I have been complaining about Roses recently. Yes, we had a good slate of them, for those that need them. However, I state over and over, that White WInes are what we need more of and they fill the abilities that Rose wines were meant to help with. This post will be short and to the point. I hope you all use this to enjoy the crazy heat waves rolling over the world. White wine is the answer to some lovely meals with friends and family!

White Wines

I understand the thought that people have, that Rose wine will be more enjoyable with certain food/fare than a white wine. That thought is wrong, but I understand. People see the red hue and think it is a red wine that can be enjoyed with a burger. The truth is that Rose or white wine can do the same thing if they are dry and have intense acidity. The acidity is the main point here. Sadly, while some Roses will work, most of them lack the acidity for that to be an honest assessment. So, people buy the Roses, they lack the refreshing acidity and leave unhappy. The better option is white wines. They have a higher probability of existing with good acidity and they are just more enjoyable. The last point is 100% subjective and I understand that.

People see Rose as a way for people to learn about red wine without the need for Cabernet Sauvignon or what. While I see that as an approach and I appreciate it, soon enough, Red wine folks just go back to Red wine as they miss the tannin/sweet wine punch. Big, fat, even balanced Oaky wines can give you the closest thing to a wine that Red wine drinkers will appreciate.

The oak, fat fruit, and rich mouthfeel, followed by good tannin will make the Red Wine drinker happiest. The hope is eventually, they will jump on the ABC train (Anything But Chardonnay) that is slowly rising up again, given the heavy whites coming out of Cali. Hopefully, they will desire less oak, and more balance, and find the plethora of Kosher White wines that we are blessed with.

Peak Kosher White here or very near

We are currently blessed with an almost never-ending list of white wines. They may not all be great, they may have acid issues or balance issues, but we have so many options that it is impressive! We will see even more soon so I hope you are getting your white wine mojo going!

Methodology

So, the idea here is to post the new white wines that I have not already posted – some of which date back to March of this year. I will also post WINNER wines from the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, when/if they are for sale. That last part will be tough but I will use KosherWine and Google as my guide. Either way, they will be reposts of existing posts, so the info is always available.

Ok, that is a wrap, note, I have a TON of wine notes I still need to post after this, my guess is that will end up being a massive QPR post with loads of red wines.

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

2022 Covenant Solomon Blanc, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, CA – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This is the third time I have tasted this wine and messed up, I admit, it is impressive, I scored it a 92 and then I backed off the WINNER QPR score. Mistake! This wine is rich, round, and not as piercing as in 2021, and I have put that wine on a pedestal This wine stands on its own, it has fruitier notes, OK, but it is also balanced, riper, rounder, and quite enjoyable. This is the 3rd year of this lovely wine, I think this one sits right between the 21 and 20 vintages, which means this is another WINNER. Bravo!
The nose of this lovely wine is impressive with intense bright fruit, bright acidity, tart lemon/lime, sweet orange blossom, lanolin, sweet bright pear, sweet Honeydew melon, and lovely oak influence. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is intense, layered, and complex, with rich layers of tart orange, lemon/lime, melon, Asian pear, yellow apple, and piercing acidity, with an impressive expression, of fruit and oak, sweet oak, smoke, sweet mint, and sweet fruit. Bravo!
The finish is long, tart, ripe, and fruity, with some oak influence, and hints of vanilla, but really the finish is a focus of acidity, melon, orange, mineraity, white pepper, and lemon, all wrapped up beautifully! Bravo!! Drink until 2030. (Retasted July 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.4%)

2022 O’Dwyers Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
At the start, the wine feels/smells leaner than previous vintages but the fruit and style are absolutely similar, thankfully, O’dwyers Creek is so dependable, that it is fantastic. Still, the weight we expect is a bit lacking and the acidity here is just incredible. However, after a few hours, the wine is rich, tropical, layered, and complex, AKA Classic WINNER!
The nose of this wine is classically New Zealand in style, with cat pee, fresh-cut grass, foliage, gooseberry, passion fruit, pink grapefruit blossom, and bright fruit all over the place. After a bit of time, the ripe fruit appears, a classic New Zealand Banker!
The mouth on this medium-bodied wine is lovely, with intense acidity, the first thing that hits you is the acid, followed by nice flint notes, smoke, rock, saline, gooseberry, lemongrass, intense passion fruit, lychee, and sweet melon. The acidity hits you in waves and with time the weight comes to you as does the lovely sweet-cut grass. With time, the ripe mango, gooseberry, and passion fruit hit you in waves, with a richer mouthfeel, and the complexity we crave along with intense bracing acidity, it is just incredible! The finish on this wine shows more saline, rock, flint, smoke, mineral, gooseberry, freshly cut grass, and intense acid, so much fun!!! BRAVO!! Drink until 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Shirah Riesling, Santa Barbara, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is classic, showing rich and ripe fruit, with intense honeysuckle, honeyed melon, and guava, but balanced with grapefruit, gooseberry, pineapple, and good minerality. This is too young for the funk to appear, but it will likely happen in a couple of years.
The mouth of this wine is fun, ripe, layered, and rich, plush, with good flint, smoke, and matchstick, followed by honeysuckle, honeyed melon, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, hints of orange, nectarines, and more smoke, FUN!
The finish is long, smoky, flinty, and fun, refreshing, tart, yet ready to handle creamy and spicy food, enjoy! Drink by 2028. (tasted July 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.4%)

2023 Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc, South Island (M) – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is very bright and refreshing with incredible saline, fresh grass, and a lovely approach, tart and bright with Meyer lemon, lemon blossom, and great flint The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is awesome with intense acidity, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, honeysuckle, and intense minerality, very nice drink by 2026. (tasted February 2024) (in KFWE, NJ) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Otter & Fox Pinot Blanc, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, CA – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
I will admit, that I love Pinot Blanc, clean, unoaked, and untouched. However, this wine, is oaked, it has the same fruit as the 2022 Hajdu Pinot Blanc that I loved. David Edelman took some of that fruit, added oak, and this is what we have!
The nose of this wine is fun, it starts a bit bland, but after 30 minutes of air, the wine really opens, and now we have pear, apple, grapefruit, creamed ripe quince, with creamy notes, smoke, honeysuckle, and oak that blend into the background.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is fun, it starts a bit slow, but with time, it improves by leaps, to get a creamy, round, ripe, but tart mouthfeel, that has great balance, with oak-infused pear, apple, and quince, that is plush, rich, round, and yet so tart, with really fun mouthfeel, texture, spiked by grapefruit, hints of orange, and an overall clean and straight approach that is nice!
The finish is tart, round, rich, plush, and refreshing, man, I need more of this, Bravo!! Drink by 2026. (tasted July 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.6%)

2023 Or Haganuz Amuka Blanc, Galilee (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
WOW! This is the first winner of the day! Always fun to have! Bravo to the team! This wine is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc & 15% Chardonnay. The nose of this wine is fun, and bright, with nice gooseberry, flint, smoke, citrus, orange and lime blossom, and more smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is fun, refreshing, ripe, and yet so on point, with tart lemon, lime, and gooseberry, not tropical, Avi get this, no peach! The mouth is bright, refreshing, and fun! The finish is long, with good acidity, good flint, rock, and smoke. Drink now! (tasted June 2024) (in Bayonne, NJ) (ABV = 11%)

2023 Anthony Girard Sancerre, L’indiscrete, Sancerre – Score: 91 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is nice enough, muted, with some gooseberry, smoke, citrus, orange blossom, white flower, and lemon. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is better than the nose, with great acidity, nice smoke, orange, nectarines, good salinity, and refreshing. The finish is a bit short, with nice salinity, lime, lemon, and smoke. Drink by 2026. (tasted June 2024) (in Bayonne, NJ) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Timbre Winery Rare Groove #3, White Blend, Central Coast, CA – Score: 90 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The nose of this wine is nice, showing gooseberry, apple, pear, peach, passion fruit, and nice saline. The mouth of this wine starts very slowly, at the beginning it feels like the finish does not exist, with time the wine finally opens, it shows its oak leanings, and does show a nice profile, one I can drink, but also wish it was leaner.
Once this wine opens the mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, it has good acidity, but it is a bit too round with good gooseberry, peach, grapefruit, and smoke, the toast is a bit too high and the heat is there, but overall, a nice profile, plus, round, for those that want that. The finish is nice with a bit too much oak, not enough to grab me, but good fruit and no pith. Drink by 2026. (tasted July 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Pacifica Viognier, Rattlesnake Hills, Washington – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is classic Viognier, with white peach, hints of apricot, sweet Meyer lemon, lovely brightness, sweet orange blossom, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, it shows good focus, enough acidity, nice peach, apricot, lemon, lavender, and sweet tea. The finish is nice, but it falls apart quickly, this needs to be drunk ASAP. (tasted February 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Koenig Riesling, Alsace (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
I miss the good old days when Koenig was a sure hit for the Riesling. The nose of this wine is ok, showing grapefruit, honeysuckle, lemon, lime, and flint. The mouth is where things go wrong, there is enough acidity, but honestly nothing much else, there is the honeysuckle, the honeyed lemon, and grapefruit, but it feels hollow and the finish feels short. Drink now. (tasted February 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12%)

2023 Adir Colombard, Keren Ben Zimra, Galilee (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
I find this wine to be maddening, at times it shows well, and at times it feels like it is filled with fake acidity. In the end, I think most will find this wine enjoyable, even if I have some issues with it. The nose is shy at the start, but with time it shows with white flowers, some funk, straw, hay, peach, apple, and quince. The mouth of this light to medium-bodied wine is nice enough, the main issue is the waves of acidulated tartaric acid that bothers me, along with peach, apple, Asian pear, hints of orange/lemon/lime, and more straw. The finish is long, and a bit fake, with enough body and real acidity to make this work for me, with straw, flint, and pear lingering. Drink now. (tasted April 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12%)

2023 Dalton Sauvignon Blanc, Fume, Galilee – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine shows the oak more than I would like, with peach, apricot, gooseberry, and some smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is correct, I just dislike the sweet dill, oak, and toast that comes with it, still the acidity, sweet peach, apricot, gooseberry, and hints of passion fruit are correct and the weight shows well. The finish is long, oaky, and nice enough, with vanilla, sweet dill, and tart fruit. Drink now. (tasted April 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Hagafen Riesling, Lake County (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is nice, it shows classically, with orange, pineapple, guava, Meyer Lemon, orange blossom, and nectarines. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, but the acidity is good, balancing, with good acidity, guava, pineapple, nice zing, refreshing, and enjoyable. The finish is long, sweet, ripe, balanced, and refreshing with some good salinity and flint. Drink until 2026. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 11.8%)

2023 Memorias del Rambam Blanc, Utiel-Requena (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
This wine is a blend of 80% Macabeo & 20% Xarel-lo. The nose of this wine is the best part with funky notes. no doubt based on the fun blend, with straw, smoke, ginger, quince, and intense white flowers. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is also nice, and a bit simple, it has no flaw, it is not short, hollow, or cooked like so many other Mevushal white wines, and the fun blend gives it shape, with good acidity, structure, quince, white flowers, and funk. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in Teaneck, NJ) (ABV = 11.5%)

2023 Barkan Sauvignon Blanc, Samson (M) – Score: 89+ (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is solid, with good lime, lemon, citrus, gooseberry, and orange blossom. The mouth of this wine is simple but very enjoyable, Bravo for making a wine given all that Israel has been put through, great work, great acidity, good finish, simple, but does the job! Drink now! (tasted June 2024) (in Bayonne, NJ) (ABV = 11%)

2023 Nana Chenin Blanc, Negev – Score: 89 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ok, it lacks the bright fruit I want, it has dull peach, pear, and apple, with some hay, and not much else. It does come around after some time, with brighter versions of the same fruit. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has enough acidity, it shows well with the apple, quince, orange, pear, with some tannin but the real issue is the lack of finish. Drink until 2025. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.2%)

2023 Goose Bay Pinot Grigio, South Island (M) – Score: 88 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is nice with green apple, green pear, hints of orange blossom, saline, and some minerality. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice with good acidity, nice green apple, pear, and focus. the finish is a bit short, nice. Drink now. (tasted February 2024) (in KFWE, NJ) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Capcanes Peraj Petita Blanc, Montsant – Score: 88 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is the best part of the wine. Showing nice yellow plum, pear, vibrant honeysuckle, and nice orange zest. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is screaming with acidity, but it feels empty, it has some fruit, like gooseberry, and some orange juice, but that is it. The finish is short with crazy acidity lingering long. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2023 Zion Sauvignon Blanc, Imperial, Judean Hills (M) – Score: 88 (QPR: GREAT)
I love the screwtop and while this wine is very basic, it is also solid, it has some of that RS which throws me off, but it is a solid starter wine for many. The nose of this wine is solid, and the notes are classic with gooseberry, passion fruit, and sweet notes of sugar from the RS. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is fine enough, it lacks the punch, it has enough acidity, and the short finish is a bit annoying but the lingering acidity, gooseberry, and grapefruit are nice. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 11%)

2023 Gush Etzion Sauvignon Blanc, Judean Hills – Score: 88 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is smoky, with nice green notes, lemon, lime, orange blossom, and orange notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, it shows good acidity, a nice mouthfeel, some flint, lemon, lime, orange, and nice fruit. The finish is short, that is the wine’s issue, with more flint and good acidity. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2023 Gush Etzion Gewurztraminer, Judean Hills – Score: 88 (QPR: GREAT)
I will start with the fact that I hate Gewurztraminer, I do, I like the idea, but coconut, pineapple, wax, and lychee, all do not work for me. Avi would like this stuff I think. The nose of this wine is exactly what I dislike, but it is correct, pineapple, lychee, coconut, wax, rose, jasmine, and ginger. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, what it lacks is a finish and it feels a bit hollow, but overall the wine is nice, with good enough acidity, and works well with spicy and creamy foods. The finish is a bit short but nice enough. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Shirah Arneis, Paso Robles, CA – Score: 88 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is nice with nice apple, pear, smoke, hints of orange, grapefruit, and celery notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice enough, it has the acidity, but it lacks complexity or grip, still, the mouthfeel is fun, and rich, with more pear, orange, melon, smoke, and hints of heat. The finish is a bit short, with acidity, pith, saine, and some ripe green notes. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.8%)

2023 Psagot Sauvignon Blanc, Israel – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is nice enough, with ripe gooseberry, nice lemon/lime, orange, guava, and tropical notes. This medium-bodied wine’s mouth is nice but feels hollow, with sweet notes, orange, lemon, lime, and dense tropical notes. The finish is a bit short, with enough acidity, and not much else. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Yaffo White, Israel – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is nice but the Viognier peach is a bit much, AD I am thinking of you. Still, the nose is balanced. The mouth of this wine is simple, it has some acidity, and a short finish, with peach, apricot, pear, and apple. The finish is a bit short, lacking balance, without the acidity needed. Drink now. (tasted June 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

———————————————- Previously Posted QPR WINNERS —————————-

2021 Chateau Olivier Blanc, Grand Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is stunning, captivating, redolent, and elegant, with rich fruit, grapefruit, minerality, saline, dry grass, gooseberry, and passion fruit, a beautiful wine that hits the mark! BRAVO! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is stunning, layered, complex, plush, and concentrated with rich acidity, minerality, slate, flint, and saline wrapping the gooseberry, grapefruit, peach, orange peel, and passion fruit, showing an impressive complexity. The finish is long, mineral-driven, dense, weighty, and plush, with rich salinity, flint, wet rock, and slate, and extremely refreshing and mouthwatering. BRAVO!!! Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Gustave Lorentz Riesling, Grand Cru, Alsace – Score: 93+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is a baby, the petrol will come, for now, honeysuckle, honeydew, the intense minerality of flint and rock, peach, yellow plum, gooseberry, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is layered, focused, and expressive, with intense minerality, gooseberry, rock, smoke, grapefruit, lemon/lime, graphite, and sweet herbs. The finish is long, tart, herbal, and mineral-driven, honeysuckle, and honeydew, with slate, fruit, and rock. Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre, Grand Champs, Sancerre – Score: 93+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe while also showing green and mineral notes, white pepper, orange, orange blossom, gooseberry, white flower, jasmine, and white oolong tea, a truly unique nose. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is uniquely layered, and ripe, with sweet and ripe gooseberry, orange, nectarines, intense minerality, dense slate, and flint, intense acidity, expressive but the acidity takes front stage, incredible honeysuckle, honeydew, the minerality, and floral notes take over with crazy mineral and acid, what a lovely mouthfeel and fruit focus, wow! The finish is long, tart, ripe, layered, and expressive, with intense minerality, slate, and flint that goes on forever, a Sancerre like this is really unique, wow! Drink by 2030. (tasted November 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Jean Luc et Paul Aegerter Pouilly Fuisse, Premier Cru, Vers Cras, Pouilly Fuisse – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is crazy, intense, bright, redolent, expressive, elegant, and incredible, with dense fruit, ripe apple, pear, peach, quince, sweet flint, matchstick, graphite, and sweet spices. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is incredible, layered, elegant, and precise, with intense apple, peach, pear, mineral, flint, and lovely expression, with a minerality that is deep and grabs your attention, an intense attack of acidity, ripe fruit, all wrapped in minerality and smoke. WOW!! The finish is long, expressive, focused, and intense, with deep ribbons of flint, slate, matchstick, and ripe fruit, all perfectly balanced! Drink until 2030. (tasted May 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Le Nardian, Bordeaux – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, feels more Burgundian to me than Bordeaux, maybe it is the unique wood notes, and oak, that bring me back to Burgundy, still, the nose is stunning, honeysuckle, orange rind, peach, apricot, green apple, and rich smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is crisp, and balanced, with intense oak-driven notes, this is not an oak monster, the oak lifts the sweet peach, apricot, and apple, and adds a bit of sweetness, edge, and verve, with smoke, minerality, and green notes, lovely! Not quite plush or oily but very close to both and rich with good minerality and fruit focus, really nice! The finish is long, green, smoky, and fruity, with more oak, sweet tannin, anise, white pepper, and white flowers lingering long. Lovely! Drink until 2028. I am sure this can go longer but I have never had this wine before and I am honestly gunshy from previous kosher white wine failures. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Chateau Gazin Rocquencourt Grand Vin, Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This is the Non-Mevushal version of the wine that is sold only in Europe and maybe in Israel as well.
The nose of this wine is ripe, with rich oak, showing notes of toast, French oak, Asian Pear, yellow and white flowers, waxy notes, peach, paraffine, and gooseberry, there are no green notes on the non-Mevushal wine. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has wonderful acidity, refreshing, with good peach, gooseberry, smoke, and flint, not hollow at all, rich and layered with sweet smoke, great tension, sweet fruit, and gooseberry that really works well. The finish is long, tense, layered, and smokey, with great flint, acidity, and waxy notes. Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc & 20% Semillon. The nose of this wine is lovely, ripe, extracted, and funky with intense funk, straw, hay, smoke, rich toast, sweet oak, Asian pear, smoked duck, citrus, gooseberry, wet grass, green notes, and sweet herbs. Bravo! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has richness, precision, and an impressive verve, the funky minerality follows through from the nose with ripe Asian pear, lovely gooseberry, lemon curd, and lemon Fraiche, followed by ribbons of minerality, saline, graphite, all wrapped in a toasty, funky mouthfeel, lovely! The finish is long, tart, ripe, balanced, and refreshing with great acidity, smoked duck, smoked pear, gooseberry, and tart lemon, lovely! Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Le Nardian, Bordeaux – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
The notes of the nose are lovely, ripe, yet well balanced, yellow plum, smoke, peach apricot, wet grass, straw, incredible funk, almonds, pineapple, ginger, lovely jasmine, intense minerality, just a true joy, lovely and yet better than the 21. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is beautiful, layered, extracted, and tart, with intense acidity, intense mineral, graphite, sweet oak, peach, apricot, yellow plum, white pepper, pineapple, and lovely funk all wrapped in nice tannin, and smoke. The finish is long and tart and funky, with ginger, sweet pepper, and richly almond-driven, Bravo! Drink until 2030. Drink until 2030 (tasted January 2024) (in London, UK) (ABV = 12.5%) (Available only in London – for now)

2021 Anthony Girard Sancerre, L’indiscrete, Sancerre – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is intensely flinty, with matchstick notes, stone fruit, mango, lovely floral notes, and honeyed notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is lovely and ripe, but well-balanced, with incredible minerality, and a bit of saline, but here the flint is incredible, richly focused, with intense acidity, and minerality, the mouthfeel is rich and oily, stunning, with yellow plum, pear, peach, and tart apple, lovely!! The finish is long, tart, and ripe, but the flint draws your attention, with intense minerality and nice fruit balance, Bravo!!! Drink until 2025. (tasted November 2022) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%) (Available in Paris, France)

2021 Hagafen Sauvignon Blanc, Prix, Reserve, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, it shows the elegance that comes with oak applied to Sauvignon Blanc, it has sweet spices, rich salinity, rich gooseberry, guava, and sweet herbs.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, the best white so far of this tasting, 2021 was a blessing for California, with sweet oak, sweet gooseberry, and guava, showing elegance, and nice precision, with a balance of giving up the rich tension for elegance, with great acidity, very refreshing, and plush mouthfeel.
The finish is long, refreshing, elegant, and smooth with more spices, acidity, saline, flint, and smoke. Bravo! Drink by 2027. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 13.7%)

2022 Château La Baronne Roussanne de Las Vals, Vins de France – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
This is a lovely Roussanne – classic with minerality, fruit, and slight reduction that blows off. Also, this is best enjoyed at 55 degrees or so, NOT fridge temp! The nose of this wine is nice with dry straw, hay, smoke, heather, violet, lychee, Asian pear, piercing brightness, and rock. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is perfectly balanced, rich, and layered in the mouth, with impressive tension, lovely minerality, and great acidity, all coming together, with fruit focus, precision, smoke, Pear, apple, hay, and nice lemon/lime notes in the background. The finish is long, tart, and balanced, covering the entire palate and then some, with minerality, acidity, hay, straw, graphite, and green notes in the background. Lovely! Drink until 2025. (tasted May 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Covenant Chardonnay Lavan, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this Chardonnay is lovely, showing melon, ripe peach, apricot, yellow apple, brioche, and bright fruit under a veil of smoke, oak, and sweet spices. Lovely! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is nice, with enough acidity, baked apple, smoke, brioche, elegance, smokey, and grippy, with a refreshing and captivating mouthfeel, rich, layered, and expressive, showing peach, melon, citrus, and sweet oak that lifts the wine and helps round out the lovely acidity, nice!! The wine is lush, so balanced, elegant, round, yet acidic, tart, yet accessible, WOW! The finish is long, ripe, layered, and spicy, with sweet oak, more fruit, candied citrus, chamomille, and cinnamon/cloves. Nice!! Drink by 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 13.9%)

2022 Shirah Marsanne, Santa Maria, CA – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is the best of the three whites I tasted back, to back, to back from Shirah, but by a hair, still, funky, dirty, drier, less-fruity, nutty, and yummy! This one is for the oenophiles! The nose of this wine is fun, not a common varietal for us kosher wine drinkers, the focus here is the control, the lack of abusive oak, and smoke. Showing a lovely control, intense hay, straw, funk, white flowers, lavender, melon, pear, and green tea, is really fun! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is not as fruity as the Chardonnay or Albarino, still, fruit is present, as is lovely acidity. The wine makes you think, while also being refreshing, tart, and precise with great salinity, honeyed notes of pear, melon, honeysuckle, funk, almonds, hay, straw, quince, orange, and rich honey, and really fun!!! The finish is long, tart, and precise, with great saline, almonds, mineral, hay, and fruit, a lovely package deal! Drink until 2025, maybe more! (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.7%)

2023 Baron Edmond de Rothschild Rimapere, Marlborough (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is the best part of it, with incredible aromas of ripe yet green/tart mango, screaming gooseberry, intense cat pee, green notes, passion fruit, ginger, lemon grass, lychee, orange blossom, and lovely honeysuckle. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is a slight step behind the nose, but still better than the 2022 vintage but not as good as the 2021, with incredible acidity, and more complexity than the 2022, showing lovely saline, lemon grass, ginger, passion fruit, gooseberry, orange, tart lychee, and fun funk. The finish is long, tart, smoky, flinty, and salty, with dense minerality, extremely refreshing, and lingering long with more saline, flint, gooseberry, passion fruit, and ginger, Nice! Drink until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Covenant Sauvignon Blanc, Red C, Lake County, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely and very flint-forward, still showing notes of lychee, grapefruit, gooseberry, guava, wet grass, and nice smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, right out of the bottle it has great acidity, and a nice fruit focus, lemon/lime notes, nice gooseberry, precision, nice passion fruit, and lovely minerality, nice! The finish is long, tart, and green, with lemongrass, flint, and lovely lemon/Lychee/flint notes lingering long. Nice! Drink now. (tasted January 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.2%)

2021 Pescaja Solei’ Arneis, Terre Alfieri – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The 3rd kosher vintage now comes in mevushal and non-mevushal formats. This was the tasting for the non-mevushal. PSA – This wine needs to be CHILLED – LIKE Champagne chilled, PLEASE! The nose of this wine shows entirely different than with the mevushal, what hits you first is the incredible brightness, minerality, smoke, dense flint, and sheer precision. The perfume of minerality takes my breath away, with nicely ripe peach, almond, intense flint, violet, and sweet ripe pear. The mouth is medium-bodied wine is incredible, with intense acidity, rich and unctuous mouthfeel, pear, nectarine, peach, nutmeg, and lemon/lime. The finish is long, tart, ripe, spicy, and driven by its mineral core, with lovely fruit, and rich spices. The wine is refreshing, elegant, complex, and tart all at the same time. BRAVO! Drink until 2025. (tasted March 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Philippe le Hardi Mercurey, Roc Blanc, Mercurey – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
This is a lovely expression of oaked Chardonnay, with ripe pear, apple, flint, acacia flower, smoked nuts, almonds, cinnamon, and red peppers. The mouth of this medium to full-bodied wine is lovely, showing white pepper, cinnamon, smoke, green apple, smoked duck, ripe plum, Asian pear, lovely tart fruit, and intense minerality, with bracing acidity, mouthcoating tannin, and lovely precision and fruit focus, a fun wine indeed. The finish is long, tart, green, herbal, smoky, and fruity, with intense flint, saline, and mouthfeel, that is refreshing and exciting. Bravo! Drink until 2027. (tasted May 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2021 Domaine Lebrun Pouilly-Fume, Pouilly-Fume – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER (France))
This wine is stunning, concentrated, focused, mineral-laden, and so tart/juicy, that my palate was salivating long after I spit the wine out. Nice!! The nose of this wine is lovely, showing notes of sweet fruit, lovely orange blossom, intense minerality, honeysuckle, honeyed peach, honeydew, and intense smoke/flint. The mouth on this lovely medium-plus-bodied is truly fresh, ripe, and well-balanced with screaming acid, smoke, flint, gooseberry, cat pee, grapefruit, orange, lovely screaming acid, and layers upon layers of flint/slate! Showing a lovely weight and mouthfeel. The finish is long, green, ripe, and well balanced, with crazy mineral, screaming acid, and lovely rock, flint, and mineral. WOW!! Drink now! (tasted May 2023) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Domaine Lebrun Pouilly-Fume, Pouilly-Fume – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER (France))
The nose of this wine is lovely, showing notes of sweet fruit, lovely orange blossom, intense minerality, honeysuckle, and intense smoke/flint. The mouth on this lovely medium-plus-bodied is truly fresh, ripe/juicy, and well-balanced with screaming acid, smoke, flint, gooseberry, grapefruit, orange, lovely screaming acid, and layers upon layers of flint/slate! Showing a lovely weight and mouthfeel. The finish is long, green, ripe, and well balanced, with crazy mineral, screaming acid, and lovely rock, flint, and mineral. WOW!! Drink until 2026. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%) (Available only in France at this time)

2021 Recanati Sauvignon Blanc, Odem Vineyards, Atelier, Galilee – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
People think I do not like Israeli wines, but that is incorrect, I do not like bad wine, and this wine PROVES that Israel can make GREAT white wines and I wish there was more of it! The nose of this wine screams Loire Valley, rather than Galilee Israel, but it is 100% Israelian, with sweet fruit, balanced minerality, and less green notes than you would get in the Loire, with lemon/lime, minerality, classic flint, orange blossom, and sweet smoke, very nice! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is the tell that tells you this is not French, the fruit is aggressive, Israeli, with an incredible start, great flint, smoke, peach, lemon/lime, and then there is a slight lul in the middle, followed by a bid push to the finish. The fruit, acidity, salinity, and mineral notes are really nice. Drink by 2025. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%) (Available only in Israel)

2022 Shirah Albarino, Santa Maria, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
WOW, Royal has decided to stop making Albarno, which I find to be a slap in the face to the kosher wine market. But good for Gabe and Shimon, good for them, step into the void and fill it with a rocking Albarino! Intense acidity, with precision, fruit focus, control, bravo!!! The nose of this wine is wild, this is not Spanish Albarinio, WHO CARES! This is fruity Albarino, this is a varietal, made in such a style, that California is allowed to show what it can add to the story! Throw in the Shirah brothers and you get a stunner! The nose of this wine is lovely, showing ripe peach, Orange, straw, cut grass, yellow floral notes, nectarines, and melon. In some ways, it smells more like fresh-cut grass than floral, but mixed with intense citrus, really fun! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, layered, focused, and rich, showing intense acidity, saline, orange, Orangina drink, tart pink grapefruit, and cut grass, all the while refreshing and precise! Nice! The finish is long, tart, ripe, fresh, with nice tension, and refreshing, lovely! Not a long holder like the Chard still lovely! Nice!! Drink until 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.6%)

2022 Alex Rubin Riesling, Santa Barbara, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is skin macerated, AKA Orange-like, the length of time, which was only 48 hours on Albarino skins, does not make the wine feel like a classic Orange-style wine gets/feels. The mouthfeel is enriched and the wine did go through Malolactic Fermentation.
The nose of this wine is wonderful, showing rich honeysuckle, orange peel, orange notes, rich yellow flower and jasmine, pink grapefruit, pineapple, and lovely watermelon. The mouth of medium-plus-bodied wine is rich, acidic, and balanced, with nice tannin, oily, and well-structured, showing all the fruit of the nose, along with guava, bitter orange, and lovely roasted almonds. The finish is long and tannic, but not overly so, more a mouthfeel than actual puckering, with great acidity, ripe fruit, and hints of more almonds. Nice work! Drink by 2026. (tasted April 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Covenant Viognier, Red C, Lodi, CA – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is varietally true, with fresh and clean aromas, tart peach, fresh cumquat, lychee, grapefruit, and flint. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is lovely, a bit too bitter, refreshing and captivating, not too fussy, with incredible acidity, tart, with peach, apricot, lychee, tart grapefruit, cumquat, almond pith, and slight tension. With time the bitterness calms down and the tension I wish is better. The finish is long, tart, and refreshing, with good minerality, and fruit-focused. Nice!. Drink now! (tasted January 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Hagafen Chardonnay, Prix, Reserve, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is riper and shows more oak, showing rich brioche, croissant, red and yellow apple, sweet pear, and rich smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, showing great acidity, nice mouthfeel, great control of the oak usage, still with sweet vanilla, sweet hickory, sweet Asian pear, rich brioche, and a nice creamy texture that works well. The finish is long, with sweet Asian spices, vanilla, hickory, and leather, and refreshing notwithstanding the sweet oak. Nice! Drink by 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 ESSA Altira, Cape South Coast – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
Unlike the 2021 this wine needs to be enjoyed at 34 degrees or so, aka, refrigerator temps. Also, this wine has more weight than 2021, less precision, and less tension, but it also is a bit more elegant, and almost oily, so yeah, Josh is slowly playing with the wine and its potential. The nose of this wine is lovely, it opens slowly but with time comes to show lovely pomelo, grapefruit, yellow flowers, smoke, peach, honeysuckle, sweet oak, and lovely minerality. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, I would have wanted more acidity, Josh joked to me that I would say that, still, this wine is perfectly balanced, it is just not popping, with less precision than 2021, the body is fuller, rounder, and a bit more elegant with the sweet oak, sweet honeyed peach, pomelo, gooseberry, orange, nectarines, melon, and lovely minerality. The finish is long, round, layered, and tart with more sweet oak, nice tart notes, slate, chalk, and Asian pear. Drink by 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo, Campania – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice with notes of peach, apricot, salinity, wet grass, and yellow apple. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is crisp, alive, and refreshing, with lemony-orange notes, Orangina tempered with lime, and peach, almost gripping acidity, electric, and almost tense with straw, hay, and slate. The finish is long, acidic, balanced, and refreshing, with good salinity, slate, and Orangina/Lime lingering long. Nice! Drink now. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Pescaja Solei’ Arneis, Terre Alfieri (M) – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
This is the Mevushal version.
The nose of this wine is fresh, tart, and bright with peach, orange, lemon, orange blossom, and flint. the mouth of this medium-bodied wine is lovely, with good fruit, peach, lemon, lime, and gooseberry, with great acidity, good fruit focus, and nice tension. The finish is long, tart, and juicy with great flint and salinity. nice! drink now (tasted February 2024) (in Kosher Wine Discussion Tasting, Brooklyn, NY) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Hajdu Pinot Blanc, Andersen Valley, CA – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with great balance, freshness, bright, peach, apricot, grapefruit, honeysuckle, and sweet lime. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is lovely, ripe, and balanced, with great acidity, with great peach, apricot, grapefruit, honeysuckle, and green apple. The finish is tart, refreshing, bright, and aromatic, Bravo! Drink by 2025. (tasted February 2024) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)

2023 Hajdu Vermentino, Mendicino, CA – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is really fun, sulfur, flint, green apple, peach, Pear, Asian pear, and smoke galore. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is lovely, a bit shocked, but lovely, tart, with so much funk, apple, pear, and peach. grapefruit, and lime, are just lovely. The finish is long, ripe, balanced, and tart, with rich salinity, flint, and lovely smoke. Lovely! Drink by 2027. (tasted February 2024) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Domaine du Castel La Vie Blanc Du Castel, Judean Hills – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine shows nice flint, gooseberry, lemon blossom, mango, and smoke, nice. the mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice with good weight, nice acidity, nice mango, orange, peach, and gooseberry, nice flint, good focus, and nice tension, nice! Drink now. (tasted February 2024) (in KFWE, NJ) (ABV = 13%)

2023 Hagafen Riesling, Dry, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is fun, but it shows the RS, that the wine is meant to be dry, and while dry Riesling can be measured, the word dry is not regulated like Trocken. The nose of this wine shows its RS, with rich mango, papaya, lovely honeysuckle, lemon/lime, waxy notes, and some melon. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has the sugar to thank for its fuller body, with honeysuckle, nice acidity, good melon, papaya, and grapefruit, but the real star of the show is the acidity, the mouthfeel, almost oily, and the nice texture. While I find the wine nice, and really enjoyable with spicy or acidic, AKA Vinagrete foods, the wine is not dry. Otherwise, enjoy! Drink until 2026. (tasted February 2024) (in San Jose, CA & Hagafen Winery Napa Valley) (ABV = 12.2%)

2022 K Invei Gewurztraminer, Dry, Clarksburg, CA – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, showing pineapple, guava, quince, yellow flowers, and flint. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine comes alive after a few minutes of air, with a nice plush mouthfeel, almost oily, with great balancing acidity, hints of RS, guava, pineapple, white pepper, chili pepper, citrus blossom, and orange notes. The finish is long, spicy, plush, and balanced, with a bit of pith, more spice, cloves, and hot pepper, nice! Drink by 2025. (tasted March 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 16%)

2022 Pacifica Riesling, Evan’s Collection, Washington (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
This is a lighter and less sweet wine than in previous vintages. It is a solid wine and one that is worth the money and your time. The nose of this wine is lovely, showing rich honeysuckle, honeyed sweet melon, honeydew melon, jasmine, nice flint, mineral, citrus, and piercing brightness. The mouth on this medium-bodied is nice with good acidity, almost dry, which is unique for Pacifica, with some sweet notes, some residual sugar, perfectly balanced, with honeydew melon, key-lime pie, orange notes, rich saline, Asian pear, ginger, smoke, and loads of sweet orange pith on a super long finish. Drink now if you must, but better drink from 2024 until 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 12.5%)