As stated in a previous post, I was in Israel, in early 2024. To state that things are different yet the same would be a simplification of reality. A quick, sad, yet real note, I had not been to Israel for almost 5 years, since Passover 2019. Crazy! Also, it marked a 10th anniversary, for me, and Israel, for my last meaningful trip, when again, Israel invaded Gaza, just crazy! Just read the last post (from 2014) and compare that to my takeaway post from my time in Israel for Passover in 2019.

I will not get into gloom or the such that I felt in 2014. That was indeed a very dark time for me, personally, in regards to my trip, at that time, for many reasons. This trip was sad, of course, but I thought it uplifting, given the state of the people I met. My hotels were filled with people who had to evacuate their homes, and the hallways felt like a building in Har Nof. I was perfectly fine with what was going on but I truly felt for those in these hotels. Breakfast felt more like a school cafeteria, with kids everywhere, packing lunches and the like. Just take a moment to think about what those people must feel like, what they must be going through! There was this lovely young girl whose birthday it was, one of the days I was in the hotel, she refused to have her party, in the hotel basement, because none of her friends or even family would be there. It really helps to open your eyes and realize how spoiled we all are.

The trip revolved around spending time with my family and my Rabbi and even that was limited, sadly. In the end, it was too short, it was too crazy, and I wish I had more time. Wineries and folks did reach out when they found out I was in town, and of course, I politely refused, given the already limited time I was going to be there and the people I wanted to spend time with. That said, I did carve two evenings to spend a few hours with my friends. One night I hung out with Avi Davidowitz and his family and one night I hung out with the French clan in Jerusalem. The evening with Avi and his family was lovely and the evening with the French guys was Tu B’Shvat.

We did do a large-ish blind tasting the second night, with the French guys, and I must say, the 2023 vintage for Israeli wine is horrible! There is no other way to say it, a total disaster. There are SOME okay wines, but they are the minority and the sad truth is that 2023 will be remembered as a horrible, sad, and depressing year for Israel, and the wine, at least so far, is not making up for it.

I was going to keep this short, so my many thanks to those who hosted me and the gang. I really need to thank Avi and his wife Michal and Joel and his wife Delphine for hosting me and the gang at Joel’s! Both evenings were lovely, and the food was awesome, sadly, I cannot say the same for the wine on the 2nd night. The evening with Avi and the wines were top-notch, minus a couple, listed here. The second evening was a blind tasting and man – was it painful! REALLY! All the 2023 wines were pretty much useless. There were a couple of Shmitta wines from 2022 and a couple of reds as well. Also, many thanks to Joel for taking the pictures!

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

The first evening – none tasted blind

2021 Vitkin Riesling, Judean Hills – Score: 88 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this nice is nice with gooseberry, honeysuckle, flowers, and rich saline, flint, peach, and slate. The mouth of this light to medium-bodied wine is boring, lacking acidity, with some fruit, and essentially nothing to grab you. Next. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 11.5%)

2020 Vitkin Chenin Blanc, Israel – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is nice with notes of straw, flint, sweet herbs, yellow plum, peach, and yellow apple. The mouth of this light to medium-bodied wine is nice, it has enough acidity, and a nice mouthfeel, and the fruit follows the nose, with hints of gooseberry, and a nice stone fruit, nice. The finish is good, with enough acidity, nice funk, straw, and flint, with the acidity, and funk lingering. Drink until 2025. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12.5%)

2018 Tzora Or, Judean Hills – Score: 91+ (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this is nice, with rich pineapple, funk, and sweet fruit, with orange blossom, sweet apricot, and orange notes. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, with good acidity, nice pineapple, funk, guava, mango, and gooseberry, with sweet tea, and chamomile. The finish is long, sweet, ripe, and candied, but well-balanced with wax/soap notes, honeyed orange peel, and rich sweet notes. Drink until 2027. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12%)

The second evening – all wines tasted blind!

2022 Lahat Lavan, Galilee – Score: 90 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
This is a Shmeita wine tasted in Israel (Heter Mechira). This wine is a blend of 76% Roussanne, 19% Viognier, 5% Marrsanne. The nose of this wine is nice, with a bit of funk, nice grapefruit, honeysuckle, pineapple, and chamomile. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ok, it is simple, with gooseberry, pineapple, honeysuckle, and nice slate. The finish is long and shows slate. Nice. Drink now! (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Lahat Laichter, Galilee – Score: 86 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
This is a Shmeita wine tasted in Israel (Heter Mechira). This wine is a blend of 42% Roussanne, 40% Grenache Blanc, 18% Marsanne. The nose of this wine is a flower pot and a bit boring for me. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is floral with apples and some flint. It is crazy that this wine is so short and without enough acidity. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Fura Chenin Blanc, Galilee – Score: 90+ (QPR: EVEN) (tasted blind)
This is a Shmeita wine tasted in Israel (Heter Mechira). The nose of this wine is oaked, and ripe, with very strong chamomile notes, pineapple, and sweet oak overpowers.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is very floral, with good acidity, and a nice fruit focus, but the center of the mouth is overpowered by chamomile, like the nose, with classic Chard notes of apple, pear, melon, quince, and candied Asian pear.
The finish is long, oak, and loads of wood, with great acidity, nice mouthfeel, and some slate on the long finish. Drink until 2026. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Netofa Latour Tzahov, Blanc, Galilee – Score: 86 (QPR: EVEN) (tasted blind)
This wine is a blend of 85% Roussanne & 15% Chenin Blanc. The nose of this wine is very tropical, pineapple, mango, guava, really fruity, too much for me, with waxy notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, round, too tropical, without enough acidity, showing guava, mango, and loads of pineapple, a bit boring overall, and unbalanced. The finish is short, round, fruity, and boring. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Bat Shlomo Sauvignon Blanc, Galilee – Score: 73 (QPR: EVIL) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is fruity, notes of sweet oak, and gooseberry, and not enough brightness. NO! Unbalanced and horrible! Next! EVIL (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12.4%)

2023 Gvaot Dances in White (Vineyard Dance), Judean Hills – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is boring, ripe, round, and boring The mouth of this medium-bodied wine lacks acidity and has lemon, grapefruit, and not much else. The finish is short, and boring, with pineapple juice lingering. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12%)

2023 Matar Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon, Galilee – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT) (tasted blind)
This wine is a blend of 85% Sauvignon blanc & 15% Semillon. The nose of this wine is another boring wine, simple, Lemon/Lime sprite, with straw and not much else The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice enough, with great acidity, nice lemon, lime, grapefruit, and gooseberry, nice fruit focus but a bit simple again. The finish is fine but again without much interest, with a bit of tension, and nice gooseberry. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 11%)

2021 Netofa Latour Blanc, Galilee – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is ripe, round, and oaky, with classic Netofa Latour notes of funk, straw, heavy notes of flower, chamomille, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, with good acidity, and good fruit focus, showing a nice mouth of peach, apricot, loads of oak, melon, pear, and some funk and good reduction. The finish is long, sweet, and ripe, with great acidity, funk, straw, and great tension, really nice! Drink until 2026. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Kishor Viognier, Galilee – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is nice, and bright with lovely Roussanne notes, bright fruit, ripe peach, apricot, straw, and lovely flowers, really nice. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is really ripe, well-balanced, almost elegant, showing nice complexity, good fruit focus, peach, apricot, melon, smoke, mouth-filling, plush, and refreshing, showing a bit too much oak, but it will integrate with time. The finish is long, ripe, dense, and refreshing, with great acidity, and nice funk. Nice! Drink until 2026. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Matar Rose, Galilee – Score: 90+ (QPR: GREAT) (tasted blind)
This wine is a blend of 85% Grenache & 15% counoise. The nose of this wine is lovely, classic strawberries, strawberries and creme, nice raspberries, and flint. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, with good acidity, a bit hollow, with nice strawberries and creme, raspberries, and some tension. Nice drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 11%)

2023 Netofa Tel Qasser Rose, Galilee – Score: 85 (QPR: EVEN) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is boring, and water-like, with quince, strawberry, and funk. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ok, it has the acidity, but it feels hollow and lacks the body and fruit to make it all work. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Gvaot Rose, Israel – Score: 50 (QPR: EVIL) (tasted blind)
Sulfur, candied fruit mess, medicinal as well, EVIL (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Bat Shlomo Rose, Galilee – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is nice, with good strawberry, raspberry, a bit of slate, and orange blossom. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, with great acidity, nice orange blossom, orange notes, grapefruit, and smoke. nice! The finish is nice, a bit ripe, but balanced and showing a bit of tension and slate/mineral. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 11.7%)

2023 Netofa Latour Rosado, Galilee – Score: 82 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is pure bubblegum, with a bit of RS, orange juice, and loads of strawberry. The mouth of this wine screams Cali Rose, with bubblegum, watermelon, strawberry, RS, and more sweet strawberry. The finish is short, and a bit hollow, and the wine is unbalanced to me, but it is good for those that like sweet roses. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Lueria Barbera, Galilee – Score: 84 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is candied with notes of blueberry, blackberry, PAIN, and intense lifesaver candies. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and there is enough acidity, but the wine is really ripe, but also a bit balanced, that does calm with time, with blueberry, and blackberry, ripe, round, but acidified. The oak notes are the nicest part of the wine. The finish is long, ripe, candied, and sweet, maybe a bit of RS. Drink by 2025. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Kishor Mourvedre, Galilee – Score: 83 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine smells like high-end burnt rubber, PAIN! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied is burnt rubber, charcoal, smoke, blackberry, dark plum, and minerality, but the heat, ripeness, and lack of good acidity are the issues. Drink by 2026. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Netofa Latour, Red, Galilee – Score: 83 (QPR: POOR) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is painful, the wine was tasted blind like all the other wines, when it was revealed I was shocked! The nose is hollow, empty, and sadly boring, with no brightness. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is empty, and hollow, with red and black fruit, cannot figure this out, there is no acidity, and no life. The finish is short, ripe, round, and empty. Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Netofa Matzpen Toursyr, Galilee – Score: 88 (QPR: EVEN) (tasted blind)
This wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional & Syrah. The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, very ripe, but not flawed, with black and blue fruit. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, it has enough acidity, but the overall appeal is lacking, with root beer, soy sauce, blackberry, boysenberry, ripe, candied, but balanced, with mouth-draping tannin, and nice attack. The finish is ripe, and candied, feeling like a Spanish wine more than Israeli, with boysenberry, dried tobacco, and candied blue fruit, painful, but professional. Drink by 2028. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 14%)

2019 Peer Winery Black Sheep, Judean Hills – Score: 76 (QPR: EVIL) (tasted blind)
This wine is a blend of Carignan, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Chenin Blanc. The nose is evil, painful, and candied to the point of no return. This is such a classic Israeli Syrah-like wine with screaming overripe blackcurrant, so painful, with no acidity, and EVIL. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Recanati Carignan, Young Vines, Galilee – Score: 72 (QPR: EVIL) (tasted blind)
The nose of this wine is painful, more of that overripe Syrah-like Israeli wine with a bit of green Cab notes, a mess. Next! No acid, no balance, green, ripe, and deeply Jalapeno-driven. BAD! (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 12%)

Tasted over Shabbat – not blind

2022 Solar das Boucas Loureiro, Vinho Regional Minho – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice, showing good minerality, nice stone fruit, yellow plum, lemon blossom, and sweet tea. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, showing great acidity, nice tension, and good fruit focus of peach, apricot, yellow plum, lemon/lime/grapefruit, minerality, slate, flint, and good precision. The finish is long, tart, and refreshing, with nice fruit, acidity, slate, flint, and orange fruit lingering long. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 11.5%)

2019 Elvi Wines Adar, Ribera del Jucar (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, and candied, but also enjoyable given its minerality, smoke, soy sauce, and roasted meat aromas. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, and the acidity is great, with soy sauce, sweet oak, blackberry, ripe blackcurrant that does bug me a bit, plum, screaming charcoal and graphite, nice sweet tannin, and roasted herb. The finish is long, ripe, and candied but balanced with acidity, charcoal, roasted meat, soy sauce, roasted coffee beans, and rich smoke. Drink by 2026. (tasted January 2024) (in Jerusalem, Israel) (ABV = 13.5%)