 (QPR: GOOD)
I wish I could get past the issues but this wine is flawed, it feels more like a Beaujolais wine than a Malbec. The wine is ripe, over the top, and uninteresting. After a few days, the banana madness calms and the real wine emerges, this was released too early. In the end, the wine is still the same without the unwanted baggage. It is still a ripe, brooding, animal of wine that some will like. The nose of this wine is dark, ripe, brooding, and over the top, with black and red fruit, smoke, roasted meat, asphalt, hints of banana, and licorice. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, and too fruit-forward, with not enough acidity, unbalanced, with ripe blackberry, boysenberry, smoke, over-the-top oak, cooked plum, and tar. The acidity does eventually show but the ripeness is still unbalanced. With time the mouth calms and is ripe, with boysenberry, blackberry, and plum, still lacking the acidity, slightly unbalanced with mouth-coating tannin, roasted animal, and good mouthfeel. The finish is long, ripe, and over-the-top, with less balance than I wish, not enough acidity at the end, and with milk chocolate-covered coffee beans, and cooked fruit lingering long. Drink until 2027. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2017 Capcanes La Flor Del Flor Samso, Montsant – Score: 91.5 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is quite lovely, this is finally a Capcanes wine, in the last 5 years, that I would drink. The nose of this wine is ripe, but well-controlled, with blue and red fruit, juicy and ripe fruit, tar, charcoal, roasted meat, and smoke, lovely! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, but it is too ripe for me, I hope it will calm with time, for now, at the opening, the ripeness is too much, with candied raspberry, juicy boysenberry, candied cherry, and watermelon, nice acidity, intense mouth-drying tannin, and too much sweet oak, for now. With time, the fruit and oak calm a bit and sadly it loses some acidity. The finish is long, brooding, and ripe, with more blue fruit, leather, sweet spices, cloves, vanilla, milk chocolate, tobacco, earth, charcoal, and smoke. Drink until 2027. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2020 Netofa Tel Qasser, White, Galilee – Score: 91 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is nice, with straw, hay, lychee, lime, pomelo, honeysuckle, and sweet spices. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has a nice mouthfeel, with enough weight, along with some oily texture, more hay, straw, lovely yellow pear, yellow plum, Asian pear, apple, quince, sweet baking spices, cloves, nutmeg, thyme, and roasted mint. The finish is long, spicy, and lovely with more sweet spices, roasted herbs, lovely hay, straw, floral notes, and lavender. Lovely! Drink until 2024. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2020 Chateau Le Crock, Saint-Estephe (M) – Score: 90.5 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, & 6% Cabernet Franc. This is the Mevushal version of this wine tasted in the USA. The wine took 2 days to come around, and while the non-mevushal wine was very much accessible in Paris, the mevushal version was not. These notes are from AFTER the two days. The nose of this wine is ripe, far less balanced than the non-mevushal version tasted in Paris, with smoke, too ripe for me, with notes of black and blue fruit, violet, and nice minerality. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, but also less interesting, more uni-dimensional, the ripe fruit and nice tannin, and good acidity will excite some, with blackberry, dark plum, smoke, and mushroom, with good minerality, not as balanced as in Paris, still, not for long holding, and not as interesting. The finish is long enough, green, and herbal, with minerality and ripe fruit that makes this work. Drink until 2026 (tasted November 2022) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Vitkin Pinot Noir, Judean Hills – Score: 89 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine starts slowly but comes around nicely with a few hours of air.
The nose of this wine is nice with green notes, ripe and juicy strawberries, some dirt, and red berries.
The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, it has a good enough structure, clearly a Pinot Noir in style, with nice acidity, a bit too much oak influence, with green notes, cranberry, juicy strawberries, and cherry notes, more ripe than balanced, with nice but chunky tannin. The finish is long, juicy, ripe, and simple. Drink until 2024. (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 1848 Winery Cabernet Franc, Judean Hills – Score: 84 (QPR: EVEN)
“This wine is a blend of 95% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot. The nose of this wine is ripe, with clear Israeli wine notes, and almost date juice, but the green notes show some control, with raspberry, sweet oak, dark currants, and sweet spices. With time the notes calm a bit to show floral notes, black and red fruit, spices, oak, and roasted herbs. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied is ripe, with enough acidity, but the fruit is too over-the-top, with candied fruit, some nice tannin, and dirt, but mostly the fruit smacks you over the head. With time the wine calms to a rounder and more controlled approach, still, the fruit is ripe, the oak is too much, and the fruit is slightly candied. The finish is long, dark, ripe, and brooding, with minerality, leather, tannin, licorice, and just enough acidity, sadly, it is too out of balance and uninteresting to me. Some who like this style of wine will like it, but I find it overplayed and over the top. Drink by 2025.” (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Chateau Le Petit Chaban, Bordeaux (M) – Score: 82 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine starts painful, flat, green, and tinny. With time it opens nicely to show less green notes and more cherry, and cucumber.
The mouth also starts slowly, but with time opens to nice dirt, green notes, cherry, currants, smoke, and mineral. The finish shows good enough acidity, some tannin, and more earth. Drink by 2024. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Tzora Shoresh, Blanc, Judean Hills – Score: 91 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is nice, showing gooseberry, tart peach, guava, apple, and lychee, with some minerality, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is nice, plush, well acidified, balanced, and refreshing, with some minerality, but good fruit focus, showing nice tension, a bit too much pith, peach, apricot, sweet oak, oak tannin, with the Chardonnay commanding the palate, at this time, dried apple and quince, mango in the far background, and sweet baking spices. The finish is long, balanced, and ripe, but also tart with more oak, spices, cloves, nutmeg, smoke/toast, and more fruit. Nice. Drink by 2025. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Raziel Rose, Judean Hills – Score: 90 (QPR: POOR)
This wine is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 45% Grenache, & 15% Syrah. The nose of this wine is nice with good strawberry and creme, red berry, lemon blossom, citrus, and some flint. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine starts slowly but with an hour or so of air, the wine opens to nice acidity, good fruit focus, with a nice mouthfeel, showing almost no pith, something I rarely see in Israeli wines, with nice strawberry and creme, good balance, smoke, very refreshing, with orange notes, tart Meyer lemon, and nectarines. The finish is long, tart, juicy, and refreshing, with flint and more nice fruit. Drink now! (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2019 Flam Noble, Israel – Score: 90 (QPR: POOR)
This wine is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, & 8% Petit Verdot. The nose of this wine is ripe, and balanced, with lovely ripe boysenberry, black and red fruit, roasted meat, and dirt. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied is nice, balanced, and rich, with good fruit focus, nice blackberry, plum, earth, raspberry, and ripe boysenberry, with nice tannin, nice! The finish is long, ripe, blue, and tannic, with minerals, sweet spices, vanilla, cloves, and ripe boysenberry. Enjoy until 2028. (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2020 Domaine Du Castel Grand Vin, Judean Hills – Score: 89 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with rich oak, smoke, and dark fruit, some minerality, and not much else, the oak and ripeness command your attention. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, with enough balance, but the oak is there and while it has some acidity, it is not enough, with too much oak, blackberry, ripe raspberry, dark plum, candied fruit, rich vanilla, sweet tobacco, graphite, a bit of dirt, and not much else. Drink by 2026. (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Cantina Cignozza il Generoso, Toscana – Score: 84 (QPR: POOR)
This wine starts off fun, the nose of this wine is slow to open but with time opens to show lively green notes, elderberry, cherry, and nice red tea. Sadly, after an hour of air, the wine turns into an overly ripe and hot wine that loses its aromas and feels mass-produced. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, round, with enough acidity, simple, nice with dirt, and nice refreshment. After an hour it turns hotter and rounder and becomes less interesting. The finish is long, green, and ripe, and there is too much green for me, Drink now. (tasted October 2022) (in Chicago, IL) (ABV = 13.5%)

2017 Villa Mangiacane Magnificus, Toscana – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR)
This wine starts very oaky, milky, and unenjoyable, this wine needs time to open. The nose, even with time, just smells too ripe, almost oxidized in nature with oak-milk style, showing heat, and red fruit in the far background, all around not an enjoyable nose, even with a day or more or air. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, candied fruit, and not enjoyable, I am sure there are some that like this fruit-bomb and oak-bomb of wine, but I cannot add myself to that list, really lacks focus, control, or even balance. The finish is fruity, and oaky, with ripe and rich milk chocolate. Hard pass. Drink if you must, by 2025. (tasted November 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Le Baron Le Selicate, Bordeaux (M) – Score: 82 (QPR: N.A.)
Green tinny mess, green notes, saline, and dirt. Move on. (tasted October 2022) (in Chicago, IL) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Barkan Merlot, Galilee (M) – Score: 80 (QPR: N.A.)
After enjoying the 2021 Chardonnay from Barkan this 2021 Merlot is painful, green, ripe, and candied with fake/cooked notes, just an overall painful experience. The nose of this wine is cooked, ripe, green, and all over the place. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is worse than the nose, simply painful, and candied, so sad. Drink now if you must. (tasted December 2022) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 J-Folk Chardonnay, Western Cape (M) – Score: 70 (QPR: NA)
If I did not see the bottle I would have said this was Viognier, it is not what a Chardonnay should smell or taste like. Mind you the candied pineapple would not fit in a Viognier either. The nose of this wine is all over the place, candied fruit, ripe and unbalanced, with ripe pineapple, mango, peach, and lychee. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is not a wine I want to taste again any time soon, it has enough acidity but it has clear RS, almost like someone threw in sugar, with overripe peach, pineapple, guava, lychee, and some flint. The finish is more painful, with more candied fruit, more unbalance, and more sweet notes lingering long, drink now if you must! (tasted December 2022) (in Miami, FL) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Cantina Cignozza il Fior, Toscano, Toscano – Score: 65 (QPR: N.A.)
This wine is a blend of 80% Vermentino Toscano, 10% Trebbiano, & 10% Grechetto. This wine is vile as well, with candy and artificial Laffy taffy, banana candy, and artificial flavors while also tasting medicinal. Hard pass. (tasted October 2022) (in Chicago, IL) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Memorias del Rambam 2021 Alenar 745, Utiel-Requena – Score: 65 (QPR: N.A.)
This wine is made from 100% Bobal. This wine is vile, tastes of cooked bubblegum, with bubbles, horrible, move on! (tasted October 2022) (in Chicago, IL) (ABV = 12%)