If you have ever wondered what Kosher wine or the Mevushal process is, I made a post these many years ago and nothing has changed about those facts, because Kosher wine is Kosher wine! The Mevushal process has evolved a bit over the years, but the premise is still the same, and the best craftsman in this space are Hagafen Cellars and Herzog Wine Cellars.

Royal Wine Europe does a good job as well, though from time to time, the white wines do not show as well after they go through the Mevushal process. The red wines are indeed done very well.

The whole premise for Mevushal wine is really a U.S. concept. Europe and much of Israel do not care for or need the wine to be Mevushal to serve at restaurants or events. The USA Rabbinic leaders think that there are too many issues and potential concerns at events and restaurants – given the vast number of servers being non-Jewish. As such, they demand Mevushal wines be served at the events. I have been to events where the pourers were all Shomer Shabbat Jews and that is what they do in Europe and Israel, but those are far and few between, here in the USA.

Overall, the 20 Mevushal wines scored higher than my previous post of 2023 options. These top Mevushal wines scored between 92 and 93! The vast majority of these wines come from the Mevushal leader, Herzog, and Hagafen, from the 2021 and 2023 California vintages. This year we have more quality Mevushal wines and we can mainly thank Cali for that!

Last year we introduced the 2021 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label. This year we have its third iteration with the 2023 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label. Not only is it the Mevushal Wine of the Year but it is also a darn good cup of wine! Bravo!

Mevushal – done incorrectly absolutely does cause damage to wine, and I have had many a “cooked” Mevushal wine. However, Herzog and Hagafen do not have these issues. Royal Europe does a good job, but not as well as the previously mentioned wineries. The Covenant Mevushal Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pinot Noir (started in 2023) can be added to that growing list of trustworthy Mevushal Wine Producers.

Also, we do not have examples of Mevushal wines that scored 95 points, again, this is not a cause and effect but rather the issue that people do not yet have Mevushal Pontet-Canet! Mind you, as I stated before, it is not from a lack of desire, on behalf of Royal Wines, they would boil anything to be able to sell more Mevushal wines. Still, so far, of the top wines that I have scored, the highest-scored Mevushal wine is now the 2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Special Reserve. Besides that bottle, we now have Covenant and the 2022 Royal French wines. Time will tell if we ever get a Mevushal wine with that kind of quality.

More and more wines are Mevushal to meet the needs of restaurants and caterers that want high-end Mevushal wines for their venues and events. The theme of the wines here is mostly Hagafen or Herzog with some smattering of European names as well.

Here is my list of the top 20 Mevushal wines that are available here in the USA. They are listed by score and after that in no particular order. The wine notes follow below – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

2023 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label, Sonoma County, CA (M) – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
WOW! This is the third Mevushal (Black Label) Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is lovely! I am also getting used to the amalgamated corks, and I am happy.
The nose of this wine is lovely, controlled, ripe, California, creamy, and rich. It shows iron shaving, minerality, rich smoke, tar, anise, black pepper, ripe black and red fruit, lovely pop, and dirt. Bravo. This is the best Mevushal one so far.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is lovely, showing great acidity, nice mouthfeel, creamy and rich, but with good pop, blackberry, plum, cassis, beautiful minerality, graphite, nice smoke, mouth-draping tannin, rich and layered. This is an impressive showing for a Mevushal wine, showing power, plush mouthfeel, finesse, almost elegant (though with all this power it is tough), some sweet oak, but it is not in your face, and nice dirt. Bravo!
The finish is long, dirty, ripe, balanced, with sweet tobacco, milk chocolate, graphite, and lovely tannin/acidity. Bravo!!! Drink until 2034. (tasted January 2025) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.8%)

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 the sweet spices, the 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 really a blessing for California, with sweet oak, sweet gooseberry, and guava, showing elegance, 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! Drin k by 2027. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 13.7%)

2021 Hagafen Merlot, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, with a kiss of oak, bright, earthy, with sweet spices, sweet red fruit, no black or blue fruit here, great control, another 2021 hit! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is another WINNER, showing great control, finesse, and elegance, but so bright, precise, and refreshing, with great fruit focus, nice sweet oak, rich strawberry, dark plum, raspberry, with rich saline, smoke, loam, dirt, and great acidity. The mouth is great with cacoa, plum, and sweet spices, awesome! The finish is long, ripe, and balanced, with more cacoa, leather, sweet spices, nutmeg, licorice, and rich loam. Bravo! Drink until 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 13.3%)

2022 ElviWines SIBLINGS by Mesorah, Montsant (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache & 20% Carignan.
The nose of this wine is interesting; it shows a bit of oak, with the quality and pop I want from Clos Mesorah, while also being more accessible from the start.
The nose of this wine has some oak, with black and red fruit, dirt, loam, pop, and acidity, and nice umami, loam, and dirt. The wine hits the target of wanting the younger generation to enjoy it. In the end, the wine meets that need, which is an accessible and enjoyable Clos Mesorah.
The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has great acidity, is mouth-draping, and has a nice mouthfeel from the sweet oak, blackberry, plum, tart raspberry, nice blueberry, loam, and a lovely fruit focus that is ready to go and accessible.
The finish is long, tart, and ripe, but it is balanced with great acidity, fruit, loam, minerality, and mouthfeel, which makes the wine fun now and also fun for a few years. Drink by 2028. (tasted December 2024) (in Clos Mesorah, Spain) (ABV = 15%)

2022 Chateau Royaumont, Lalande de Pomerol (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice, with excellent minerality, good pop, black and blue fruit, saline, graphite, and rich tar, nice!
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is lovely, rich, ripe but controlled, with blackberry, plum, dark cherry, blueberry, great minerality, graphite, rich sweet oak, mouth-drying tannin, great acidity, and lovely mouthfeel, with precession, and focus. 
The finish is long, dirty, mineral-driven, and fruity and a great show for the 2022 vintage. Drink by 2035 (tasted December 2024) (in Miami, Florida) (ABV = 14.5%)

2019 Hagafen Cabernet Franc, Prix, Reserve, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, the 2019 vintage though is controlled, with bright fruit, nice smoke, tar, roasted animal, minerality, loam, red and black fruit, and dense smoke. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, with great acidity, a bit too much fruit, for me right now, that will work itself out, with blackberry, plum, boysenberry, smoke, rich mouth-draping tannin, sweet oak, intense expression, with some extraction, loam, and intense coffee grinds. The finish is long, ripe, layered, and dense, with more coffee, leather, sweet spices, sweet tobacco, and loads of loam. Drink by 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 14.6%)

2021 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is anise-central, lovely, and has an overall fruit-focused approach, with rich salinity, red and black fruit, sweet oak, iron shavings, minerality, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is nice, with great acidity, nice smoke, nice cacoa, blackberry, and cassis, with a rich mouth-coating tannin, sweet dill, sweet oak, a nice Cab expression, showing less extraction, more precision, and nice fruit. The finish is long, ripe, and balanced, with the acidity lifting the wine, the saline, and graphite helping, and the oak, and fruit rounding it out, Nice! Drink by 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 13.2%)

2022 Hagafen Pinot Noir, 50% Napa Valley & 50% Sonoma County (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The wine is a blend of Sonoma and Napa, nice! The nose of this wine is so bright and expressive, with great raspberry, strawberry, nice sweet oak, and good expression. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is rich, expressive, layered, and elegant, some of the best Pinot from the Hagafen label in some time, with rich raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, nice smoke, refreshing, with a lovely and lovely approach. Bravo! The finish is long, the oak is well integrated, showing nice smoke, leather, rich saline, fruity, and dirty, nice! Drink by 2027. (tasted April 2024) (in Hagafen Winery, Napa Valley) (ABV = 13.5%)

2022 Hagafen Merlot, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, with a kiss of oak, bright, earthy, sweet spices, sweet red and blue fruit, nice control, and balanced.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is another WINNER, showing reasonable control, some elegance, tart and refreshing with a bit of fat, boysenberry, raspberry, juicy strawberry, nice sweet oak, good acidity, smoke, loam, dirt, and big/bold tannins. The mouth is nice with cacao, strawberry, boysenberry, and sweet spices, nice!
The finish is long, ripe, and balanced, with more cacao, leather, sweet spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and rich loam. Bravo! Drink until 2028. (tasted September 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

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%)

2019 Luzzatto Barolo, Barolo (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER (France))
The nose of this wine is flat, green, muddy, and boring. The mouth of this medium to full-bodied wine has nice acidity and not much else. There is no fruit, it feels hollow in the middle, with acid, acid, and more acid and not much else, and tannin. I am fine without this wine. Drink by 2025 With time this wine really comes around, the nose is now dark, and brooding, with rich dirt, loam, earth smoke, good minerality, and nice salinity. The mouth of this wine is alive and kicking with great acidity, rich mouth-draping tannin, plum, cherry, and dark red fruit, with impressive mouthfeel, graphite, minerality, and fruit focus. Drink until 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%) I do not think this wine is imported to the USA, which is very strange, given that it is Mevushal

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, American Oak, North Coast, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is fruity, with ripe blackberry, boysenberry, sweet oak, dark cherry, sweet spices, and milk chocolate. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is quite nice, balanced with great acidity, nice blackberry, plum, cassis, nice minerality, good vanilla, hickory, sweet oak, and sweet spices, all wrapped in sweet mouth-draping tannin. The finish is long, ripe, herbal, and smoky, with nice milk chocolate. Nice! Drink by 2028. (tasted April 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2023 Herzog Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg Reserve, Clarksburg, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The fruit had botrytis, modeled after Savennieres, old vines Chenin Blanc. The nose of this wine is lovely, showing white peach, pear, apricot, quince blossom, rich honeysuckle, pear blossom, sweet Lipton lemon tea, and sweet oak. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is fun, it is bone dry, showing great acidity, lovely mouthfeel, almost oily, with a lovely plush mouthfeel, starting with Lipton tea, honeysuckle, honeyed melon, pear, white peach, lovely mouthfeel, a true joy! The finish is long, tart, funky, and rich, with green notes, floral notes abound, and bone dry and rich sweet oak. Drink by 2028. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2023 Herzog Chardonnay, Russian River, Russian River, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, tropical, fruity, smoky, and ripe, with hickory, sweet vanilla, butterscotch, sweet dill, and peach/pear. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and balanced, with lovely acidity, with rich pear, apricot, sweet oak, butterscotch, buttery brioche, and sweet dill, with rich sweet fruit that works with the American Oak. The finish is long, ripe, and a bit candied, but balanced with great acidity, smoke, rich vanilla, hints of banana, and oak. Drink by 2028 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2023 Herzog Chardonnay, Chalk Hill, Special Edition, Chalk Hill, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice with great bright fruit, lovely tart peach, pear, melon, and great sweet oak. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, tart, and balanced, with rich acidity, nice smoke, and good weight, showing pear, peach, melon, and hints of tropical, but balanced, and nice focus with good oak. The finish is long, and tart, with no butter here, great wine, more Chablis than Burg in style. Nice! Drink by 2028 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, Special Reserve, Lake County, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
Herzog’s approach to the Lake County Cabernet Reserve has been consistent and enjoyable since the 2017 vintage.
The nose of this wine is lovely, rich, extracted, ripe, but balanced, with rich aromas, and the approach is really impressive, showing blue and black fruit, nice sweet oak, and sweet spices. Lovely! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied is lovely, showing great acidity, layered, extracted, and rich, with sweet oak, boysenberry, blackberry, ripe cherry, and rich smoke, with sweet oak, lovely mouth-draping tannin, bravo! Approachable no but it will improve with time. The finish is long, dark, brooding, balanced, and really fun. Bravo! Drink by 2034. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Special Reserve, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, it is a bit better than 2021 with great black and red fruit, sweet oak, tar, smoke, and tobacco, showing as a Napa should show, Bravo! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is really fun, and tart, with great acidity, lovely fruit, blackberry, plum, plush mouthfeel, nice complexity, sweet fruit, ripe, but lovely! The finish is long, ripe, balanced, candied, and yet tart with sweet and ripe fruit, Bravo! Drink by 2032. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Generenation VIII, Double Creek, Chalk Hill, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is too big and oaky for me at the start, the wine shows intense oak, sweet dill, vanilla, mocha, blackberry, deep smoke, ink, tar, anise, pencil shaving, iron shavings, and balance.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, but what really throws me at the start is the amount of oak that hits me, it is literally oak juice, with sweet vanilla, and mocha, it has balance with enough acidity, and the tannin structure is draping and elegant, the fruit is a bit too bold for the weight, at least for now, with blackberry, plum, boysenberry, layered, and concentrated, lightly extracted, with more mocha, sweet oak galore, and sweet dill.
The finish is long, ripe, oaky, and smoky, with minerality, but the real focus is the oak, ripe fruit, vanilla, cacoa, milk chocolate, and sweet chocolate-covered tobacco. Drink from 2030 until 2038. (tasted August 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Barons Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild, Haut-Medoc (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is big, bold, and dirty. It has loads of minerality, fruit, smoke, and tar, deep inky notes, black and red fruit, and floral notes in the background. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is fun, with rich minerality, great graphite, nice dirt, good salinity, and nice mouth-coating tannin; not plush and elegant, but more of a brute, with nice control, blackberry, plum, cherry, earth, and more minerality, wrapped in a bit of sweet oak. Nice! The finish is long, yummy, and refreshing, with tar, dark chocolate, and more mineral focus. Nice! Drink from 2028 until 2034. (tasted January 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

N.V. Drappier Brut Champagne Carte D’ Or, Champagne (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The disgorgement date on this is 10/24 The nose of this wine is yeasty, with lovely baked goods, freshly baked apples, kumquat pie, ripe quince, sweet oak, lemon curd, honeysuckle, and pleasant minerality. This is another great bottling. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, balanced, elegant, but persuasive, with attacking layers of small bubble mousse, clean and professional, citrus, lemongrass, melon, more minerality, slate, and lovely baked pie with yeasty notes commanding your attention. Lovely! Drink until 2027. (tasted January 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)