Images / WeeksEnd wine

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When we see one another we have facial recognition and facial expression to determine with whom we are communicating and on a deeper level what mood the other is in. If we have not as of yet met, we might have the use of vocal accoustics with which to gauge.And then there's the name.Once we know a name
we have a point of reference which ignites all that can be associated with that name. If its a nickname it might trigger particular ideas yet not connect to the essence of the said person.There is an idea some say that if a person is sleeping and you mention their given name it has the power to awaken them.
Who I was,who I am and who I can become coupled with the knowing of another can expand the I beyond the self.
Have a good one; h

Should be

2011 Recanati Chardonnay
2010 Galil Barbera

Love be with your Shabbos

Shavua Tov and Chodesh Tov Harry!

This was quite a wine and spirits' infused shabbat+rosh chodesh...

Friday night:

HHW, Pardes Merlot 2005: Got this bottle for a bargain so had to give it a shot. And I'm very glad I did! Beautiful dark burgundy red with on the nose jammy plums, ripe raspberries and cigar box with a hint of vanilla, full-bodied with on the plate raspberries, ripe cherries, blackberries, sweet plums, sweet cedar wood and notes of spicy vanilla lingering on the long finish with soft tannins gently coating the mouth as the wine developed in the glass over the course of the meal. Whereas the Isaac's Ram CabSav of the same vintage still has some time left and is very old-world and elegant with a much more restrained fruit and without the sweet cedar, this Merlot is very Israeli in style yet very good. Great job though I felt that the wine is clearly at its peak and perhaps even a bit past it so drink up!

Had a short discussion Thursday about Port on facebook and Shay from Midbar winery jumped in saying that the winery made a Port. I replied "I want to taste it!". The following morning, surprise! Yaakov Oryah himself walks in with a bottle of Midbar/Asif Port and followed a tasting of different wines as well as a long chat on wine business, kashrut etc that was very interesting to say the least. Anyway:

Midbar, Port-style NV "Grande Finale": A not-yet released, not-yet labeled limited edition wine (about 1000 bottles produced) made of both port-style 49% Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (fermentation stopped with added alcohol), 33% late harvested Syrah 2008 and late harvested (raisins in this case) 18% Zinfandel 2009. Dark purplish towards garnet with on the nose ripe blackberries, jammy cassis, dark chocolate and caramelized nuts. Full-bodied with on the palate ripe bramble, jammy cassis and ripe plums with well-balanced sweetness and surprising acidity (no heat at all on neither nose nor palate), caramelized hazelnuts and pecan, with chocolate covered cherries lingering beautifully with supple tannins on the seemingly endless finish. Only 16% Abv. Rich and elegant, superb. Very curious to see how it will develop over a few weeks.

Topped off the meal with some peated Irish whiskey, Connemara 12 years, very nice.

Shabbat lunch:

Started with some good scotch: Glenfiddich 18 years and Bowmore 18 years (delicious sel de Guerande feel on the tongue's tip).

Mont sur Rolle AOC 2007: Mmmm, such nice minerality. Drinking as good as on opening 2 days ago.

Lueria, Gewurztraminer 2012: First time enjoying this treat (had the dry version a few weeks ago, might enjoying it again this week). Very very pale straw, could be mistaken as water color-wise if not for the yellow-greenish shade. Very similar to the 2011 on almost all accounts except that the lychee is not showing as much. On the nose tropical fruits with still some lychee as well as lots of pineapple and honeydew, these showing also on the slightly fizzy and light to medium-bodied off-dry palate (exactly like the 2011, that blows off after some time in the glass) together with juicy sweet citrus fruits and apples on the moderately long finish.

Binyamina, Avnei Hachoshen Yahalom (Diamond) 2007: I've waited a while to finally taste the praised (Rogov zl, Raccah and Yossie H) 2007 vintage. It didn't disappoint. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon (Galil), 30% Syrah (Judean Hills) and 20% Petit Verdot (Samson) aged separately for 20 months in new french oak barrels before the final blending. On the nose ripe forest fruits and plums as well as cigar box. Full-bodied with on the palate blackberries, raspberries, plums, herbal notes, sweet cedar, with notes of chocolate covered espresso beans and allspice with silky tannins rising on the long luscious finish. Delightful, gorgeous. Having said that, my feeling was that the wine is already at its peak and might not cellar much longer as opposed to most other reviews. I'd advise to drink now.

Topped off the meal with Carmel 100 Brandy and some other spirits.

Melave Malka, Saturday night: Did a tasting of the following:

1) Tzuba, Pinot Noir 2009 (very nice)
2) Yikvei Haroey, Merlot 2011 (delicious as always)
3) Benhaim, Tradition, Merlot 2004 (incredibly alive and kicking)
4) Domaine Netofa, Latour 2010 (Outstanding!)
5) Teperberg, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (superb)
6) Bravdo, Shiraz 2009 (finally coming ito its own, showing now surprising notes of garrigue on both the nose and palate)
7) Gvaot, Herodion, Vineyard Dance 2009 (great Bordeaux-blend)
8 ) Kinor David, KPort 8 years ('nuff said)

Wishing you all a great week and a great month of Shvat,

GG

Shavua Tov

Fri night: Yarden Kela Mrlot 2005. Fruity., full bodied.. long finish.. A wine enjoyed by all partakers
Shabbos lunch Lueria Grand Vital 2010

I brought home a bottle each of 2010 Cab, 2010 Syrah and 2010 Zin. These were final blends from tank of the wines that will become GAN EDEN if we ever reach agreement, some other brand if we don't each agreement on GAN EDEN but he still wants to do the deal. These are diffeent wines than I envision for Agua Dulce, because I wanted to have some differentiation of Agua Dulce and "whatever name we come up with for a partnership between me and my boss". Would people buy a wine from me that would not be GAN EDEN in the same quantity? I know those in the know would, but how about others? In any case, I'm thinking $50/bottle for Cab, $40/bottle for Syrah and $30/bottle for Zin, retail, 10% discount on a case, of course. Are they worth it? Who knows? All I know is they tasted really good over Shabbos, especially the Cab. I'm hoping I can have some bottled before Feb 1, 2013.

A rarity for me, we had all American wines this weekend (maybe a result of this week's newsletter topic - Hagafen). In any event, all great wines:

Hagafen, Prix, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
Hagafen, Syrah, 2008
Brobdignagian, Besomim-Cuvee Chabad, 2008

Elvi El26 2005 - delicious; incredibly rich body, dark fruit, really nice earthiness. I wonder why this wine isn't more popular.

Hi; recanati merlot 2011.Similar to the cab of this vintage.Full bodied>perhaps in the nerlot more of a vanilla tinge.Tried another bottle of terennal malbec and this time was enjoyable.h

2010 Domain Netofa (red). Seemed just fine to me, maybe not WOW as david might say. I think there was some complaint awhile back. Was it in comparison as to how the '09 was drinking then or a year previous?

Also, 2008 Tzora Judean Hills (HM).Very nice.

Shabbat dinner at a friend's house; Hagafen 2008 syrah; well-integrated and surprisingly drinkable now.

Hi Harry,

Four Gates Pinot Noir NV - This bottling is a blend of the '07 and '08 vintages. This time around it came across as rustic, with fruit that was colored by the alcohol, and a texture that told me the wine was not fined or filtered. While not quite full bodied, its weight is substantial. This wine shed some of the charms of its youth, particularly the notes of violets it displayed so vividly in its youth. Stylistically, it is not how I prefer Pinot Noir. The problem is that those kosher Pinots whose style is more to my liking aren't all that exciting, either. My takeaway is that in the future I plan on consuming Benyo's Pinots earlier. 14.8% AbV and $36 upon release. C+/**


Grappa di Segal - A generous forum member kindly gave me an elegant looking bottle of this spirited beverage. The 44% AbV caught me off guard. I rarely drink hard liquor with my meals, and this won't make me change my habit. It has an intensity, with a flavor I would describe as fennel and licorice, though it does not taste like Arak. It does not have the complexity of a single malt nor the elegance of a brandy, but it is a good palate cleanser. It was definitely an interesting experience. Thanks. C+/NA

Best,
-> Pinchas

Grading for quality: A - marvellous, B - good/intriguing, C - mediocre/uninspiring, D - subjectively flawed, F - objectively flawed
Grading for value: *** - it's a steal, ** - it's a reasonable deal, * - you've been robbed

Pinchas: I wonder at your rating of the grappa as a C+. Grappa is, purely and simply, firewater. It fulfilled all of the requirments of such a beverage.

Livne 2010 Pinot Noir - Pretty disappointing....

Livne 2010 Pinot Noir - Pretty disappointing....

Hi Jon,

Can you please elaborate more in details?

Thank you,

GG

I just received some more info about the Midbar Port reviewed above and updated my note.

Livne 2010 Pinot Noir - Pretty disappointing....

Hi Jon,

Can you please elaborate more in details?

Thank you,

GG

I intended to pick up the Gvaot Pinot about which I had heard good things, but the store didn't have it and recommended the Livni. It just wasn't what I was expecting in a Pinot. Pretty acidic, masking the fruitiness I thought I would taste.

Pinchas: I wonder at your rating of the grappa as a C+. Grappa is, purely and simply, firewater. It fulfilled all of the requirments of such a beverage.

Craig,

Correct. If a beverage simply meets its minimal requirements, it is guaranteed to score above a D. Firewater is an uninspiring beverage and as such it should not score more than a C+. I'm convinced that many of the forum members haven't had the opportunity to sample grappa, and might be expecting more, comparing it to other more refined alcoholic beverages. I hope my notes set their expectations right. The best of grappa, at least that which exists in the kosher universe, is uninspiring. My notes should probably have elaborated more on this point. I didn't do that, because I was unaware of this until after the fact, reading up on Grappa from web sources, learning that what I got in my glass is all Grappa can offer. (However some Italian producers are now beginning to age Grappa in barrels, and are making an attempt to make it like a brandy). Personally, I feel that Segal's marketing is misleading. It bottles its Grappa in an elegant bottle, giving it the appearance of a refined and special beverage, when in fact it is not.

My legend says it all, revealing that I am a tough grader, with the average wine scoring between a C+ and a B-. Subjectively flawed wines, will score in the D range, even if they are drinkable, but if I feel they are so imbalanced such as to make me cringe, they will not be scored above a D. Bad wine will earn an F. In my opinion, scores should follow the bell curve, otherwise they convey very little meaning, leaving no room for the score to capture my excitement or disappointment.

Best,
-> Pinchas

Hi; I too would concur with Craig re the grappa. Granted it comes as a shock to the uninitiated. However comparing it to brandy or single malt is the old apples/oranges sittuation. Its definitely got fire and I agree withe fennel,licorice however calling it a palate cleanser is missing the refined profile of this elixir. And by the way according to Rogov this particular grappa was beyond its window years ago. Just my two cents,cause in essence Pinchas is leagues ahead of me in tasting appreciation. H

Hi; I too would concur with Craig re the grappa. Granted it comes as a shock to the uninitiated. However comparing it to brandy or single malt is the old apples/oranges sittuation. Its definitely got fire and I agree withe fennel,licorice however calling it a palate cleanser is missing the refined profile of this elixir. And by the way according to Rogov this particular grappa was beyond its window years ago. Just my two cents,cause in essence Pinchas is leagues ahead of me in tasting appreciation. H

Hi Harry,

Pardon my disagreement, but comparing Brandy to Grappa is not like comparing apples to oranges. Brandy is distilled from the finest extraction of the grapes: the wine, whereas Grappa is distilled from the pomace: the residue. It is fair to discuss the level of complexity that a beverage attains, comparing to that which is attained by other beverages within the same family: namely hard liquor. Speaking of drinking windows, that comes as a surprise to me, since I don't recall seeing drinking windows assigned to hard liquor.

Now, my calling Grappa a palate cleanser should not be taken as an insult, especially since I've indicated that I view it as a more sophisticated palate cleanser than vodka. And you might be quite familiar with the high end designer vodkas that are out on the market.

Best Regards,
-> Pinchas

I cant compete with all that, but I'll put up my tasting notes for this week.
Thursday I had Teperberg meritage 2010.
Deep but slightly opaque purple. Smells like a barrel room that just had a fresh coat of paint. Loads of crushed blackberry and vanilla aromas. Sour cherries, blackberry jam and just a stupid amount of oak which give an immense amount of stale vanilla and szechuan pepper. The finish is short but firm with more vanilla and blueberry pie.

Teperberg terra sauvignon blanc 2010. Super-clear with the slightest off-white to gold colour. Dry grass and wet stones on the nose that moves aside for some white flowers and simple sponge cake. In the mouth more sponge cake and grapefruit with an herby finish that leaves some lime zest and celery not really knowing what to do with themselves. Easy and straightforward.

And today I had the Yarden botrytis semillon 2005
Clear royal gold colour. The aroma is just enveloping. On the nose half baked sour Bramley apples, baked potato skin, peanut shells and lemon flavoured Turkish delights with the slightest scent of quality bourbon, bruised bananas and fur. Lusciously sweet and mouth-filling with just enough acidity to keep it alive. The nose flows right into the mouth, except the apples are now fully baked with added sweet spices like cloves and star anise with reconstituted dried fruit. The ending lingers for a while with dried apples and apricots, white raisins and just the slightest shaving of white chocolate and wood.

03 Orna Chillag - Still a terrific wine. Developing interesting characteristics with age.
00 Labgorce Zede - Still very enjoyable. I would say past prime but kept pouring.
05 Hagafen Cab - dissapointing. Lacked fruit to match the oak.
01 Heights Wine - best dessert wine ive ever had from Israel. Bought a bunch by accident years ago when attempting to order 2000. The 01 always stood out to me for its perfect acidity.

AlexEli oregon pinot. I think this wine tastes much better than it did a year ago upon release. Had it with my wife's homemade stuffed cabbage. Very light a delicious. Wish I had more. Although maybe not because it was very expensive with the shipping from Oregon.....

I had a disappointing shabbos of petite Sirah wines from Dalton, Herzog, and Recanati. Next time I will stick with Brob and other Herzog wines.

http://kosherwinemusings.com/2013/01/14 ... for-durif/

David

B"H, I had a great Shabos with really amazing wine!

2007 Carmel Mediterranean: A/*** After what seemed to me a prolonged dumb period, this wine has come back with a bang! It needs TONS of air, so decant a couple hours before drinking. Once it opens up, you get all the elegance of its youth, along with a newly mature backbone, with the oak surprisingly coming through much more than in its youth, but in a good way, with subtle, smokey wood and animal notes. I'm awfully glad I stocked up on this wine!!! Definitely ready to drink but should continue to age gracefully for many more years.

2009 Dalton Reserve Wild Yeast Viognier A/*** After a couple of bottles that had overstayed their welcome on G-d's green Earth, this bottle was a delightful surprise. Sweet and honeyed but very much alive and kicking. Still, if you have any, now is the time to drink up!

2010 Yatir Sauvignon Blanc: A-/** One of my favorite SBs. Perfect balance between tart freshness and depth.

2008 Four Gates Merlot M.S.C.: A- to A/** Another home-run by Benyo. Bracing acidity; tooth-staining, inky purple color; tons of red fruit, plum, sour cherry, herbs; bracing tannins; a bit of pencil lead and cigar box on the long tart finish. Needs a bit more time to really shine.

Kinor Dovid Shir haMaalot k'Port 10 Year: A-/*** Finished the bottle I opened 2 weeks ago. Unlike the 8 year, this isn't a wine you can knock back a bottle of. It was a bit oxidized (a week earlier I had transferred the remaining 1/2 bottle to a plastic water bottle) with very slight browning of color, but it didn't taste any the worse for wear. The nutty and dry fig flavors on the mid-palate were more pronounced, balancing the sweetness. Very enjoyable as stand-alone dessert!